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| Bearing Reviews (4976 Posts)
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Reflex
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On 7/23/1999 Herb n
wrote in from
(207.198.nnn.nnn)
Of all the bearings in my shop these seemed to spin pretty free ,even befoe they were in wheels. Can't say for sure because I picked up new wheels (64mm formula,big black clouds) and the new wheels were softer and bigger than what I rode before but like three weeks later and the wheels are down to like 60mm (but still perfectly round) and these reflex ABEC5 just totally haul ass.
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fast ones
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On 7/23/1999 joe
wrote in from
(207.41.nnn.nnn)
Sirvukus, How fast are you going?
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China Bones
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On 7/23/1999
Jerry Norbury
wrote in from
(194.151.nnn.nnn)
I have to stand up for China Bones, I bought some recently and they come WITH spacers.
I'm STILL using some SKF bearings from 1979.
They work fine.
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spacers
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On 7/23/1999
Bob
wrote in from
(192.73.nnn.nnn)
Bevis,
I think you are right on the money. The skate companies are sersiously ripping off their customers with the expensive bearings and no spacers. Anyone who knows about bearings will tell you that spending money on anything over Abec 1 is a waste. The higher ratings have nothing to do with skateboard performance -- they are for precision machinery. I think all those great GMN bearings we used to purchase were Abec 1s. They certainly weren't Abec 7s.
Geesh, I think I used the same bearings on all my boards from ages 14-17. Thats a lot of boards, and the bearings lasted.
Of course, its great for the companies if they can get kids to buy a $30 set of Bones Bearings, or a $17 set of Halo's, or whatever. The kid can then trash the bearings quickly due to poor set up, and then buy more!
Here's another one...tail skids. I used tail skids through most of the 1980s. It did not affect my ability to do good ollies, and it seriously increased the lifespan of my street boards. By not even making tail skids anymore, the industry has really turned the skateboard into a more "quickly consumed" item, which increases their sales.
Oh well, enough ranting for this morning.
Bob
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spacers
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On 7/22/1999 bevis
wrote in from
(216.102.nnn.nnn)
It seems to me that companies can make more money if they have you buying bearings every month or two, rather than setting up their customers the right way by adding spacers and washers on both the hanger and nut sides. With out the washers and spacers, it's very easy to over tighten the bearing and deform that nylon housing that holds the balls or the metal shield. Without spacers your bearings can also shift when loaded horizontally, increasing ware and tear.
In the 70's there were only 2 or 3 companies selling bearings to skaters, and bearings lasted, now every company sells bearings and they don't last worth a damn. Hummmmm.
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space
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On 7/22/1999 space cadet
wrote in from
(209.162.nnn.nnn)
all the talk about spacers leads me to believe that the major sellers of skate product have been cheating their customers. I would wonder if they even knew the dynamics of this very neccessary piece of hardware. Did they pull cheap skate or dumb skate.
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fast ones
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On 7/22/1999
sir svukus
wrote in from
(204.167.nnn.nnn)
what are the fastest bearings on the net? thanks
sir svukus
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GOOD spacers
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On 7/22/1999 Lono
wrote in from
(205.215.nnn.nnn)
Fluid Skateboards makes the coolest spacers. They have a ring around the middle so they are "self-centering".
They also make the infamous Power Paws.
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Re Get Spacers
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On 7/22/1999
Bob
wrote in from
(192.73.nnn.nnn)
Get the "Lucky Accelerator Kit", from the Deluxe Online Store
http://www.dlxsf.com/real/index.html
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Re Get Spacers
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On 7/22/1999 Matt
wrote in from
(206.25.nnn.nnn)
Where can I get them? Do most shops carry them? Anywhere online?
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trucks
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On 7/20/1999 herbn
wrote in from
(207.198.nnn.nnn)
answering jaycee, I just make axles and install them in my trucks, which are a vintage set of Thunder 169, with the little ornamental skulls and stuff on the baseplates. I knock out the old axles,bore out the hanger with an 8mm reamer. The axles are kept from sliding by set screws. I am making a set of updated stroker trucks (look in the vintage equipment archives for a picture) my trucks will have bearings at all pivots higher quality ball joints and will be a little taller and somewhat wider, and machined from solid blocks of 7075 t6 maximum strength aluminum billet.
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spacers/bearings again
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On 7/20/1999 Jaycee
wrote in from
(212.74.nnn.nnn)
Thanks to Bob, herbn & Chris. I am definitely going to give the spacers set-up a try. However, herbn seems to be saying that there would be less of a problem all round if axles were all just made to 8mm diameter - why don't the manufacturers just do that? At the risk of asking a dumb question, what trucks does herbn make? Thanks again.
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Bearing Failure
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On 7/19/1999
Chris
wrote in from
(208.164.nnn.nnn)
I've only seen this happen once. A guy who rides for Gravity was getting about two feet of air on the one spot of vertical at Temecula and landed wrong. The bearing housing broke. I didn't think it was possible, but anything can break if you hit it just right.
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spacers
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On 7/19/1999 space cadet
wrote in from
(205.188.nnn.nnn)
the spacer dilema. years ago, krypto stopped making the skateboards wheel all together (too busy rollerblading and golfing I think)_ well, the wheel offered in its place, you know the one that would rip off the core, had the smaller spacer. The rep didn't even know the difference. good think they got bought out! now we have less choice. I love capitalism.
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bearings
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On 7/19/1999 herbn
wrote in from
(207.198.nnn.nnn)
spacers help keep you from breaking bearings when you lose your board and it hits a curb or the ground with the wheel ,the inner bearing takes all the impact, if there is a spacer inbetween the bearings they are connected and they both take the impact, essentially doubling their strength. faster? doubtful ,smoother? ,only because most trucks have five sixteenths axles(.3125) and all bearings are 8mm (.315) and many axles are undersized, so you have to tighten the axle nuts to keep the wheels from rattling, on 8mm axles (which I make and install in all my trucks) if you keep the axlenuts loose the wheels will only slide smoothly side to side.Randle says their race trucks have 8mm axles.
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spacers/bearings
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On 7/19/1999
Bob
wrote in from
(192.73.nnn.nnn)
Hmmm...well, I've never seen a bearing fail. I would think that a bearing is more likely to fail if it is not secured in the wheel very well, as happens with the space/tight axle nut system is not used. I'm not really sure if the spacer system is actually faster than the new-school/loose nut-no spacer type of setup. To me the advantage is having a board on which the wheels don't flop around, that is smoother, quieter, and maybe even more predictable.
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spacers/bearings
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On 7/19/1999 Jaycee
wrote in from
(212.74.nnn.nnn)
Re: spacers and axle nut tightening (many thanks to Bob). Do most downhill/longboard skaters do this? Is it really faster/smoother etc? If so, why don't the manufacturers set up their boards like this? Also, as the inner rings of the bearings in each wheel are held tight using this method surely the wheel will lock up if a bearing fails (possibly a little nasty), whereas if the inner rings are left able to rotate on the axle then the wheel can still turn (although not as quickly) if a bearing fails. Any comments anyone?
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Bearing Spacers and Speed Washers
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On 7/18/1999 kmg
wrote in from
(147.72.nnn.nnn)
For further clarification about bearing spacers and speed washers, check out the following url.
http://www.ncdsa.com/newpics/Assembly.jpg
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School of skate
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On 7/18/1999 Jefferson the wonder cat
wrote in from
(195.204.nnn.nnn)
Bearing Spacers
What are bearing spacers?
Bearing spacers are little metal tubes that go between the bearings in your wheels.So, when you put your wheels on your axles, the axle slides through the inside bearing, then through the spacer, and through the outside bearing. They used to come with all boards, but now I've noticed that most people don't use them. In fact, in the 411 "Basics of Skateboarding" video, Chad Muska actually demonstrates skateboard assembly but leaves out the spacers. Now, Chad is a major ripper (so to all you Muska fans out there, don't accuse me of putting him down - he RIPS!), but he should have used spacers and speed washers.
What is their purpose?
When the axle nut is tightened down properly, they insure that when the wheel is rolling, the bearings remain parallel to each other. In effect, the spacer sort of connects the inner rings of the bearings. Because modern wheels are so hard, you can actually get away with not using spacers, but the wheels will still work better with them.
Why is this good?
Because the bearing is actually designed to spin around the inner ring. Also, if the bearings are held parallel to each other, they don't get tweeked in opposite directions when you are riding. Also, if the axle nut is tightened down firmly, the bearing will not move sideways in the wheel.
Doesn't tightening down the axle nut all the way keep the wheel from spinning?
No, because you also use a really small washer, called a speed washer, on either side of the bearing. The washers only touch the inner ring of the bearings, so when you tighten the nut down, the bearing shields don't rub the nut or the truck. They then spin freely on the inner ring, the way they were designed to work. Remember, you NEED the speed washers. Destructo trucks come with great speed washers.
Is there any additional benefit to using spacers?
Yes. If you follow my instructions here, your board will be really quiet. It will no longer rattle like a little kid's toy.
Any other benefits, you old geezer?
Yes. Proper use of spacers will prevent axle slip. The reason everyone seems to have axle slip problems is that having your wheels all loose means that the axle actually has somewhere to go when enough pressure is put on one end of it. With bearing spacers, speed washers, and fully tightened axle nuts, there is no such problem.
Where can I get bearing spacers?
They may be hard to find. You can ask for them at your local skate shop. Make sure do ask for the ones for skateboards, if your shop also carries any roller skating or blading equipment.
If you shop doesn't carry them, you can get them from Deluxe Distribution, makers of Lucky Bearings, produces the "Accelerator Kit", which includes 4 spacers and 8 speed washers. They work great.
I bought some Pig Abec 3 bearings that came with 4 red spacers. When I compared the spacers to the ones from Lucky, they were actually a little too wide, and didn't work right. Stick with the Lucky spacers.
NOTE: I ordered some from Skates on Haight, and they sent me the wrong size. I guess that some roller skate wheels and really tiny skateboard wheels use really narrow spacers. The Spacer must be the right width to fill the void between the bearings, thus connecting the bearings. I haven't called them back to complain yet. So be aware -- since so few skaters use spacers now, a lot of ignorant skateshop employees may not know what you are talking about.
Finally, I noticed that the "Blackies" bearing kit, as advertised in various skateboard magazines, includes both spacers and speed washers! I don't know if the bearings are any good, but the spacers are just right!
You might also be able to scavenge some spacers from an old board.
When I tighten the axle nut down, my wheels don't spin, even though I am using spacer! What can I do about this?
The reason for this is usually that the bearing are not firmly in the wheel. With really hard wheels, it can be hard to get the bearings into the wheels real good. If you get them in there a little better, the wheels should spin fine. Be careful not to press down on the bearing shields when you put the bearings in, because this will really screw up your bearings. The best way to get them in is with a bearing tool. If you don't have one, try this: Put a couple of speed washers on your truck. Then put a bearing on top of them. Now, take the wheel and press it down on the bearing, pushing the bearing in. Now, do the same thing with the other bearing, but put a spacer on top of the bearing. Now they should be in there nice and tight.
Its important when you use spacers that the bearings are really in the wheels good. This is hard to do with hard wheels. I like to put a little butter on the edge of the bearing and in the wheel's bearing seat, which makes 'em pop right in there. The butter then evaporates.
My wheels don't spin as fast as when I rode with them all loose?
They don't spin as fast when you just pick up your board and spin the wheels, but when you are riding, they will be just as fast.
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china
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On 7/18/1999
j.a.g
wrote in from
(195.204.nnn.nnn)
I really doesn`t know! Ask an old longboarder! They know!
I have a question for you! Are you Tarje (boardwildman)????
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China Bones
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On 7/17/1999 A guy
wrote in from
(205.188.nnn.nnn)
I use the China Bones and I think that they're great, but what is the difference between the China Bones and the China Bones Reds, besides color?
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bearings
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On 7/17/1999 herbn
wrote in from
(207.198.nnn.nnn)
triflon or speed cream is costly lb for lb ,triflon is just as good
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lubrication
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On 7/16/1999 tc
wrote in from
(209.178.nnn.nnn)
looking to lube my bearings...any suggestions?
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8mm bearing spacers
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On 7/16/1999 kmg
wrote in from
(147.72.nnn.nnn)
You can get 8mm (length) bearing spacers from Lee Cole at Skates on Haight. All bearing spacers for quads or skateboards have an 8mm internal diameter, so be sure that there is no confusion as to what you need.
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swiss bearings
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On 7/16/1999
adam
wrote in from
(153.34.nnn.nnn)
i got swiss bones and if you spin the wheel it will keep going for over a minute without touching it
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