GT LTS replacement bearings by BETD ...

Hi guys
anyone got any advice on sealing the main and front-of-linkage bearings ?
I've just dissassembled my wife's bike to replace the swingarm (cos the horst-links have been getting noisy as the bolts move and have worn the arm) and found a complete mush of rust inside all those non-sealed needle rollers.
For £80 I expected them to be a bit more resistant, but I must admit I havnt stripped them down since I put them in a year ago.
Well, it is a grotty job after all

Anyway, any advice would be gratefully received while I try and get just the bearings out of betd.
God knows what they'll want for 8 of the beggars, as I'm not expecting mine to be any better

Overall, I'm not too impressed with the fit of any of the bearings to tell the truth, but at least they dont suffer from stiction like the std plastic things do after just a year of use.

phil
west sussex

I spose you could bodge a neoprene cover?

Mine were just high maintenance, if it gets wet and muddy, strip it and grease it,
I was on the same set of bearings after 5 years racing DH when I sold my STS

Thanks for that - at least I know where I stand now.
I must admit that I think the original plastic bearings probably need replacing at around the same rate, as they degrade badly when they get silt/clay in them, you guessed it, we live by sand and clay !

I've ordered 4 pairs for £10/pair today, and I'll be packing them with some nice modern waxy grease to try and resist water ingress, as we have to leave the bikes outside when we go to wales and scotland.
I guess I just have to think like they are offroad motorbikes !

I really dont like neoprene boots, as they tend to just seal crap inside the boot out of sight !

Surely you can get these bearings cheaper at a bearing shop. I paid £4 each for my Coda Magic BB bearings (£12 each from Cannondale at the time) and they're larger than pivot bearings. If you look on the plastic seal they should have a number stamped on them. If you quote that to any bearing supplier they should be able to get one for you.

The bearings in my Giant AC were still going strong when I sold it after 3 years use, and those bearings were considered to be lower than average quality. Imo you should get more than one year's use from them.

Well, £10/pair isnt too different to £4 each !
And its the large unsealed ones that are piles of rust mush - the markings on the (narrow) edges are not very clear any more.

And in defence of the betd kit, you have to remember that they arent oem bearings, and they almost completely remove the stiction that the std plastic ones get after 6months of dirt. Even after cleaning the plastic ones, and of course it seems that they arent made to come apart without some damage somewhere, they still dont move as good as new.

Overall, I prefer proper bearings, I just wanted to know if anyone had worked out a better sealing regime than the fairly amateur one that betd have for the big unsealed bearings.

I had a Giant fs xc before the GT, lovely bike with proper 4-bar suspension and hydraulic magura rim brakes ... but it got stolen , together with a Kona Sex Too, another lovely bike with proper suspension (ahead of its time)
I think I still have a spare plastic bearing kit for the Kona actually !