Felt Virtue Nine Owner's Manual - page 3
Equilink Suspension Manual
Virtue Nine Manual
4. Maintenance Overview:
While all Felt frames are designed to be strong and durable, a little preventive
maintenance will protect your investment and provide endless hours of trail riding fun.
General Maintenance
All bearings used on Felt suspension frames are high quality sealed units. They are
designed to provide a long working life; however keeping the bearings clean will
extend their useful life.
When cleaning your bike, avoid the use of high pressure water or aerosol spray
cleaners. Doing so will drive contaminants into the bearings, causing premature
failure. The easiest and simplest way of cleaning the frame is using a bucket of soap
and water. This will remove all exterior dirt and grime, preserving the integrity of the
bearing seals.
When cleaning the frame it is good practice to periodically check for bearing wear.
1. With the bike in a work stand, clamped by the seat post, remove the rear wheel and
deflate the rear shock.
2. Standing behind the frame, lift the rear dropouts, (Move suspension as shown
in Fig.1) it should feel smooth, (with light resistance from the carbon rear triangle).
Any grinding, notchiness or tight spots may be signs that the bearings need to be
overhauled.
3. If the suspension moves smoothly through its travel, check for any side to side
movement. Hold the dropouts and try and move them to the left and right. Any
looseness may be a sign of loose bearing bolts or worn bearings.
(Move suspension as shown in Fig.2)
4. Check the bearing bolts, if any are loose tighten them to the torque spec that is
conveniently laser etched into the dust shields. In some instances it may be necessary
to reapply a thread locker before you retighten the bearing bolts.
5. If you notice any wear or problems with the bearings your easiest course of action is
to replace them. Bearing replacement kits are reasonably
inexpensive and the procedure is fairly simple. Bearing kits and complete rebuild kits
are available through your local Felt Bicycles retailer.
6. For rear shock maintenance refer to the shock manufacturer’s owner’s manual
that was included with your bike. If you did not receive or misplaced your shock
owner’s manual, refer to the manufacturer’s website for details on proper care and
maintenance procedures.
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