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| yoyo |
 Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 5:20 am |
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ORDER OF THE SKULL
Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 2228
Location: Germany
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smokie wrote: yoyo wrote: Just one thing about the durability of PT ceramics in a Freestyle skateboard setup: I run them on the inside (to the hanger) and they work very well for me.
All other bearings; haven't tried Ron's; fail after some time, resulting in not spinning freely anymore. So I believe that the steel balls deform to some extend, as the ceramics use 'just' different balls.
Heavy side loads while doing railstands and landing in a railstand do this stuff to your bearings.
And I even roll.................
Hey Yoyo, why does a freestyler need ceramics in his setup?
Just curious.
As I mentioned above: Durability!
They last a lot longer and so far I never broke or deformed a Pleasure Tool Ceramic bearing.
I use steel spacers as well, have faced the hangers with a counterbore (with removable pivot). Every now and then I clean and relube them, that's all. If you spin a bearing between your fingers, you notice if they spin freely and still have a little play.
Prior to 2003 I had used SKF bearings and they deformed as well.
I really don't know if the steel had changed since the 90's, but the old NMBs that I have still roll smooth........ maybe I was a little slimmer..... who knows.
Since 2003 I receive Pleasure Tools from my sponsor  |
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| MileHighSkates |
| Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 5:05 pm |
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Joined: 28 Apr 2004
Posts: 2708
Location: Boulder County, CO
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JSpinoza wrote: I have a 46 inch long board with 90 mm wheels. I'm considering buying some ceramic bearings, hoping to cut down on friction and significantly increase speed, acceleration, and coasting distance.
I'm under the impression that the ceramic bearings also don't need to be replaced as often as steel ones. If this is true, I'd gladly spend more money on one set of ceramics rather than a few sets of steel.
Can someone who has actually tried them tell me whether or not they feel ceramic bearings are fast enough and durable enough to be worth spending 80+ dollars on?
90mm wheels will be slow to accelerate no matter which bearings you use. Based on that size, I'd be willing to guess that your wheels are ABEC11 Flywheels. While those have a good top-end speed, and do a good job holding their speed (i.e., coasting), they take longer to get up to their top-end speed.
If you want quicker acceleration, and the ability to reach your wheels' top-end speed more quickly (and with less effort), you should consider some smaller wheels with more rebound. Something in the 75-77mm range from ABEC11/Retro, EarthWing, Gravity, Loaded, or Seismic would be worth checking out.
I have ceramic bearings in a couple of my personal setups, and in all honesty, I find that wheel choice makes more of a difference (in speed) than whether I'm running ceramics or not. |
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| slob-air |
| Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 6:15 pm |
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Joined: 27 Oct 2001
Posts: 63453
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MileHighSkates wrote:
90mm wheels will be slow to accelerate no matter which bearings you use.
Indeed. So much mass to set in motion. But once in motion look-out 'cause the available top end is insane if you have a hill to provide it. |
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| MileHighSkates |
| Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 6:16 pm |
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Joined: 28 Apr 2004
Posts: 2708
Location: Boulder County, CO
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slob-air wrote: MileHighSkates wrote:
90mm wheels will be slow to accelerate no matter which bearings you use.
Indeed. So much mass to set in motion. But once in motion look-out 'cause the available top end is insane if you have a hill to provide it.
Word. OK, two words -- "freight train." |
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| slob-air |
| Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 7:11 pm |
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| Cappy |
| Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 7:23 pm |
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Joined: 13 Sep 2005
Posts: 11580
Location: Cloud cuckoo land
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| Everything over 7Xmm in a city is going to kill you, regardless of some hills. You are always pushing, so you need wheels that accelerate fast and roll long. |
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| Freestyler |
| Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 1:39 am |
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ORDER OF THE SKULL
Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 751
Location: Edmonton
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yoyo wrote: smokie wrote: yoyo wrote: Just one thing about the durability of PT ceramics in a Freestyle skateboard setup: I run them on the inside (to the hanger) and they work very well for me.
All other bearings; haven't tried Ron's; fail after some time, resulting in not spinning freely anymore. So I believe that the steel balls deform to some extend, as the ceramics use 'just' different balls.
Heavy side loads while doing railstands and landing in a railstand do this stuff to your bearings.
And I even roll.................
Hey Yoyo, why does a freestyler need ceramics in his setup?
Just curious.
As I mentioned above: Durability!
They last a lot longer and so far I never broke or deformed a Pleasure Tool Ceramic bearing.
I use steel spacers as well, have faced the hangers with a counterbore (with removable pivot). Every now and then I clean and relube them, that's all. If you spin a bearing between your fingers, you notice if they spin freely and still have a little play.
Prior to 2003 I had used SKF bearings and they deformed as well.
I really don't know if the steel had changed since the 90's, but the old NMBs that I have still roll smooth........ maybe I was a little slimmer..... who knows.
Since 2003 I receive Pleasure Tools from my sponsor
I ride ron's Ceramics in my freestyle setup. When his bearing were pretty new, I actually managed to side load one bearing to the point that it exploded. I was sent a replacement by Ron, and I haven't managed to blow another one apart yet.
He's got my business for as long as he makes bearings. Freestylers put weird loads on bearing, and are constantly slamming them down on their sides, and grinding dust into/under the shields during rail tricks. Ron's ceramics are tough shit. I bought some reds to ride while cleaning my rockets. They lasted 2 sessions and they wouldn't roll. |
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| AK47SANDUZIS |
| Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 7:30 pm |
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Joined: 02 Jul 2003
Posts: 502
Location: PIEL ISLAND
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"ceramics" are generally silicon nitride balls in a steel race. the advantage comes from closer tolerances due to the "ceramic" not expanding with heat. like any performance equipment, they require some maintenance to remain effective. i understand that they can be less effective on street setups as under impact the "ceramic" balls dint the steel race leaving an everlasting rumble.
not gospel, just what i understand from 1O years racing world cup downhill. |
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| hambo |
| Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 8:43 am |
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Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 434
Location: Newport, Australia
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You can spend a hell of a lot on bearings which might be better spent on choosing the right wheel for the job.
A considered approach to the terrain can yield faster results than worrying too much about bearing tolerances and such.
Sure, some bearings are better than others but the same goes for wheels, bushings and other aspects of your setup which present far more economical and effective results.
This is from my limited amateur experience but I reckon sometimes it's good to look at it from the point of view of a 44 year old hacker rather than the world beaters. Equipment choice for champions should be different than for regular dudes. |
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| slob-air |
| Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 9:21 am |
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