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My 2 yo Superlight has been squeaking a bit recently so after watching a few youtubes suggesting how easy it is I'm gonna have a go at servicing the shock and replacing the seals.
Removed the shock easily enough and the single pivot for the swing arm is reassuringly smooth so I'm gonna leave that be for now.
My question is: should I replace the bushings at the same time? And if so, how do I remove them? All the instructions, pictures and videos I've found look different from mine which has protruding spacers on either side (are they spacers or are they part of the bushing? Can't tell) They are too tight to unscrew with fingers and there's no means of gripping them with a tool that would't cause damage.
I'm sure someone here has done this before, so hoping you can help.
Btw my LBS is more of a roadie specialist and although I'm sure they could do the job I want to learn how to do it myself but this is one of the few maintenance tasks I've never done before.
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Thanks.
I used a pipe grip to get mine off as I needed the old ones to put on the new shocks but it did result in some small marks. I saw someone recommending wrapping duct tape round the pipe grips first but I tried that and they were just slipping
No point in removing them unless they prevent you removing the air-sleeve (which they won't), or they're worn out (in which case they'll easily pull out, or fall out on their own).
The protruding bits are top hats. If they're tough to pull off the probably the bushes don't need doing, so I'd leave alone. Usually if worn, the hats just fall out I find. Other way to check is when mounted on the bike, pull the shock and check for play at the mount.
If you want to do them though, the top hats pull off but you might need grips or something, but careful about putting dents in them.
Once off you'll need a bushing tool to push the existing bushing out and to insert a new one. My advice would be to pop over to TF Tuned and get their Heavy Duty Mount kit and a bushing tool. The mount kit is better than the top hat stuff, and the bushes are polymer which are supposedly more durable. Various other places do similar things. If you are replacing the mount kit then doesn't matter so much if you put marks in those old top hats.
[url= http://www.tftuned.com/tech-help/27-mount-kits-and-bushings-fitting-removing- ]Here you go ...[/url]
You can get bushing removal bolt thingy on Ebay for around a tenner.
@ART are the things referred to as 'reducers' on the page you linked the same as the top hats that deadkenny is taking about? And these are the 'mounting kit' ?
Yes, the top hats are reducers and are the mounting kit. The heavy duty kit is an alternative mounting kit, and usually is a through axle style instead of the top hat reducers.