GT LTS help

[haribo]

Been building up an old LTS frame that someone had sitting around. Initially just been built it up as a fun hack with bits I had lying around or picked up cheap from eBay. All has been going well with my first proper build until I took her out for her first proper ride, now realised I made a schoolboy error by spending time/money on this before checking the bushes! Problem is a little flex at main pivot which leads to chain jumping around at crank when under heavy load. I was a bit gutted.

I now simply want to get her moving fairly cheaply otherwise I'll regrettably just swop the bits over to another (hardtail) frame. So, options:

Can I strip it down, clean, lube it up, stick it back in and tighten it all up (it looks loose of you see what I mean).
Can I get new bushes that will fit? Have looked with no joy so far...
Or is my only option the 50 quid needle bearing kit from BETD.

Grateful for any help GT full suss experts!

Cheers, Andrew

 

[Pickle]

Can I strip it down, clean, lube it up, stick it back in and tighten it all up (it looks loose of you see what I mean).
Can I get new bushes that will fit? Have looked with no joy so far...
Or is my only option the 50 quid needle bearing kit from BETD.

My RTS had sat around for a few years before being dragged out of retirement. I had it stripped down, lubed, put back together and all was well.

Try the strip down approach first, and if no joy, dont skimp and go for the BETD kit if your going to ride it regularly.

 

[haribo]

Thanks for that, appreciated. Will I need any special tools for that or not, I suspect it's just an allen key and bolt? Never had the cranks off myself...

Took it to LBS and asked them to do that but they weren't keen 'we've got a few of last years avalanche frames for 120 quid, you'd be best moving the parts over to one of those' :roll:

 

[Pickle]

Will I need any special tools for that or not, I suspect it's just an allen key and bolt? Never had the cranks off myself...

Took it to LBS and asked them to do that but they weren't keen

Wouldnt have thought so on the special tool front, but I didn't do it myself.

My LBS we're very obliging and did it for me, but they are an 'older school' shop that appreciate old bikes and enjoy working on them.

Try spraying it up with GT85 first, and letting it all soak in overnight, I think you'll notice a difference in the linkage performance.

 

[LTS Biker]

Allen key is enough.
What year is the bike??
Maybe I have some spares.

 

[haribo]

It's 96/97 - non-trunnion one anyway...although I think main pivot on all LTS models are the same?

 

[LTS Biker]

Not really. The rear under forks (?) are different from the 95/96 and the 97/later. Maybe the bushing are the same, can't say that. But the chainstay (that's the right word) is different is size.
The later models have a CNC chainstay and the older ones are curved.

 

[Shidar]

I have the Team lts'97 non trunion shock, and only need an allen and another key to block the other side. You needs extract the cranks for the bottom bushes too.

Regards