Lubing rear sus linkages?

steve46

First full sus! first big clean! And then id normally lube every nut and bolt, but not sure if rear sus linkages need a quick squirt of GT85 aswell?! Presume all the linkages are sealed and as such could lubing actually do more harm than good? Cheers.

nicklouse

some need some lubing. not GT85. and some dont.

some have bearings some have bushes.

steve46

nicklouse wrote:

some need some lubing. not GT85. and some dont.

some have bearings some have bushes.

So, bearings presumably require lubing, but "not gt85" any particular reason??? Thanks.

Chunkers1980

Bearings need grease.

dhobiwallah

Because GT85 is pants as a lube on a bike!!

It is allegedly slightly better than WD40 due to PTFE content - but is still really thin. It will probably work on your linkages - just remember to disassemble your bike and re-apply after every ride; possibly mid-ride if it is really wet :P

leaflite

You need to get a proper chain lubricant(finish line, squirt etc) for the chain and proper grease for other parts that require greasing.
Sometimes certain products have a specific type of oil/grease/lubricant that they require(eg suspension). This is usually mentioned in the manual.

paul.skibum

I pulled the rear triangle of my Big Hit apart the other day to clean it and check the pivots - all seem to be running ok so I chucked some grease on thema nd put it all back together but it struck me the grease is a gonner first wet ride as there is no way of keeping it on the bearings.

The set up on mine was the bearing pushed into the frame then a cone shaped cover that doesnt actually cover the bearing at all.

I dont have a huge amount of experience of full sussers but I know the single pivots on my old Patriot and Heckler were better sealed and protected than these.

felix.london

I'm too scared to get stuck into the Session even though the main pivot is squeaking. Lifts are closed til end of June 2013 so should have plucked up the courage to have a look by then...

supersonic

The manual should outline what you need to do - as Nick says, they vary.

felix.london

From Trek manual :

"No lubrication is required for the shock or the pivot of your Trek rear suspension bicycle. Avoid all lubricants as they may damage the cartridge or composite bearings. For best results and long life, simply wash the shock and pivot area with a solution of soap and water, or just water."

:?

paul.skibum

the linkages and so on arent hard to take apart and reassemble particularly on my bike - just a 4mm allen key for the minor linkages and a 5mm with adjustable spanner for the main bolt. The system is very similar to that on the Norco FSR pivots but the covers over the actual bearings are a little (only a little) more confidence inspiring.

mrmonkfinger

steve46 wrote:

nicklouse wrote:

some need some lubing. not GT85. and some dont.

some have bearings some have bushes.

So, bearings presumably require lubing, but "not gt85" any particular reason??? Thanks.

GT85 is not a lubricant. It is a very very thin oil/petrol distillation with ptfe - the oil evaporates within a short space of time leaving a thin film of ptfe behind. Its exceptionally good at dispersing water, and useful for protecting exposed bolt heads and so on.


But for things that move (ie bearings, chains) you need an actual lubricant, on a bike this is normally grease or oil. If the bearings are a self lubricating composite, then they need to be dry.

snotty badger

paul.skibum wrote:

The set up on mine was the bearing pushed into the frame then a cone shaped cover that doesnt actually cover the bearing at all.

The bearings are sealed, the cone's are not a cover, then go narrow side in so the bearing rotates properly. I hope you've put them back in the right way! Like this >II<

You can pop the seals off the bearing with a sharp pick or stanley blade and apply more grease. This is worth doing with new bearing kits as they don't have much grease in them out of the factory.