Introduction

I have owned a 2018 Focus Jam Elite 29er for a few years now and it has been a great bike. However, I have noticed that the rear suspension has been feeling a bit rough lately. I have been meaning to service the bearings in the frame for a while now, so I decided to finally get around to it.

You should do too if the rear suspension feels rough, creaks or you can feel play in the rear triangle.

Bearings required

The Focus Jam from 2017 to 2021 has the following bearings in the frame:

  • 4x 61901-2RS bearings (12mm x 24mm x 6mm)
  • 2x 61902-2RS bearings (15mm x 28mm x 7mm)
  • 2x 63801-2RS-MAX bearings (12mm x 21mm x 7mm)
    • do note that the bearing is 7mm wide and not the more commonly available 8mm wide - be sure to double check this.
    • alternative names for this bearing:
      • 3801-H7 Full complement
      • 63801 Full complement

I bought my bearings from my local SKF bearing supplier/factor, but you can also get them as kits. In fact if I were to do it again I would probably buy the kit as it is cheaper or from a Enduro bearing supplier online.

The DIY MTB wholesaler in Australia has the bearings and a kit for the Focus Sam 2017-2018, which looks like it is the same as the Jam 2017-2021. Do verify with the supplier before purchasing, but the GPBSETRSFO2 kit looks like it has all the bearings you need.

A quick note on pressing the bearings

You do not need any special tools to press the bearings or remove them from the frame. You can use a socket that is the same size as the bearing and a long bolt or some all-thread combined with some washers & nuts to press the bearing in.

Bearing pressing tool

I have couple of photos of this tool in action later in the article that may help you understand how it works.

Removing the bearings

To remove the blind bearings you can gently them out with a flat head screwdriver like I did or using a bearing puller if you have one. A blind bearing is one that is pressed into a hole and has no lip to press against.

To press non-bearing blind bearings you can use a socket that is the same size as the bearing and a long bolt or some all-thread to press the bearing out. As you can see from the image I used a metric socket, a length of all-thread, two nuts and three washers. Then using two spanners to turn the nuts I was able to press the bearing out.

Pressing the bearings

To press the bearings back in you can use a socket that is the same size as the bearing and a long bolt or some all-thread to press the bearing in. Of course you can buy a bearing press tool if you want to, but it is not necessary.

Sockets are an excellent tool for pressing bearings in and out of frames because they come in many sizes and many people already have a set of sockets. Be sure to select a socket that is the same size as the outer race/shell of the bearing. Do not press on the inner race or the ball cage cover as you will damage the bearing.

Pressing a bearing into the frame

Again, from another angle to show you how I used the tool to press the bearing in.

Pressing a bearing into the frame - angle two

Conclusion

Hopefully this post has been helpful to you if you are looking to replace the bearings in your Focus Jam frame. It is a relatively simple job that can be done with basic tools and a bit of patience.