Mountain Bike Teardown

In case you're tired of seeing me restoring old road bikes, here's an early 90s Specialized Hardrock. Most mountain bikes from the late 80s to late 90s are very similar. The better ones have lighter frames and nicer parts, but they tend to come apart the same way. I started this project with the wheels, saddle, seatpost and chain removed:

It's always a good idea to check the rim strips on an old bike, otherwise you might be chasing down mystery flats for a while. This one is nicely intact:

I already repacked the wheel bearings earlier, but here's a link in case you want to know how. My next step was taking the bottom bracket apart:

 

With the dustcap off, I just used a 14mm socket and ratchet to remove the crank bolt:

 

Next I threaded in the crank puller, then removed the right side crank:

Yay:

 Now the left crank (exact same procedure):

Time do deal with those cables. This frame has slotted cable stops, which let you remove the cable from the frame without disconnecting it from anything. Just put some slack in the cable, then pull the housing out of the cable stop:

 

Now I can remove the rear derailleur from the frame:

 

Let's get back to that bottom bracket now that the rear derailleur won't be resting under the frame. You need to unscrew the lockring on the left side. I have a special tool for this, but you can use a hammer and punch if you don't care as much:

This adjustable cup only has small dimples in it for removal. There's a special pin spanner from Park Tool that you're supposed to use, but this worked too. I just needed to push down while turning the pliers:

 

With the adjustable cup out, you can remove the spindle. That plastic tube is a grease shield. The bearings were pretty dirty inside, so I don't think it did much good.

To remove the fixed cup, you'll need a nice big wrench. This one comes out clockwise. I suppose the reverse thread is supposed to keep it in place, but a loose cup can still unscrew itself as you ride regardless of which way it's threaded.

Eww:

Now I want to remove the handlebars and fork to grease the headset. Since I hate trying to shove a used cable through a Z-Link connector wire, I'll just remove the brake instead:

It's not a bad idea to do this anyway because you can grease the cantilever studs and make the brakes work a little nicer. After unhooking the rest of the cables from the frame, I can move the handlebar assembly safely out of the way.

The fork is secured  by a threaded bearing race and a locknut. First remove the locknut:

Now the top race can be unscrewed by hand. Keep track of any spacers, these are usually important.

With the race off, you can slide the fork out and remove the bearings.

Now you can clean the bearings, and replace any parts that are damaged or worn out since the frame is pretty much bare now. I like to soak bearings in mineral spirits overnight. This usually dissolves any old grease. I left the cables attached to the derailleurs and brakes to make it easier to adjust them later. I also left the front derailleur on the frame so I don't have to spend lots of time repositioning it. My next post will cover how to reassemble the bike in better working order.