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How-to: Bushing Service / Replacement

61K views 119 replies 50 participants last post by  mattyice 
#1 · (Edited)
There's not much to this- a "How to" isn't really necessary, but I figured people might find this helpful. This is based on my Rune, but I assume the process and part numbers are the same for the Spitfire and Rampant. Hopefully Keith will chime in with any tips or corrections….

So far, replacing bushings at least once a year, and lubing seasonally is about right for me- this would be "preventative maintenance". In my experience so far, to really lube the bushings properly you need to pull the axles out, clean & regrease, then re-assemble- don't just use the grease gun ports. One thing I really like about this design, is that there isn't much you can do to screw the frame up (i.e. no threads to strip, no clamshell bearing clamps or press-fit press-fit holes to stretch out.) Worst case scenario, you replace the bushings and your pivot axles, and the frame is good as new.

On to business!
I ordered about a decades worth of bushings directly from Igus. Quick easy phone call…. You may have seen different alphabetical codes (I.e. LFM) for Banshee's bushings- this has to do with country/distributor or something. They did a quick cross-reference and had all the info needed. I think I ordered 10 complete kits for under $100…killer.

Here are the Igus bushing part numbers:
LFM-1517-17 (2x at main BB pivot)
LFM-1214-17 (4x - 2 at chainstay pivot, 2 at seat tube rocker pivot)
LFM-0810-04 (4x at seat stay pivots)



Make sure you have the proper tools before you start.

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Seriously, all you need is 2 sets of allen keys, a rubber mallet, blue locktite, citrus degreaser, grease-gun and a bic pen. A framing clamp of some sort is helpful too.

Prepare the patient.
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Main BB pivot first. Remove the cranks and chainguide (if you have one)
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1. On the non-drive side, remove the 2 plastic caps from the swing-link
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2.With a 2mm allen key, remove the set-screws from the grease ports. Don't stress if they get stuck in there, you can extract them later. (sometimes the grease and machining chaff can make them difficult to remove for the first time)
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3.Important! The main BB pivot axle is keyed on the non-drive side. Insert 6mm allen keys on both sides of the pivot, but only turn (loosen) the bolt on the drive side. Back it out, then thread it back in 4-6 turns, like so:
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4.Using a rubber mallet, tap the bolt on the drive side to push the axle out the opposite side. Once you get it tapped most of the way through, you shoudl be able to remove from the ND side. The allen key was really not necessary here:
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5.De-grease and clean the pivot axle and bolt. Make sure the threads are totally de-greased, as they will get lock-tite later on. Note the "Key" on the ND-side, and the hole for grease in the center. I've been wondering if increasing the size of this hole would make the grease ports more effective.
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6.I used a bungee to keep the swing-arm up & out of the way. If you are not replacing the bearings, just cleaning and lubing, skip to step 11.
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7.Remove the old bushings. The ultimate tool for this would be an "easy-out", but I've always been able to push them out with the plastic tube from a ball-point pen or wooden dowel, and a few taps with a mallet.
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8.Thoroughly clean and degrease the pivot bore... press a new LFM-1517-17 bushing in one side, evenly, by hand.
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9.Once you get it started evenly by hand, you can press it in all the way using a framing clamp. You could also probably use a block of wood and mallet, just be careful to keep it even so the bushing doesn't get mangled.
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10.Repeat for the other side. Finished bushing install:
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11.Time to put the axle back in. Make sure your threads are clean. If your 2mm grease-port screw got stuck in the ND side, now is the time to remove, clean, and check for any obstructions.
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12.Apply a coat of grease to the outside of the axle. The idea is to get as much grease between the axle and bushings as possible, without getting any on the threads inside the drive-side end of the axle. Prep-M is ideal, but I used finish line white Lithium grease.


13.Insert the axle from the non-drive side, through the swing link, bushings and frame. A few gentle taps with the mallet may help. Stop before the axle head seats into the swing link. Note the location of the keyed slot in the swing-link and roughly line it up with the key on the axle. At this point, you can use a 6mm allen key to line up the key & slot.

14.Clean the threads on the drive side of the pivot axle again, apply a few drips of blue locktite to the bolt, and thread in. Watch the non-drive side as you tighten the bolt to make sure the axle is not spinning. (the key&slot should prevent this). recycled picture:
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15.Insert grease gun into non-drive side of pivot axle and pump a bunch of grease in there.
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My old grease gun was a little short for the Rune. I just picked up a new tip for $10 at an auto parts store. Again the grease gun is not the only maintenance required, it's just a way to get more grease in after cleaning/re-assembling the pivots IMO.
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16.Tighten the bolt on the drive side. This bolt needs to be snug, but not super tight- 5-6Nm with a torque wrench.

17. Thread the grease port set-screw into the ND side (not too tight!), wipe clean, and replace plastic cap.

Okay, the main BB pivot is now done. This is the only pivot that is KEYED so the rest are much easier. I do the chainstay swing link bushings next. Basically repeat steps 4-7....Removing the old bushings:
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New bushings pressed in:


repeat steps 8-15....And that's pretty much it, just repeat for each pivot. For all the non-keyed pivots, it helps distribut the grease if you twist the axle in as you pump grease...(step 15).

Anyways, hope that helps, and enjoy your stiff and quiet banshee!
 
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#2 ·
Great stuff FM

FM
Thanks for taking the time to put that together. Really interesting and great photos. I build gas turbine helicopter engines for a living. So no my way around the tools, but are still learning when it comes to bikes. So stuff like this really helps.

You said you are doing the bushes once a year, how many kilometers are you doing in that time? what conditions?

Are the bushes showing any signs of wear?

Thanks again
 
#4 ·
Good deal, glad people may find this helpful. If Keith approves, maybe this can be a sticky (not sure who does that around here) for future reference.

Floydo said:
You said you are doing the bushes once a year, how many kilometers are you doing in that time? what conditions? Are the bushes showing any signs of wear?
Hard to say... I have a AM hardtail I use for the more XC stuff in the summer. The rune sees a lot of local skills park riding, wet night rides, jump sessions, etc... We have frequently wet muddy conditions here, plus I frequently shat myself or pee on technical terrain, which certainly soils the bearings. Then I use a garden hose to rinse the bike off, that can't help either!

Anyways- yes my bushings showed wear, but I have dusted a full set of bearings on a titus in the same amount of time. Overall I really like the banshee bushing system, I think it will be a shame to go away from it, although I know bearings can work equally well. The bushings require a little more maintenance, but IMO they are simple and cheap to maintain. The bearing bikes I have owned typically needed bearings once a year too, which was expensive, and replacing them frequently often damaged the frame. I am sure whatever Keith cooks up will work great though.
 
#5 ·
Nice job FM, give me another perspective to replacing bushing. I once tried to remove the main axel on a workstand without success. I now put the frame on the floor (which means pretty much disassembling it) to remove that axle. How many times have you change the main pivot bushing thus far? I have done it twice in a couple of years and my axles look prestine compared to yours; given I only ride once a week, maybe twice if I am lucky.
 
#6 ·
ritopc said:
How many times have you change the main pivot bushing thus far? I have done it twice in a couple of years and my axles look prestine compared to yours; given I only ride once a week, maybe twice if I am lucky.
This is the first true bushing "replacement", although I've pulled the pivot axles out and greased a few times. I would guess the wet conditions here probably explain the extra wear. Doesn't really phase me as the axles could be replaced if they ever wear to the point of creating slop.
 
#7 ·
FM said:
... Doesn't really phase me as the axles could be replaced if they ever wear to the point of creating slop.
I wasn't trying to imply you should worry about it, in fact you have a good point on replacing the axles in case you need to. It just appeared to me you have a lot of experience removing the main axle, and you ride a lot more than I do... i´m so jelous (on the riding part).

I've removed the axle two times, the first one was a chore (main axle was extremely tight on the lower link), the second one (just last week) was really easy. Next time I will use the workstand technique.

Again, its a nice guide you've done here, and will prove very helpful to people who haven't remove the axles yet.
 
#8 ·
I've found that this rubber tip works well, I've even removed the rubber tip and stuck it on the end of a regular grease gun as well. It seals off the socket hole if you apply pressure when shooting the grease in (the axle bolts should be a bit loose when you do this).

Rectangle Font Magenta Circle Pattern


I've also had some experience with an axle that didn't want to come out too easily (on my 2008 Pyre) and found that rigging up a Quick Grip with something to push the axle through (A long small diameter socket works) and a block of wood with a relief hole to allow the axle to push through on the other side.
 

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#9 ·
Excellent write-up FM!

I had gone through a bushing and axle check a couple of months ago and couldn't get the main axle off at all (I think I remember someone saying before that it was keyed). All bushings looked good except the right chainstay bushing had a little more wear than any of the others, so I figured the main axle bushings were probably o.k.

I was wondering how to go about removing the bushings when the time came, now I've got a good idea of how to go about it... Thanks for taking the time to take pictures and post it all up.

crazyhouse
 
#13 ·
dwyooaj said:
howcome i cant find the seatstay bushing LFM-0810-04 on igus' website?
FM said:
. You may have seen different alphabetical codes (I.e. LFM) for Banshee's bushings- this has to do with country/distributor or something. They did a quick cross-reference and had all the info needed.
Just call 'em on the phone, that's the correct number, although it's not be listed on their site. Keep in mind, I think they typically do big wholesale orders. They were super friendly but kinda laughed at my little $100 order...

Anyways glad taking photos was worth the effort for others. I'd like for this to be a sticky, but not sure who the mod is for the banshee board....I may add another post covering the upper pivots eventually....
 
#15 ·
Great Post FM... thanks for taking the time to do that! I don't know how to get this to be a sticky, but maybe if we say sticky enough a mod will spot it and make it happen... sticky sticky sticky.

Onyl think I'd like you to adjust in the post is... that there are 4x LFM-0810-04 (2 for each side of SS pivot), and that i recommend a torque of about 5-6Nm for every pivot, basically just tight enough so that everything is snug, then add a quarter turn.

The IGUS bushing numbers are really easy to follow once you know. So for example for above mentioned bushing...

L - Material Type
F - Flanged style
M - Metric

08 - ID (8mm)
10 - OD (10mm)

04 - Length. (4mm)

Good work... sticky stcky sticky!
 
#18 ·
Thank you FM :thumbsup:

That is a very good explanation on how to maintain Bushings, great you take your time for this.
This is maybe Sundaymorning-easy-going routine for any Turner Homer, isn´t it? :p and agreed, somehow it´s a shame that Banshee don´t want to keep (improve?!?) their Bushing-System.

Greetings from Cologne, Germany
NoStyle

PS: Sticky sticky sticky!
 
#19 ·
FM said:
Adjusted! Thanks Keith. And, rumour has it the all-powerful MTBR super-mods will make this a sticky.
Thanks FM, pics and steps are always very helpful. I learned how to do this the hard way last year and got it down, but following something like this would of been much, much easier, so thanks again:thumbsup:

Also, wondering how many times you have changed your bushes since getting your Rune, once or twice now?

Just curious since I haven't touch my pivots since getting the my new 10' Rune (warranty replacement to the 08') last mid-summer and rode fairly hard 3-4x'/wk since.

JG
 
#21 ·
this is a total noob question (haven't touched my bushings yet and never done it on bikes).
but when you are adding grease through the port, is that grease going somewhere totally different than the outside grease? (or just getting more in there?)
thanks
 
#22 ·
builttoride said:
Great Post FM... thanks for taking the time to do that! I don't know how to get this to be a sticky, but maybe if we say sticky enough a mod will spot it and make it happen... sticky sticky sticky.

Onyl think I'd like you to adjust in the post is... that there are 4x LFM-0810-04 (2 for each side of SS pivot), and that i recommend a torque of about 5-6Nm for every pivot, basically just tight enough so that everything is snug, then add a quarter turn.

The IGUS bushing numbers are really easy to follow once you know. So for example for above mentioned bushing...

L - Material Type
F - Flanged style
M - Metric

08 - ID (8mm)
10 - OD (10mm)

04 - Length. (4mm)

Good work... sticky stcky sticky!
I've got a bushing question for you Mr Builttoride.
Have you done any testing of the different IGUS compounds for bike applications? The reason I ask is virtually every bike I've seen with IGUS uses bushings that appear to be the L280 compound.
Yet comparing the data sheet for L280 to IGUS G I see no discernable difference. The L280 is marketed as the low friction bearing, but there's no significant difference in the friction values or in the load capacity when comparing it to G.
 
#23 ·
Dougal said:
I've got a bushing question for you Mr Builttoride.
Have you done any testing of the different IGUS compounds for bike applications? The reason I ask is virtually every bike I've seen with IGUS uses bushings that appear to be the L280 compound.
Yet comparing the data sheet for L280 to IGUS G I see no discernable difference. The L280 is marketed as the low friction bearing, but there's no significant difference in the friction values or in the load capacity when comparing it to G.
Hey Dougal,

Good question.

Yeah I spent 6 months on the G material bushings. They worked pretty similarly to the L280 material, although I think that they did wear the axle out very slightly faster... plus they cost more. So definately not worth paying more for a bushing that performs similarly (possibly even marginally worse) than the L280 compound.

Always worth asking questions like this tho!

Thanks,
Keith
 
#24 ·
builttoride said:
Hey Dougal,

Good question.

Yeah I spent 6 months on the G material bushings. They worked pretty similarly to the L280 material, although I think that they did wear the axle out very slightly faster... plus they cost more. So definately not worth paying more for a bushing that performs similarly (possibly even marginally worse) than the L280 compound.

Always worth asking questions like this tho!

Thanks,
Keith
Aha, thanks for the feedback Keith.
It's most surprising to hear the G's are the dearer compound. I mostly run G's on tool steel or stainless, for aluminium the axle wear would become a lot more important.

I started using IGUS in industrial applications years ago, they've proven their worth but there's such a minefield of compounds, including those like L280 that aren't even in my IGUS catalogues.

Cheers
Dougal
 
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