All about bearings.

[DazedAndConfused]

Hopefully this will end all the bearing threads. These are quotes by RocknRon. I'll just grab all the quotes I can find about bearings and throw them into one big thread.

Taken from this thread (http://www.concretedisciples.com/bbs/index.php?action=vthread&forum=1&topic=90)

We here's what I've learned. I am a bearing engineer of almost 20 years dealing with miniature bearings for skate, aircraft, aerospace, and NASA applications dealing with all aspects of design, and ABEC specification. More recently my nephew and I started our own High Tech Bearing Company six months ago, Ok enough bullshit. The ABEC is the allowable tolerance. The ABEC 1 tolerance for the bore of a 608 bearing is .3150" +.0000 / -.0003".==== that means the Bore could be anywhere from .3147-.3150" (8MM). ==== ABEC 7 is .3150 +.0000 / -.0002. (.3148-.3150) What does all this mean??? The Abec tolerance is all but INSIGNIFICANT in a skate application. Skateboard Truck Axels are not manufactured to the same tight tolerances as the Bearing. And the O.D. of the Bearing goes in a flexible urathane wheel. This eliminates any possible advantage of the Abec tolerance would give to assure accurate fit. The Abec is the DIMENTIONAL TOLERANCES. The Abec tolerance does cover out of roundness and for this reason I would use ABEC 3 or better. Almost any bearing with the country of origin on the bearing except for china will be Abec 3 or better. Back in the 80's they had to sort bearing lots to get the Abec 3 and Abec 7 Bearings. Todays modern machines make to Abec 3 or better even if they are marketed as abec 1. They will have an Abec 3 price and a Abec 1 price to give you a choise, but it will be the same Abec 3 bearing. ANY BEARINGS FROM CHINA WILL NOT BE BETTER THAN ABEC 1. China will put "ABEC 7" or "FUCK YOU" on the bearing if you order 5000 or more!! No laws in China against that. You cant mis-mark the bearings in the other bearing manufacturing Countries. Bearings with a Metal Ball Cage have a 40,000 RPM Rating. Plastic Cage = 100,000-150,000 RPM.

WHAT IS IMPORTANT. 1) The Manufacturer. All Chinese bearings are crap. All those weird name brands are shit. Top of the Line bearing manufactuers make 608's with the proper Raceway Curvature, cages and internal clearances. WIB, GMN, GRW and NMB manufacture the best bearings in the world for skateboard. For those of you not fimiliar with these names, WIB makes all the bearings for "Bones" All Bones bearings marked "Swiss" are manufacturered by WIB Miniature Bearing in Switzerland for Bones. GMN and GRW make all the German Bearings no matter what name may be marketet on the shield. Plastic or non-metalic ball cage will make more way more difference in speed than any ABEC change.
OPTIMAL BEARING: I have used everything in the world, Ceramics manufactured just for my SkateBoard, Abec 9, Bearings Manufacturered by every bearing company in the world. I have access to over 400 Lubricants in my field.
WHAT DO I SKATE ON ???
The best bearing by design right now is the Super Swiss 6 by Bones with SpeedCream. The Bearing had several advantages. 1) It is manufactured by WIB Bearing. 2) They are made with a tight Raceway curvature to avoid "Excess Axial Play" 3) They are supplied with a Re-enforced plastic cage rated at 150,000 RPM 4)Laberinth Non-Contacting Rubber Seals to keep out dirt. This is the obtimum design for free rotation and keeping out contamination.
Ceramic Ball Bearings are only good if they come with Plastic or Phenolic Ball Cages. As a Hardcore skater skating 4-5 days a week. Super Swiss 6 with Speed cream cant be beat. Fuc* the Abec rating. The Abec rating is designed so that the bearing has manufacturing consistancy in order to manufacture mating parts to simular tolerances. (Re: Precision Shafting and Housings.)
Ron

Oh Yeah
... one more note on why the Super swiss 6 has lower starting and running torque (This is Known as Speed to us skateboarders)
All 608's are made with 7 ball compliment. The Super Swiss 6 is the ONLY 608 manufactured with a 6 ball compliment. The Balls all bigger, can take higher load (Impact), Have less ball surphase touching the raceway with 6 balls instead of 7 which lowers the running torque of the bearing making the bearing get to full speed quicker. I am sure within the next year you will start seeing more 6 ball designs, but right now its WIB(Bones) that makes 'em...At all possible, stick with German or Swiss with Plastic or non-metalic ball cages. Any bearing with a steel cage will be slower no matter where it's made. Grease is just an oil with a thickener, the thickener in the grease will slow down your bearing and running just oil will attract contaminates from far away and not provide proper protection. Use the Good-old Speed Cream in the skate shops. By buying German or Swiss what is important is you will know the bearing is manufactuered by a very high quality bearing manufacturer who does the final raceway polishing what the chinese dont, and who it is. There are so many names and marketing stratagies going on with Chinese Bearings, you will get lost in it all. At my old Company we brought in Chinese Bearings for .12 Each. We had the Stamping machines to Mark the Shields. We did PIG,GIRL,SPEED DEMONS, and several others. All were from the same manufacturing lot with different color/marked shields. Any of those weird brands are probably a .12-.18 cent bearing made by the millions with no quality control and several key manufacturing processes left out in order to sell the U.S. for .12 cents.
Bearings marked "Thailand" = NMB
Bearings marked "German" = GMN or GRW
Bearings marked "Swiss" = WIB Bearing
Someone mentioned to me SKF Bearings. SKF Bearings are manufactured in almost every country in the world. SKF no longer manufacturers miniature bearings and hasen't for over 10 years, SKF Contracts out their miniature bearings to the Miniature Bearing Manufactuers. Last year it was IKS and NTN. Could be someone different next year. SKF Specialises in Large Bearings. Don't use SKF....
. . . . . .
Yes, the Bones-Chinese[Reds] are in the same class as the other Chinese Bearings. Bones China are may be a little better than the other China or unmarked brands as far as consitancy since they probably been using the same China trading Company for years, but still is a .12-.14 cent bearing.
. . . . . . .
On your third question the smaller balls tend to brinell the bearing races easier than the larger ball will. A brinelled race will have little indends from the balls impact, basically destroying the bearing. Thicker races will make the bearing a little stronger from the standpoint of cracking the races, but that should be a rarity. But Brinelling the bearing is more common than cracking races..Should be...
As far as Bearing failure, Brinneling is one reason, Lack of proper lubrication is #1 cause for bearing failure because once you run metal on metal and balls and raceways get scored, everything will wear and fail quickly.

As far as Oust Bearings...Its another Marketing Stategy. Look, it comes down to everything I said in these bearing post as far as the bearings configuration. Notice the low end Oust MOC5 is "Carbon Steel Cage" with standard non-contacting rubber seals. Their Rolls royce is the MOC9. Here is their desciption of the Seal "The Moc 9 Buna Non-Contact Seal is set into a U-channel design in the inner and outer races to keep all foreign particles out of the ball area. It also stops any oil leakage that might occur on a standard bearing seal." THIS IS THE LABYRINTH INNER RING and seal weve been discussing that the Bones-Swiss, Black Hole Bearings have. The MOC9 also comes with a non-metalic cage....thats what makes it quicker than the MOC5. No matter what brand you like, 1) get bearings with a non-metalic cage 2) Buy the bearings with the Labyring inner ring and seal design,no matter what they may call it. Your bearings will outlast a dozen sets of the old style shielded bearings.
. . . . . . .
The Swiss and German manufacturers make their 608 with a tighter raceway curvature as well (harder to mfr.) than the Chinese. This eliminates a lot of excess axial play(end play)in the bearing.
. . . . . . .
....As far as installing, VERY good question indeed. You can ruin a bearing installing it before it turns even once on your axel. The Rule is "Only apply preasure to the ring being mounted." To put the bearing in your wheel, some people put the bearing on the axel, unside down and press the wheel on the bearing. BAD ! The pressure against the balls can brinnell the raceway if hit with too much force. Since the Outer Ring is being mounted in the Wheel you need to apply preasure to the outer ring only! Not the inner ring. I use an Old bearing that I disassembled and have the outer ring only, put it against the outer ring of the bearing being mounted, and a small block of wood and rubber mallet. As far as removing them, another good reason not to re-use the bearings. The same rule applied to dis-assembly if the bearing is to be salvaged. However, there is no way of removing the bearing using the outer ring. Even the bearing pullers must remove the bearing by pulling on the inner ring. Brinelling will not happen everytime you mis-mount the bearings, but the degree of damage can be so slight, you may not notice. Yes, I use a bearing puller when removing bearings, however, bearing pullers were desighed for alot bigger, more durable bearings. Using a Bearing Puller on a Miniature can and will cause at least microscopic damage almost every time. Remember: Only apply pressure to the ring being mounted. Alot of people ruin their bearings before they even start!!!



By the way, that was posted before he came out with his bearings.

Ask any bearing questions in this thread.

[Jyro Blade]

finally collected all your info frum ron in one post huh dazed?

well i hope that works out, im sure ull still get idiots posting stupid stuff all over but oh well

[DazedAndConfused]

I don't think it will stop the bearing posts either. Probably half the people on this site will not read it because of how long it is.

[Cosmo]

he says all bearings from China are abec 1, butwhen i had bones reds they were made in china. Does this mean that reds are abec 1

[yeahyeahyeah]

i saw this on another site and im happy i read it.
it explians the abec system



A Bunch of Excrementitious Crap

ABEC is a term that has been around long before skateboarding. It stands for Annular Bearing Engineers' Committee, a committee that is responsible for the standardization and rating of bearings. The numbers (1,3,5,7,9) refer to the tolerances to which the bearing is produced. A 608 size bearing (the size used in skateboarding) has a bore of 8mm, an outer diameter of 22mm, and a width of 7mm. The accuracy to which the bearing is produced (measured in tiny units called microns) determines the ABEC rating, 9 being the most accurate. An ABEC-9 bearing will be the closest to the above, ideal, measurements. What this means is that an ABEC-9 bearing will perform more effectively than one with a lesser rating, but not until it is put under extremely high-speed circumstances. I'm talking faster than Chris Senn. Unless you are skating at hundreds of miles per hour, ABEC doesn't mean shit.

Perhaps the reason it is still used in skateboard applications is because us stupid humans want easy and upfront answers; Which bearing is best? Must be the ABEC 7. Sorry pal, but it just aint so. Truth is, that's why top bearing manufacturers such as Bones or Pig opt not to rate their highest performance bearing. What's more, ABEC ratings were intended for bearings that, not only travel at extremely high speeds, but that are put under very different circumstances than a skateboard bearing would be. The stress of most bearings, used in machinery applications, is placed perpendicular to the axle in which it sits on. In other words, the bearing spins forward, the bearing spins backward, and that's all it does. In skateboarding, the bearings (much like our bodies) are tweaked and squashed and put under much more arbitrary stresses. A good bearing is not only accurately and precisely produced, it is strong and well lubricated. Lubrication, in fact, is the biggest factor in the speed of your skateboard bearings.

So, next time you want an easy answer as to the best bearings, try finding an easy answer to "What's the best board?" or "What's the best truck?" Trial and error is the only way to go, so get out there and skate.

[DazedAndConfused]

he says all bearings from China are abec 1, butwhen i had bones reds they were made in china. Does this mean that reds are abec 1

Yes, the Bones-Chinese[Reds] are in the same class as the other Chinese Bearings. Bones China are may be a little better than the other China or unmarked brands as far as consitancy since they probably been using the same China trading Company for years, but still is a .12-.14 cent bearing.

^

[CasperGuy]

we should get this thread stickied!!!btw that post was awesome

[Twinskate]

thats good to know, great find

[Marevix]

Somebody go find a moderator, this absolutely must be stickied so we can finally put the abec rating threads to rest.

[FOSKCO_kills]

Hmmm. ive heard of ron's rockets a while back when i went to a contest in Upland i didnt bother asking how much they were or anything but he seems to spit the truth so i might check them out. thanks for posting this dazed so we didnt have to bother old dudes on concretedisciples

[skateforlife13]

thats a lot

[someguy1234]

cool post thanks for the info

[Jyro Blade]

How to get this stickyed?

get some glue heh

hm id think a mod would havta so i guess ull just havta wait for one to recognize this thread as important

[lazylife]

yeah, this should be stickyed

[burnyourfriends]

how do you find otu what country your bearings were made in? My shields are nonremovable so i dunno lol. now im curious.

[sobe_skate]

mine are rush ,are they a crappy chinese brand?

[DazedAndConfused]

Probably.

[Jyro Blade]

this is falling to the back of the forum, thats not good, come on people this is very valuable info here lol

[Marevix]

Why isn't this stickied yet? WTF!

[Jyro Blade]

Why isn't this stickied yet? WTF!

agreed, this is very good info, it should be stickied

[.com_skater]

Thanks a mil D&C for that info! 10 minutes later and I feel like a bearing expert
:toung:

[SkateorElse]

bump ( so the mods can sticky this)

[krux]

How to get this stickyed?

U2U dnb and ask him

[Marevix]

Bumpizzle. I think I'll go pm somebody to sticky this.

[Jyro Blade]

WOOHOO stickied!!

[ryce]

I wonder which bastard stickied it........
Nice thread, lots of information.

[pinksk8tergurl3]

Thanks for the help...still kinda in a daze of confusion..but im new at this..but i am trying to find a shop or someone that can help me figure out a good set up...thanks for the help!
Sarah

[mr.jackass]

fuck!and i just brought them bones reds

[Zer0Sk8er]

i got a complete zero deck for christmas and know nothing about it. how do i kno what kind of bearings they are and if theey are ABEC #?

[United States of Emerica.]

has anyone tried the rockstar bearings out of ccs

[DazedAndConfused]

For the last two posts, those bearings are just 12 cent China bearings.

[Ollie]

what bearings are NOT china bearings..?

[DazedAndConfused]

Somehow I knew someone would ask what bearings aren't China bearings.

Pretty much all skate bearings are China bearings. I think bearings made anywhere else has the country of origin stamped on the shield or seal. Rons Rockets, Bones Swiss, and Ninjas are not China bearings.

[Ollie]

Somehow I knew someone would ask what bearings aren't China bearings.

Pretty much all skate bearings are China bearings. I think bearings made anywhere else has the country of origin stamped on the shield or seal. Rons Rockets, Bones Swiss, and Ninjas are not China bearings.

r u serious about ninja's?

i heard AND experienced bad things with ninja's, but i have reds right now and they have been kicking ass for about a year.

[DazedAndConfused]

I don't know, I never tried them so I wouldn't know if they were any good. Although the question was what bearings are not made in China, and Ninjas are made in Japan.

Edit: Looks like I picked a good time to get those quotes together. It appears all the posts on Concrete Disciples are gone, including that post.

[.com_skater]

r u serious about ninja's?

i heard AND experienced bad things with ninja's, but i have reds right now and they have been kicking ass for about a year.
*phew*
I read this thread and started swearing out loud at work for buying Reds... Thanks for restoring my faith in my purchase!

Can you believe that Reds were the best they had to offer at my local Skate Park!!!! They don't stock better :-{

Is it a good Idea to order online?

[llavoe]

so what are the top 5 bearings to get for all-around skating? I am using REDS right now...:unsure:

[llavoe]

next ones I am going to try are the labyrinth seal swiss bones. Thanks for the list.

[DazedAndConfused]

You can get Steel Rockets which are about 20 dollars cheaper, and has the same exact seal. You defintaely won't regret getting Rockets instead.

[Marevix]

I say you should just put a link to an online shop with Rockets on them in your sig, that would help avoid repetition.

[llavoe]

What about the ninja Hosoi 7 bearings? Are these things crap with a famous skater's name on them?

[DazedAndConfused]

I'm not sure. I do know that they don't lie about abec, but that's all I know about Ninja.

[Ryuken]

mine are rush ,are they a crappy chinese brand?


My friend got rush bearings, I tried them and think that their slow as hell.

[CasperGuy]

Somehow I knew someone would ask what bearings aren't China bearings.

Pretty much all skate bearings are China bearings. I think bearings made anywhere else has the country of origin stamped on the shield or seal. Rons Rockets, Bones Swiss, and Ninjas are not China bearings.

what about my SKF bearings ?? that guy told they are not good cause they are mede in the whole world meaning that they are probably from china . but mines have stamped "made in italy" ! so are they good?

[DazedAndConfused]

what about my SKF bearings ?? that guy told they are not good cause they are mede in the whole world meaning that they are probably from china . but mines have stamped "made in italy" ! so are they good?
Honestly, I don't know. I'm not sure that I have even heard of SKF bearings.

[llavoe]

I got a pair of the bones swiss labyrinth's on my newest complete, and they are awesome. I accidentally rode through a small pile of sand outside the skatepark today and no sand got inside the bearings at all! I was pretty impressed and happy, because I thought I was going to have to clean them out, but there was nothing in them! If you are going to buy Bones swiss for your next set of bearings, make sure you buy the labyrinth seal ones. It will say it on the label. They are the same price as the old swiss, but if your going to pay that much for bearings, the labyrinth swiss ones are better! Rockets are next, might try their ceramics.

[CasperGuy]

Honestly, I don't know. I'm not sure that I have even heard of SKF bearings.

they are not really skate bearings but they have 608 bearings . just go to www.skf.com and check them out!

[D_Chi]

Why does every1 recomend reds if they ar cheap chinese bearings? I want to get some rockets now.

[sk8r n8]

r the element swiss barings good mine seem faster than reds, and what about zero black widows

[Mr.ShaggySk8ter]

Omg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!wtf Is Wrong Wit U People!!!!bones Are Some Of The Best Bearings You Can Get And They're Cheap Priced!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bakersk8er]

I got a Q.
I need to clean my reds pretty badly..
1) Im not sure what the best way to get the bearings out of the wheel is without using a bearing press (bc they cost so much $)
2) I have speed cream and gum out, can i take the bearings out and then just spray the balls with gumout and then drop some speed cream in there?

[DazedAndConfused]

Omg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!wtf Is Wrong Wit U People!!!!bones Are Some Of The Best Bearings You Can Get And They're Cheap Priced!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Funny. Although you are right that they are some of the best bearings, (not including Reds and Mini-Logos) but there are better bearings that cost less. So....


I got a Q.
I need to clean my reds pretty badly..
1) Im not sure what the best way to get the bearings out of the wheel is without using a bearing press (bc they cost so much $)
2) I have speed cream and gum out, can i take the bearings out and then just spray the balls with gumout and then drop some speed cream in there?

No, you need to remove the gumout before lubing them. Follow These instructions. (http://www.californiabearing.com/lubeinstructions.htm)

To anyone who takes a shortcut cleaning bearings, you might as well not even try to clean them. Either clean them properly, or don't. If they aren't properly cleaned, they won't go any faster, and won't prolong the life of the bearings. Some methods people take might actually kill the bearings.

[Skate520]

everyone the best bearings are Revolver Bearings!
they are fast and just rock
i have skated many bearing and they never gave me the speed i needed but these bearings give me more then enough speed

do yourselves a favour and make revolver bearings your next bearings

[XxNoSterotypesxX]

are luckys any good??

[ZooYork4Life]

lucky's break quite easily.They are worse than bones reds in 'how long they last' ways

[Mr.ShaggySk8ter]

ive got a question about element bearings u see they never put the abec for the bearings and wondering what abec swiss and trinity are

[Orlith]

Omg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!wtf Is Wrong Wit U People!!!!bones Are Some Of The Best Bearings You Can Get And They're Cheap Priced!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think Bones Swiss are the best

[eric fat cat]

just a small question about bearings.... what should i use to clean them ?

also bones reds are way better then abec 1 lol

[nuthead]

Hi my this is my first post here.Although I've been lurkin around.

More bearing related quotes from RocknRonF

If you have searched ebay for skate bearings lately you will see dozens of ads for "ABEC 7 VXB Bearings Made in USA" They come in beautiful Red, White and Blue boxes marked Made in USA 608ZZ. The beaings themselves even say "ABEC 7 VXB USA" on the inner ring of the bearing.
THESE ARE CHINESE ABEC 1 Bearings fraudulently marked USA and marketed as USA ABEC 7. I purchased a set of these bearings and tested them in my bearing testing facility. The tolerance of the bearings measured out to ABEC 1 with an out of roundness tolerance not even meeting ABEC 1. The Bores of the bearings I measured were between .0001-.0002" outside the ABEC 7 tolerance. The OD's were worse .0001.-.0003" out of tolerance. Made is USA??? YEAH RIGHT ! These were EXACTLY like the 608-2rs bearings I bring in for .15 each.

SO-O-O-O The ad said 100% guarentee and I called and talked to the owner and advised him of my findings. After I told him I was using these bearings for a Government Contract for the department of Defence and its end use would be in a military vehicle and I needed an Certificate of Origin, He finally fessed up. He ADMITTED the bearings were NOT made in USA. He told me just the inner ring thats marked USA was made in the USA. The other components of the bearing were made in China. Of course we all know the ENTIRE bearing was obviously made in China, Marked USA, packaged in fancy boxes, and are being marketed as ABEC 7 USA bearings by the dozens. I asked the owner of the company about his bearings being ABEC 7 and he admitted he did not know what the ABEC rating on his bearings really was. The speed rating advertized was 34,000 RPM. The bearings had steel retainers only capable of about 15,000 RPM. HE IMMIDIATLY refunded my money while I was on the phone and didnt want the bearings back. SO LOOK OUT ! There are Fucking assholes like this out there selling you ABEC 5 this ABEC 7 Termniator that. MADE in USA ABEC 7 Bearings for $5.99 set !!! Becareful of these false and fraudulent claims. The ebay user that I bought these bogus bearings from was "irvineman" company: NationSkander California Corp. If you look on ebay, there is still Hundreds of these bearings still being sold right now as USA ABEC 7. Makes me SICK!!!!

EVEN MORE
Yep, i noticed there are still a couple things he missed removing the ABEC 7 & USA from his ads. He sent me an email and said he would fix everything when he gets to his office on Tuesday. He must have worked all day Saturday to remove most of the "Fradulent" claims. I will definatly follow up next week and I will persue until its all fixed. you CANT bring in Bearings from China and Mark them USA, sell them in REd White & Blue boxes and market them as USA. Thats just wrong. the whole ABEC class mis-representation makes me sick as well. I am going to test every brand out there. I will measure and test them in my bearings testing facility and should have some REAL COOL info on just about every skate bearing in the skate shops... Ill keep ya-all posted.

As far as the Oust Bearings. I am a Pool, Vert, and bearings engineer for 20 Years. Bones-Swiss and NMB bearings are the ONLY bearings I have seen in the Skateboard Shops, Ebay, Ect, that NOT made in China. The Oust bearing may be an Exception as well. I have not seen the Oust bearings and from their website the lower end ones look like they are from China but Im not sure on their higher end ones. I am going to test them this week and I will leave my results page link here. So I will completly answer your question and give you a full report by the end of this week. I am curious as well. But I have seen most of the rest. At my last Bearing Company before I opened up my own, We brought in .15 bearings in from China, had all the Shields marked and colered per customer request and the same 100,000 pcs Mfr lot would come in and we would split them up between orders for Speed Demon, Pig Abec 5 High Oinktaine, Black Beuties, and a few others. I love it when people tell me " Oh the Speed Demons are the fastest" The Terminator ABEC 7 is the fastest. Ha Ha I laugh. Some are the EXACT same bearing with different shield marking and color.
You can always trust Bones-Swiss bearings. They are the best quality skate bearing on the market EXCEPT for the Super Precision Skate that my company sells. I teamed up with NMB. NMB used to be THE skate bearings until the Chinese flooded the marked and priced them out. NMB has designed the SUPERIOR skate bearing, only available through my companys website right now. I dont want to turn this into an ad for my product, but if you want an honest opionion what the best skate bearing is from someone who has 20 years exp. riding pools, vert and bearing engineering then I have to include the Special NMB Bearing.
Here are the top bearings NOT including the Oust brand since I dont have any experience with them is:
1) NMB Super Precision Skate by California Bearing. This is a SPECIAL NMB bearing with Labyrinth Inner Ring/Seal Design lubed with Speed Lube. Not just a NMB 608ZZ!!
2) Bones-Super Swiss 6
3) Bones-Swiss

everything else that I have seen is all China Bearings. If you want to pick out a good one out of all the ABEC 5/7 brands out there, make sure the bearing has a Non-Metal Cage. Plastic, Delrin, Polyimide, all is much faster and lower torque that Steel Cage. Steel Cage is good for cheap sidewalk, ride your bearings through puddles kind of bearings. No matter what the Abec rating claim is, a non-metallic retainer will be much quicker and faster than a steel cage. How tight the gap is between the Inner Ring and shields/seals will determine how easy the bearings will get dirty. NMB and WIB Bearings (maker of Bones-Swiss) uses a higher quality steel than their chinese counterparts. I wouldnt expect all those ABec 5 this and Abec 7 that to last as long as a NMB or Bones-Swiss made Bearing. Anyway for more info on the Super Precison Skate Bearing and answers to some general bearing questions
.


Go to these links
http://www.skullandbonesskateboards.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=11356&highlight=rockinronf
http://www.skullandbonesskateboards.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=16634&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=rockinronf&start=0
http://www.concretedisciples.com/bbs/index.php?action=vthread&forum=6&topic=1118&page=0#8
http://www.concretedisciples.com/bbs/index.php?action=vthread&forum=10&topic=1715&page=3
http://www.concretedisciples.com/bbs/index.php?action=vthread&forum=10&topic=1715&page=3
http://www.ramprage.com/forums/showthread.php?p=313685#post313685
there is more in my bookmarks.Post them later.

Oh yeah,here is what a labrynith seal bearing look like
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f139/hamhamluva/superseal.jpg
and what real CERBEC ceramic balls look like,not the white ones
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f139/hamhamluva/RocketsCeramic.jpg

More to come.This is a really cool Forum.I read somewhere that there is a rep point thing here.What is it really anyway?

[Ryuken]

mine are rush ,are they a crappy chinese brand?

Crappy yes, Chinese, I don't know.

[Mr.ShaggySk8ter]

hey are black panthers a crappy chinese brand too.i just broke my friggin element swiss.Are panthers fast enough im tring to get abec 5s.

[Spitfire]

I just put up a thread about Prestige Vairo bearings. please have a look and tell me what you think. + rep if you help me out.

[sk8boardingmole]

what are the highest rating of abec bearings i'm confused
:confused:

[Spitfire]

ABEC 9's

[tim_stacks_4]

WOOHOO stickied!!


ok my bearings r kinda screwed so i wana no if i should get some rocket steel bearings or is their aniother brand i should look out 4

[voodoo22]

I dont even know how many times this has been said. BUY FRIGGIN BONES AAAAA I WISH THEY LET ME TYPE BIGGER !!! AAAAAHHH

[kobie09]

man bones are the ***** but ride Flip HKD's. yeah kinda its fuckedup!!

[tim_stacks_4]

okk ill get some bones

[jimmy54]

he says all bearings from China are abec 1, butwhen i had bones reds they were made in china. Does this mean that reds are abec 1

then he says bones swiss are made in switzerland and bones swiss and bones red are the same company just different abec

[Rasmus]

THis is A GOOD THREAD nice info.

[SkateCirca]

Unless you are skating at hundreds of miles per hour, ABEC doesn't mean shit.


and THAT is all you need to know.

[cloud9871]

Wat should i get bone swiss or abec-7 ninjas?

[cloud9871]

anyone?

[FOSKCO_kills]

Swiss, why would you even compare the two.

[superminds]

I don't think it will stop the bearing posts either. Probably half the people on this site will not read it because of how long it is.

I didn't read it just because of how long it was and If your queston is if I'm gonna read it the answer is NO.

[kickfliptocampfire]

who gives a shit. i cant tell the difference. i had swiss bearings before n they were good but no amazing. i went n bought sum el cheepo ones of ebay n they were much faster n smoother. n they lasted about the same. so not everything is correct. like who cares if your bearings spin a tiny bit more, ur not going to be able to tell the difference unless your doing like downhill shit or sumthing

[skating_for_life]

abec 9's are what i have

[cloud9871]

wat should i lube reds with that i can probly find at home?

[cloud9871]

wat should i lubricate my reds with something i can mostlikley find at home

[the_unknown420]

dude, im confused now? are bones reds any good??? a lot of people buy them and say their the best and now this article thing sasy their just crappy chinese bearings. so are they any good?? cause i just bought some reds a few days ago and im gonna be pissed if i wasted my money. haha

[bryce_medlock]

i got abec 3s

[lpescato]

I have a question. I got some Reds and I have rode them not too much, and they're less than a week old.
I do OCCASIONALLY run through a small small puddle.
Today, the rear two wheels would not spin freely. I was worried until I skated them to work and then they spun great.
I thought maybe they froze up in cold, but I am in CA and it doesn't get too cold.
I heard they take an hour of solid time to break in and it's been nowhere near that total, so maybe they're not fully broken in?
Please, intelligent responses only. If you don't know, please don't answer.

[DazedAndConfused]

I had that problem before with a set of Reds. The few bearings started spinning freely after cleaning. I don't know what got in the bearing to cause that, but they went from not being able to spin at all to spinning freely after cleaning.

If you have any doubts that they aren't spinning like they should, just clean them.

[black label sk8er]

ive cleaned and tried everything with my 2 sets of reds and both sucked so bad. they have made it to my list of gayness.

[Bleed the Freak]

Hopefully this will end all the bearing threads. These are quotes by RocknRon. I'll just grab all the quotes I can find about bearings and throw them into one big thread.



By the way, that was posted before he came out with his bearings.

Ask any bearing questions in this thread.
in your sig.....yea, ive dont that before. i got nothing, not even some requests

[lpescato]

I had that problem before with a set of Reds. The few bearings started spinning freely after cleaning. I don't know what got in the bearing to cause that, but they went from not being able to spin at all to spinning freely after cleaning.

If you have any doubts that they aren't spinning like they should, just clean them.
Well, I think I have narrowed the prob down to axle slippage in the back truck (they are old Indys).
The reds are ok, but I just got a new Emergency Lucero, Krux and Rock N Rons Steels. Dude for the extra 10 bucks over Reds you should try the rockn rons, they are way faster and they have a labyrinth shield just like the Bones Swiss! They are super speedy too, my wheels jam.

[lpescato]

Why does every1 recomend reds if they ar cheap chinese bearings? I want to get some rockets now.

Bones Reds are in fact chinese bearings just like your luckys, element or any "abec-X" varieties. The difference is that they have a good seal and are easy to clean which makes them the best for the buck. I have them in my beater board.
However, do get some Rockets Steels. They are less than 25 dollars at socalskateshop.com. These are beautifully fast and they just kick oh so much ass. Plus they have the dual labyrinth shield which makes life so much easier to clean and guess what? George Powell himself is using the same labyrinth shield design (after Ron did) in the swiss.
My next set of bearings may be the ceramic ron's, but the steels are just the dope.

[shaughnessy]

how can u open sheilds properley

[lpescato]

If you have removable shield bearings (reds, swiss, rockets for example) you can take the shield off w/paperclip or small pen knife, just be careful not to bend it. rockets come with free shield replacements in case you do. you really do not need to remove the inner cage though.

[PINTO]

what about FKD?

[froto]

why would you even buy fkd?

[energy2skate4life]

wow i feel so smart about bearings. so what bearing exactly do you think is the best. let me no.
thanks

[zthouse]

yeah

[shatterskater]

why does everyone keep asking all these questions? dazed explained it. so you should listen. bones reds seem to be alright, i have them, but the rockets and the bones swiss are definetly the best brand. i myself am buying some of those 25 dollar rockets after reading dazedandconfused's advice. so everyone needs to shut up and buy some swiss or rockets, or they can buy chinese bearings, its your choice. but read the FIRST post in this sticky, that's why this whole thing was stickied in the first place, not so all your idiots can ask if fkds and ebay bearings are good.

[I_live_to_skate]

this thread really helps
thanks

[dom252]

he says all bearings from China are abec 1, butwhen i had bones reds they were made in china. Does this mean that reds are abec 1

Doesn't he say that they're "like" abec 1s, or "as good as" abec1s or something? - not that they actually ARE abec 1s.

[PrimoSlide7839]

Well should i get bearings from a non skate bearing company? like erie bearings?

[fudgefudge]

well i got bones super 6 ball things and they are really good and i would reccomend them

[lpescato]

good choice, those are some of the best.

[A_L_M_O_S_T]

I have rocknron's ceramics and they are kickass

[lookpastthelies]

to bad super swiss 6 are better

[Skatergirl7]

how do u lube sealed bearings with shields that dont come off?
( dont know much about bearings and never lubed them before)

[ehhyanevaknow]

hey yooo.... guys u have to check out the pro-skater MIKE V.. he is honeslty crazy.. he taught me craziee ass stunts... that made me NOT FALL.. hahah... u gatta check him out ON DEMAND... its called SPORTSKOOL...------------------ the GRInDma$sterrr

[skaterman250]

i gto rush abec 9 are those good?

[el barto]

i heard bearing spacers help the bearing's durability.. do you know where to get them separately?

[bentheidiot91]

http://www.skatesonhaight.com/Bearing-Spacers-p/sk8sonh8bs.htm

[softman]

I bought REflex abec 5 bearings they are blue.I'm quite stupid in the wheels and bearings topic.How long does it take to ride in bearings...? how are they in the beginning.How do i put the bearings in the wheels.I didn't get it from the first post...

Help!

[shatterskater]

I bought REflex abec 5 bearings they are blue.I'm quite stupid in the wheels and bearings topic.How long does it take to ride in bearings...? how are they in the beginning.How do i put the bearings in the wheels.I didn't get it from the first post...

Help!
alright first off :google:. but i'll be a nice guy, here's a link to help you out. http://skateboard.about.com/od/boardmaintenance/ss/HowToInstalBear_2.htm. thats how to put them in, but you may want to use something that can push on the outer rim of the bearing to push it in farther.

and and about riding bearings in, i assume you mean breaking them in, well that shouldn't be too much of a problem. between 1-7 days should do it, just dont ride in dirt, mud, or water, etc. but it really doesn't matter that much, unless you are racing with them or something, because nonbroken in bearings should still ride somewhat well.

[bentheidiot91]

basically to put bearings in wheels you first remove old ones by.
- putting the bearing inside ur wheel on edge of truck and pry it out (put the axle through wheel as normal then rotate at a 45 degree angle roughly and just pry all 8 bearings out)

to put bearings in.
-put bearing on axle with the shield facing the rest of the truck (if both sides are shielded it dont matter)
-get your wheel
-move the wheel onto the axle after the bearing so the wheel should fit above the bearing comfortably and the bearing should be in a position where the top of the bearing is firmly in the wheel aka it doesnt wobble.
-then just press the wheel with the bearing in as hard as you see fit (not too hard but hard enough for it to go in) against the base of the truck so it goes fully in the wheel.
- Flip the wheel around and do the same with the next bearing.
- Now just do this process with the other 3 wheels.

Notes:
Axle: Bit where wheel goes on
This is a very straightforward guide and if you screw it up (which im sure you wont) dont hold me responsible.

[bentheidiot91]

aww shatterskater beat me too it =P

[WhiteRice14]

Sorry guys, I'm gonna sound like a some fag who just posts to tell you all that you're stupid but...

Really, all that stuff about brinnelling, abec rating being meaningless, and how all bearings besides Rons and Swiss being crumby china bearings... well think about it. How much difference do bearings really make in your skating?

Bearings are variable in quality, no doubt. The bearings that come with completes aren't up to the standards of skaters- I wouldn't skate them unless I absolutely had to. But i've skated Reds, Mini-Logos, Speed Metals, Flip 7's (I have them now) and an old pair of Flip 5's that my buddy had skated heavily for about a year. Of all of them, I found that the Flip 5's skated the best, and they had no doubt been removed and reinstalled incorrectly many times. Those things were fast as hell until I broke three of 'em on an 8 set. Kinda hurts the whole brinnelling theory a bit, huh?

Bottom line is: You can talk about swiss precision and labyrinth shields 'till the cows come home, but as you're rolling up to that gnarly handrail, grind box in your garage, or back-breaking stairset, don't all bearings of any kind of solid quality get the job done just about equally well?

You guys can be concerned about getting the very best space-age bearings out there if you want, but when I get my next set (probably with a new whole setup in a couple weeks), I'll probaby go with flips, mysterys, or maybe even Mini-logos, And I'm sure they'll do fine pushing through town or doing whatever.

So there's my two cents. Peace.

[Livethefire]

Okay Im not here to disccuss abecs and which brands are chinese etc...
Can you tell me from experience...

the cheapest well rounded bearings to buy?

because Ive gone through so many bones reds... they just break on me. A few times they have shattered completely and the wheel comes off. Ive had some fractures... same thing... and element trinities (steel cages)... and they messed up too, they seem to stick.

I seem to follow this trait of messing up bearings alot and my friend jokes that I should just get ceramics and be done with it.

But im not a rich person.

Thanks for any responces.
(btw Ive read the whole thread)

[WhiteRice14]

I would reccommend flip HKD bearings- abec 5 and 7 both worked well, and they only get better as you use them. A few of my 5s broke on a steep 5 foot stairset, but they were really old anyway, and 5 feet is high up. I got the abec 7s for $18 at my local shop, and the 5s were free so I don't knw the price, but obviously less than 18. Mini-Logos are solid too- $10.

[Livethefire]

I would reccommend flip HKD bearings- abec 5 and 7 both worked well, and they only get better as you use them. A few of my 5s broke on a steep 5 foot stairset, but they were really old anyway, and 5 feet is high up. I got the abec 7s for $18 at my local shop, and the 5s were free so I don't knw the price, but obviously less than 18. Mini-Logos are solid too- $10.


Well im not skating any stairs or drops atm because I have messed ankles: And ive still went though some bearings already. So its not that im doing anything terribly big. Must just be my style.

Thanks for the responce.

Im thinking I should save to buy something that lasts... but I'll see.
Ill give a little research time to those mini-logos and HKD.

[softman]

when i roll the wheels with my fingers , the wheel hops - rolls very little and makes a strange noise.maybe the axle is not the same size as the spacer and bearing hole???? or the wheel is little?

[Foundation999]

Sorry guys, I'm gonna sound like a some fag who just posts to tell you all that you're stupid but...

Really, all that stuff about brinnelling, abec rating being meaningless, and how all bearings besides Rons and Swiss being crumby china bearings... well think about it. How much difference do bearings really make in your skating?

Bearings are variable in quality, no doubt. The bearings that come with completes aren't up to the standards of skaters- I wouldn't skate them unless I absolutely had to. But i've skated Reds, Mini-Logos, Speed Metals, Flip 7's (I have them now) and an old pair of Flip 5's that my buddy had skated heavily for about a year. Of all of them, I found that the Flip 5's skated the best, and they had no doubt been removed and reinstalled incorrectly many times. Those things were fast as hell until I broke three of 'em on an 8 set. Kinda hurts the whole brinnelling theory a bit, huh?

Bottom line is: You can talk about swiss precision and labyrinth shields 'till the cows come home, but as you're rolling up to that gnarly handrail, grind box in your garage, or back-breaking stairset, don't all bearings of any kind of solid quality get the job done just about equally well?

You guys can be concerned about getting the very best space-age bearings out there if you want, but when I get my next set (probably with a new whole setup in a couple weeks), I'll probaby go with flips, mysterys, or maybe even Mini-logos, And I'm sure they'll do fine pushing through town or doing whatever.

So there's my two cents. Peace.

I know this is a very old post, but I couldnt agree more with you.
Ive skated Flip HKD,FKD, Zero Black Widows, Ricta bearings, Ninja Bearings, Vision and Speed demon bearings just to name a few. These "cheap china bearings" do vary in quality (Flip and Ninja being the best, Ricta being the slowest) but there isnt a great deal of difference between these and some swiss bearings Ive skated and owned. My Flip bearings, though they took time to wear in, could go as fast as my friends Pig swiss bearing.

I do plan to get Bones Super swiss 6 to try out, Or even just some blanks swiss bearings, but the "Cheap chinese bearings" are deffinatly quality enough for me, I personally love my Flip HKD bearings.

thats my just my little bit.

[lpescato]

guys, if you invest 13 bucks in reds you will get what you pay for. reds are DECENT FOR THE PRICE. However, if you really want high quality, invest in some Rockets or Swiss and learn to clean them properly. Your bearings will thanks you later. I have skated reds, cheap china bearings, and rons ceramics and steels, and i can honestly say the extra $$ spent there really pays off in top end speed. I like when my wheels roll fast. Reds go for a while but even after cleaning do go slower eventually. Reds are disposable, Ron's are not. It pays off to spend the money up front. It ends up cheaper in the long run because you'll never need another set.

[BigMikeyB]

I don't think it will stop the bearing posts either. Probably half the people on this site will not read it because of how long it is.

dido, i agree.

[D.J skatedood]

I have the super bones swiss bearings and the normal bones swiss bearings.

[MiniRampChamp]

Bones reds ftw.

[skydemon666]

bones red are amazing.

[CasperGuy]

http://www.fallenfootwear.com/team/team-04.html

ZOMG !!! josh harmony is the king !!!

only he and me use skf bearings !!

hooray !!!

[Buddywolfe]

If anyone was wondering how to clean your bearings well:
http://www.silverfishlongboarding.com/forum/longboard-skateboarding-wheels-bearings/16564-how-clean-maintain-your-bearings.html

I don't think bearings are that important for street skating, but when I do down hill I don't shitty chinese bearings being the only thing between me and the pavement passing by at 50 mph

[rippen in da mitten]

^thanks

[sk8folife]

I don't think it will stop the bearing posts either. Probably half the people on this site will not read it because of how long it is.

finally someone who understands , im just too lazy to read all that

[sk8folife]

dammit the guy at the store where i bought the bearings from recommended bones reds but next time i will take your advice and but the bones super swiss 6 but i was plannin to buy some blackpanthers because my friend that had blackpanthers was pretty fast and smooth

[sk8folife]

finally someone who understands , im just too lazy to read all that

actually scratch that because its a good thing that i did read it

[Scoffman]

How about for Ceramic bearings???
I just rode my first set starting last year. I got them from VXB.COM and ther convently rate what there max RPM is and how there contructed. They needed twice as much ip keep than my normal bearding (Bones Swiss) but they accelerated twice as fast and held the speed alot better.
But after constant drops and airs a yr later 3 of my bearing spacers have cracked and one bearing lost half of its spacer.

[Kornymuthu]

good to know

[ironvenom12]

so bones reds are good or what cause im thinking of buying some

[smgs92]

yes but they dont last long after 6months with no care mine are shot

[jonspeaks22]

Bone swiss are the best in my opinion

[hardytier]

holy crap, that was an intense amount of information.

[Twizzler]

Buying bearings is overrated. I've only bought one set of bearings and that was when I first started skating. I got the Pigs with the cool Pig face case. They sucked. Then that same summer, a friend gave me some random ass bearing and they rode so smoove. I rode those for a while then I got a bagful of bearings from a friends that quit. Every month or so I bust one and get one from the bag. Sometimes they last a while, sometimes they don't but its all good

[Lucas]

I'd like to know which bearing between those has more durability? Mainly for high gaps...
NMB or Flip Abec5 ?

[I<3HaT3Rs]

that was kinda of hard to obtain but i think i got it.

[BillyCyo]

has anyone else tried those new enjoi 17 teenish bearings. they shoot alot of graese out but skate so good. and they com with two extra bearings for free

[Razors Edge]

So what would be the more superior bearing?

The Bones Swiss CERAMIC's
or
The Bones Swiss super 6's?

[lpescato]

So what would be the more superior bearing?

The Bones Swiss CERAMIC's
or
The Bones Swiss super 6's?

the ceramics are faster and will last you longer but are twice the price of super 6, if your skating only street and the occasional park the sixes would be better. of course, rockin rons are just as good and way less! btw guys i dont work for rockin rons, i just ride them and love them.

[Jony815]

:banana::banana:

[lakai_or_die]

:banana::banana:
ur gonna get banned

[ooSHoCKoo]

thanks, now I know

[kick-flip king]

nice post dude really sweet you really know your stuff don't you? anyways nice, nice.

[decree]

about time someone tells it as it is, I have been saying the abec argument was a fake up sell for years

[ZeroSka8er1031]

I stick with Bone Swiss:)

[myMisteryisHistory=(]

so bones super swiss six are better than bones ceramics!?!

[niaz]

i saw this on another site and im happy i read it.
it explians the abec system



A Bunch of Excrementitious Crap

ABEC is a term that has been around long before skateboarding. It stands for Annular Bearing Engineers' Committee, a committee that is responsible for the standardization and rating of bearings. The numbers (1,3,5,7,9) refer to the tolerances to which the bearing is produced. A 608 size bearing (the size used in skateboarding) has a bore of 8mm, an outer diameter of 22mm, and a width of 7mm. The accuracy to which the bearing is produced (measured in tiny units called microns) determines the ABEC rating, 9 being the most accurate. An ABEC-9 bearing will be the closest to the above, ideal, measurements. What this means is that an ABEC-9 bearing will perform more effectively than one with a lesser rating, but not until it is put under extremely high-speed circumstances. I'm talking faster than Chris Senn. Unless you are skating at hundreds of miles per hour, ABEC doesn't mean shit.

Perhaps the reason it is still used in skateboard applications is because us stupid humans want easy and upfront answers; Which bearing is best? Must be the ABEC 7. Sorry pal, but it just aint so. Truth is, that's why top bearing manufacturers such as Bones or Pig opt not to rate their highest performance bearing. What's more, ABEC ratings were intended for bearings that, not only travel at extremely high speeds, but that are put under very different circumstances than a skateboard bearing would be. The stress of most bearings, used in machinery applications, is placed perpendicular to the axle in which it sits on. In other words, the bearing spins forward, the bearing spins backward, and that's all it does. In skateboarding, the bearings (much like our bodies) are tweaked and squashed and put under much more arbitrary stresses. A good bearing is not only accurately and precisely produced, it is strong and well lubricated. Lubrication, in fact, is the biggest factor in the speed of your skateboard bearings.

So, next time you want an easy answer as to the best bearings, try finding an easy answer to "What's the best board?" or "What's the best truck?" Trial and error is the only way to go, so get out there and skate.



nice news covery.

[SixOneOne]

recently i've had the chance to try these:

http://www.zeroskateboards.com/images/products/2009-spring/hardware/lg/ScreamingEagleBearings.png

Great bearings, super smooth and very fast, great price too for a swiss bearing. Only $29.99.

[dayquest]

So the best makers of bearings are:
1. Swiss-made
2. German-made
3 thru infinity. China-made

The best bearings you can skate with are Swiss-Labys... from Bones, RocknRons, others.

So, what would be one of the "better" China bearings? Bones Reds, or some other brand?
I might still pick up some Reds for my old beatup setup.

[jackson]

;-):20:

[720flip]

bones

[sk8erdude555]

ive had bones reds and bones original swiss and they were the same exact shit. swiss rolled a little smoother but thats it. i think my reds lasted longer too! oh well. i might get some super swiss soon if they really are that great

[powerhouse23]

rocknron's are the best bearings, i had reds, bones super 6, and the rocknrons rolled faster and lasted longer than both of them

[true DGK]

what bearings are made in china

[sk8erdude555]

what bearings are made in china
i know reds are but there still the shit

[saflj]

I don't think it will stop the bearing posts either. Probably half the people on this site will not read it because of how long it is.

[Jak332]

I bought some FKD abec 3's the other day since they were the cheapest bearings in the shop; around 11 bucks or so. So far they're really good.

[beno]

wow, this is the best article on bearings i have ever read. i work as a mechanical engineer; so, yeah, i really appreciate the details in this article.

back in the 1980s, i had gmn bearings. when i came back to skateboarding a few years back, my first set were independent bearings, which were okay. then i got a set of super swiss 6s. yes, the best bearings i've ever had. then i got a set of the original bones swiss. they are okay, but i seemed to have managed to mess a couple of them up really quickly. i plan on getting more super swiss 6s soon.

i totally get what he's saying about the chinese bearings. i personally refuse to buy any bones reds. in general, i avoid products made in china (not taiwan but china) because they often have quality and _safety_ problems. furthermore, the country has bad labour practices, and i try to avoid buying products from companies that abuse their workers.

[kfranza]

are autobahn good bearings?

[jay2x]

fkd are made in usa

[JACOB619]

reds for life!

[SLC]

Got my first set of reds about 2 weeks ago, fucking love them. Best bearings I've had period.

[Halofan21]

reds ftw!!

[Disclaimer]

reds are okay :3
not as fast as the bearings landyachtz gives u with a complete longboard tho.

[stacydgreat]

kool thanks for the info

[3DGE]

Anybody try Shake Junt Bearings?
I don't know if I should get the Abec 5's or 7's or should I just get Bones Reds or something else?