Help identifying part

[smc0502430]

Can anyone help me, I have just purchased a Raleigh Max full suspension and it needs some TLC, I have found there is a part missing between the gears and the frame resulting in instability in the frame can anyone identify it from the pic and let me know what it is called



Simon

[gaz]

Welcome to the forum.

I'd call it a suspension pivot. Whilst I can find that brief tutorial I know nothing about their maintenance or whether replacement parts are generic or manufacturer/bike specific.

Something like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/FULL-SUSPENSION ... 1872513168?

I certainly cannot guarantee that will fit, measure carefully and caveat emptor.

Someone more knowledgeable will be along shortly. Wait for a few replies before deciding on what to do next.

[gregoryoftours]

That pivot the last person linked to might be worth a go, otherwise I think that you would be very lucky to get one - It is a cheap bike and model specific spares for cheap bikes are pretty hard to come by as they are not sold as separate parts, basically you'd have to cannibalise the part from a dead bike of the same model. You weren't to know, but unfortunately that bike is a bit of a duffer and it is really not worth spending much more money on. If you did get another bike, steer well away from full suspension bikes - anything costing under £800 new and your full suspension is just a gimmick to sell the bike, and is really unfit for purpose.

[Mick F]

Can I ask a (stupid?) question please?
I know nothing about MTBs be them suspension MTBs or non-suspension MTBs.

Which bit is missing between the gears and the frame?
(Except lubricant)

[gregoryoftours]

Judging by the chain it's been left outside a lot, and in addition to it being a cheap and very bad bike in the first place would need a lot of sorting out in addition to the frame pivot. Maybe just try scrubbing the chain with a wire brush and soaking it in oil, cleaning cables and oiling them rather than buying new ones etc. I am sorry for being so negative but you really don't want to be spending more money on this bike.

p.s. Mick F, it appears that the suspension pivot to the right of the bottom bracket in the picture is missing the bolt assembly that holds the whole thing together.

[Mick F]

..........p.s. Mick F, it appears that the suspension pivot to the right of the bottom bracket in the picture is missing the bolt assembly that holds the whole thing together.

Thanks.

It looked to me that the joint was swaged and a bolt wasn't required.
Thanks for putting me right.

[gregoryoftours]

I'm not 100% sure, you might well be right about that, looking at photos of that bike on line some look similar to the pivot in this post, and some look like the hole is capped off with an allen bolt fitting in the middle. It could well be that there are no parts missing. I've worked on plenty of bikes of this type and there is often a lot of play in the pivots from new, regardless of all the correct parts being present. Mostly the bushings in the pivot assemblies of this type of bike are made of plastic and have a lot of play anyway, or the plastic has disintegrated causing even more play.

[Brucey]

If you really want to fix this bike up, I would suggest that you try to get hold of another (similar) bike to use as a source of parts. (It is worth asking your local raleigh dealer if the spare part you need is available, but my guess is that it won't be...)

Maybe this is your first 'bike project'? If so, you have a lot of fun ahead of you and sometimes a bit of frustration, too.

Full suspension is great when it works well but on less expensive bikes like this one it doesn't always work very well to start with and it only gets worse with age. Sometimes 'less is more' when it comes to bicycles, so a simpler bike (without suspension) is often a lighter weight, better, more reliable bike, in daily use.

If you have a plan for the bike, do say. It is possible that someone near you can point you in the right direction for advice etc; there are bicycle co-operatives in quite a few towns and they can offer advice and sometimes parts too.

cheers

[gregoryoftours]

Yes what Brucey says is good, I'm sorry I have been so negative in my posts and I hope I haven't discouraged you. You'll definitely learn a lot fixing this bike up, it can be really interesting.