Good place online to shop for suspension bearings/bushings?

nasha48

Play in my rear suspension is slowly getting worse due to knocking bearing joints (worse by far immediately above the top of the rear shock). Never touched the bearings so not surprised they seem to have worn. I know they're cheap enough but where are the decent shops online where i can can pick and choose the replacement cartride bearings and bushes etc?? And are there a few standard fits or do frame pivots vary a lot between brands? Mine's a Boardman Comp FS around 4 years old.

cooldad

Try this guy. If he doesn't have them listed ask him anyway.
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/KaTec-Bikes?_rdc=1

YeehaaMcgee

cooldad wrote:

Try this guy. If he doesn't have them listed ask him anyway.

Try who, you?
The f**k i'd do that!

cooldad

Are you blind as well as stupid?

cooldad

Sneaky edit hehehe

YeehaaMcgee

Sneaky, like a grasshopper.

cooldad

Thank you dear, that's nicer than anything my ex ever called me.

rockmonkeysc

Dont buy those Katec bearings. He removes the seals and changes the grease. Its never a good idea to remove bearing seals, they aren't designed to be removed and refitted.
Katec bearings have a rather mixed reputation, I know a couple people who rate them and several others who wont buy them again.
Find out what bearings you need and get some good quality Koyo bearings. I specify them for the machines I design which are relatively low speed but in a wet, gritty quarry environment. They seem to be extremely well sealed, certainly better than RHP or SKF.

nasha48

Cheers cool dad, that's exactly the sort of place I was looking for (don't ask me why I couldn't find one myself, just couldn't). Rockmonkey - thanks for this, taken on board. Looking at those KaTec ones though, I've no idea of the differences in product no. so how do you go about choosing the right one(s)? Soz, just learning bout these, hence not sure what your ref to RHP or SKF is either!?? The Koyo's you mention - are they similarly priced and easily available do you know?

The Rookie

Ignore RM, he's confused or been on the juice, Kai doesn't remove the seals, he greases before they are fitted, many people have used his bearings and are very happy (me inc).

rockmonkeysc

Koyo bearings are just a little more expensive than RHP and SKF but much better sealed and last better.
I can get RHP at less than half the price of Koyo and about 20% of retail price but I still pay the extra for Koyo on my bikes. I think they are around £5 - £10 each depending on size.
I get mine from Brammer, a large nationwide bearing supplier but any good bearing supplier should stock them.
I have an email from Katec explaining that he removes the seals, changes the grease and re seals them. I contacted him a while ago to find out what I get from his bearings that I wont get in any other bearing. Im sure some people are happy with them but plenty aren't.

cooldad

The Rookie wrote:

Ignore RM, he's confused or been on the juice, Kai doesn't remove the seals, he greases before they are fitted, many people have used his bearings and are very happy (me inc).

This.
I've used them personally, and recommended to plenty of people (guys I ride with, not strangers) and no one has had any problems whatsoever.
He specs the fill from the manufacturer - doesn't mess with them.

rockmonkeysc

You can't spec bearings from the manufacturer. My employer fits around 2000 bearings per day and they cant specify a grease to meet a Canadian approval. Bearings are made in HUGE volume by machine. You get what they offer and thats it. Anything else would involve multi million pound orders. The only bearings I know of where you can put in your own spec grease is Cooper split bearings and they dont make them small enough for bicycles.

nasha48

Thanks guys, this is all v helpful stuff. RM - soz being a numnut but are RHP and SKF just alternative bearing brands then like Koyo. And those KaTec product nos?

stubs

I dont know how Katec does his bearings but you can buy the bearings without the seals fitted and buy the seals seperately.

Kowalski675

Nasha48 wrote:

The Koyo's you mention - are they similarly priced and easily available do you know?

Koyos are cheaply available available over the counter from most bearing factors. Been using 'em for years in motorcycles.