Racingfreak6

Are ceramic bearings worth it?Do they go bad or anything? Also what is a good company to get them from?

Solara

iTrader: (17)

I am sure they will make your car faster and better....cause 1 set of high end ceremic bearing for a T2 is only $220 USD.....
It better be faster............

mwoods

try here i got some for my yokomo bd and they r realy good

http://www.acerracing.com/bearings.html

PitNamedGordie

iTrader: (8)

I have had them in cars I've owned, but unless you are a very good racer (which I'm not), and can feel small changes to your car, I'd spend my money on other items to help the performance of your car.

wallyedmonds

yes they work and they last longer (in 1/12 anyways) APS has good ones

Mi2_Tastic

ceramic bearings, will help you in many ways:

vastly reduced maintenance (doenst matter if they get wet just re oil and go)
less rotating mass = more efficient transmission
can be run longer and harder - heat build up is not a porblem with ceramics as there is little or no expansion in the balls.
And the best bit of all they last longer.

And with a little bit of searching they can be found very cheap indeed, there is no need to pay vast amounts of money for manufacturers branded parts as the ones that you find in the bearing store or on that popular auction site are probably manufactured in the same factory next to each other.

Mr. Shookie

iTrader: (9)

You might want to check that info...
Ceramics are rated by roundness and hardness.
The ones that Boca sells are in the top 2 classes.
You may find them cheaper but not always better.
If you do get ceramics make sure you know what seals to get.
If your running dirt or nitro than rubber seals are best, to keep all the trash out of them.
If your only running onroad and carpet than metal seals are better to help reduce friction.
Hope that helps,
-Shookie <><

Mi2_Tastic

I have a lot of experience with oem and branded parts and I know for sure that high price tag branded equipment is manufactured along side the oem equivalent. It simply does not pay to pay for the lable.

Even the lower class ceramics are better than the average metal equivalent, and lets just face it some of the bearings that are included in our high dollar kits, are nothing more than acceptable. I do agree however that in most cases you get what you pay for with bearings, however I would never run metal bearings in my cars as they are far too much hassle, even if I had a source for very high dollar precision metal bearings. In my book a mid range ceramic will benefir you more, so to reiterate my point even low class ceramics will provide you with most if not all the benifits that I mentioned in my earlier post.

I for one as soon as I get a new kit replace all the bearings with ceramics just for peice of mind, the bearings that I get are bullet proof and are replaced yearly (not cause they are worn, just for peice of mind). Hope that helps.

James35

iTrader: (1)

Over the last couple of years, I've bought my ceramics from RC4Less.com. They start out fantastic, but I've noticed after about a year, some corrode and even rust. I've gone through many, all in the front wheels. After taking them appart the corrosion can look like a white haze, or it can actually look like rust color. Very strange. Maybe the metal portion of the ceramic bearing isn't stainless steel? Anyone else have this problem?

Mi2_Tastic

Youve got to remember that ceramics are not a life product and will wear out eventualy, I personally think that year is about the good working life of a ceramic, however this does depend on class of racing, amount of use etc etc, but as a rule of thumb I use a year.

ottoman

iTrader: (13)

I have tried ceramics... both cheap and expensive and the only place I can honestly say they are better is in high heat applications like in a nitro clutch bell.
In touring car I never saw a difference in performance and they seemed a little worse as far as durability when used as wheel bearings. So for the money I cant recommend them... especially when you can get steel bearings for a dollar a piece.

Mr. Shookie

iTrader: (9)

I kind of agree...
I found that everywhere except on the wheel axels ceramics do last longer and stay smoother.
But I think where the problem is that they are hybrid bearings. Meaning they are metal races and seals. so they are weakest at those points. So side impacts really put it to the races and seals.
I like ceramics on diffs, lay shafts and servo points. On the wheels I use cheap $1.00 bearings as I replace them often when they get gritty.
-Shookie <><

wallyedmonds

the metal races and seals on good bearings are stainless so there a little harder ,and ya they don't last forever,i only us them for 1/12 and in the clutch bell in gas racing. on the diff side on 1/12 they last me just 2 months but on the axle they run me bout 1 year the front 1 year as well.

James35

iTrader: (1)

OK. Update to the situation. I had multiple new RC4less ceramic bearings rust on me within 2 weeks. 2 different bearings ceased up on me in 2 different races.

The ceramic bearings I purchased from RC4less must not be stainless steel races. I've determined the cause is from me washing my tires with soap and water after the race night. Some water gets in the bearings, and since they aren't stainless steel, they rust quickly. I suppose I could try to use motor spray on them afterwards, but I think I'm going to look into some quality bearings like Boca. They are stainless.

Backmarker 55

I've used rc/4less ceramic bearings for months now and had no trouble, however I always remove my bearings when cleaning the car or tires, also I've noticed my 1/12 car just seems smoother especially in the turns.