Please recommend me some quad skate outdoor bearings that resist breakdown
This is my first post here, just registered.
I have a collection of mostly used but functional so-so steel bearings for my outdoor skates. I've been skating the streets of Berkeley, CA for 30 years. On my 3rd or 4th set of Kryptonics 70mm wheels, 2nd pair of uppers on Jogger trucks DIY mounted to basketball shoes.
Couple days ago one of the bearings seized up. Fortunately I wasn't going 15mph down the hill I've been traversing 6x/day (i.e. up/down, etc.). I had a bearing seize up on me around a year ago, no fun.
Of course, beyond the trouble it's dangerous to have a bearing break down. I started carrying a wrench and extra bearings but that would have done me no good the other day because I needed a hammer and punch to get the bad bearing off the wheel. One could carry an extra wheel fitted with bearings but lately I don't skate with a backpack, so that wouldn't work.
I figure the best idea is to get better bearings. I'm about to swap my wheels too, the ones I'm using are so so at best, I already have a set of new Kryptonics 70mm.
Someone at the old now apparently defunct Skate Forums suggested I get 100% stainless steel bearings with black ceramic SiN balls, but made no specific recommendation concerning brand or where to buy them. Please, if you can, recommend a specific bearing and if possible a suggestion concerning where to get them. I'm in Berkeley, CA.
Thanks for the help!
Comments
Don't get ceramics if you are worried about breakdowns, they tend to break often. They would be nice for outdoor speed use in different conditions because they don't really rust though. I would recommend maintaining whatever bearings you choose to use instead of going for ceramics. Overall I have had good luck with bones swiss, roll line bearings, twincam bearings, but a lot of them will be very comparable.
Whoops... a couple hours ago I ordered my first ceramic bearings:
Oldboy Premium Ceramic Skateboard Bearings (608RS ZrO2 at 8 x 22 x 7 mm) for Standard Skate Board Wheels - Good for Longboards, Quad Skates, Inline Stakes, Rollerblades and Scooters Too
Maybe a (big) mistake?
https://www.amazon.com/Oldboy-Bearings-Longboard-Skateboard-Rollerblades/dp/B075QLMQW6/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Oldboy+Premium+Ceramic+Skateboard+Bearings+%28608RS+ZrO2+at+8+x+22+x+7+mm%29+for+Standard+Skate+Board+Wheels+-+Good+for+Longboards%2C+Quad+Skates%2C+Inline+Stakes%2C+Rollerblades+and+Scooters+Too&qid=1604108707&sr=8-1
Really, my priority is not breaking down. Not seizing up all of a sudden, in particular. That causes accidents.
Can I get recommendation(s) for a particular set of bearings for long lasting safe outdoor street skating on quads?
It's really hit or miss, never tried or heard of those ceramics you ordered but might as well try them.
I would really avoid looking for a particular set of bearings though, like I previously said you just need to make sure you are maintaining them regardless of what you get.
If your bearings are seized up in any regular fashion, it's likely from not doing any work on maintaining them.
The best bearings for not maintaining are probably low tolerance double shielded greased bearings.
Well, here's the thing, I guess. I took up skating by myself, nobody showed me anything. Well, a guy showed me how he set up his skates, he attached basketball shoes to his trucks, but that's it. I don't think we talked about bearings or bearing maintenance, just wheels, and I think he had the same Kryptonics 70mm wheels.
How do I maintain my bearings? How do I clean them? Or lubricate them? Does it depend on what kind I have? Links? Thank you!
Take bearings out of wheels using a bearing press or screwdriver/whatever you need to use. Pull off the shields (can use a safety pin or something), then put them in acetone/99% isopropyl alcohol/something to degrease and get the gunk out without rusting them, in a jar or something like a bones bearing cleaner. Then put oil or grease in the bearing, put the shields back on.
http://www.skatelogforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53011
That's a very interesting and detailed thread, with links. I haven't watched the videos yet. I saw some mention of acetone, which I've used in the past. Now, I wouldn't hesitate to use acetone on bearings that are all metal but I saw mention of plastic, e.g. retainers. Acetone affects, weakens or outright attacks many plastics (not all), so I'm hesitant to use it unless I have good reason to believe there's no plastic or if the plastic used is immune to acetone attack.
I purposely filled a gasoline can a couple yours ago with the intention of using gasoline to clean skate bearings but haven't done so yet. I saw mention in the skatelogforum.com thread linked in the post above of using dawn dishwashing detergent to clean gunky bearings. I have that stuff, it's amazing, don't know I'd go that route. Wouldn't gasoline work as well?
Removing shields is something I've done, I guess. I sure have to do something quick. I went for my daily skate today, got further than ~3 days ago when I only got in about 20% of the skate. Today I got in around 80% and another bearing seized up. Not completely, I was able to get home faster than <1mph like last time, this time 2mph, but I was at the extension of my run so about 1/2 mile to get home. This sucks. I swapped out the bad bearing with one of my old used bearings with one shield off that's spinning decently.
I figure I can maybe save some of my bearings, but they are nothing special, all kinds really. Singapore made, some "NMB" and maybe others. None ceramic. I should buy some new ones, still don't have a recommendation on what to get.
Yeah I also shared your worry in terms of the plastic parts getting damaged by harsh chemicals. I actually just got a cheap ultrasonic jewelry cleaner that works on bearings with just water and dish soap. I just use a hairdryer afterwards, and after testing yesterday it seems to work. But tbh I haven't heard of a bearing actually failing because someone used a harsh chemical, I only hear of them failing because they didn't clean them or the bearing just decides to fail.
How would you know what contributed to a bearing failing? It doesn't "decides to fail." It fails!
I've had 2 failures within 1/2 a week. I must do something NOW!
Been researching bearings and just haven't come up with a brainy idea what to get. I figure clean what I have (10 year old Bones Reds, non-ceramic), maybe 35 of them and others, all told, buy some new ones too. I had a hard look at simple fairly cheap but (at Amazon) highly rated Bones Reds (~$35 at Amazon for box of 16) but several reviews said they received cheap knock offs, not the real thing, so I'm hesitant. Lots of places sell them but how can I be sure they are authentic? Or any bearings, to be sure?
I'm tempted to clean my bearings with gasoline, not acetone. For one thing I have a lot of gasoline, am very low on acetone at the moment. Also, I'm afraid I'll damage the bearings. I'm pretty sure they are NOT all metal.
By decide to fail, I mean a circumstance where you cannot prevent the failure. Like if you had a bad bearing (manufacturer issue), or got unlucky and some unforeseen thing caused the failure.
Just go and use gasoline to clean them, shouldn't ruin the parts unless you soak them for a long time. Personally my favorite bearing so far is the Komplex 6 Ball Abec 7-9. Get those if you need someone to decide for you haha
Probably don't use Amazon due to potential fakes, not that the fakes are any worse than the authentic ones... To avoid fakes buy from an authorized distributor, such as a skate shop.
For outdoor use you don't want anything too expensive/fragile, as others have said i wouldn't spend on ceramics.
Your best option is to use a specific skate bearing rather than an industrial type bearing like Bones Reds, they're cheap as chips and are made for our specific application, they have a dust seal on the outer and a plastic (lightweight) bearing carrier inside, they're very easy to clean and re oil, no need to remove shields etc.
If you buy a bearing press and a bones bearing cleaner and clean and re oil them reasonably often you won't suffer another failure like them seizing up. Because you're removing them, cleaning and re oiling you handle tham and you will notice them becoming loose, noisy etc and replace them as needed.
The money and time spent doing this is good value compared to a spill on the street, gravel rash sucks!
Hmm, just saw the last two posts. Been fretting over this for weeks and a week or so ago ordered two different sets of 16. Both ceramic. I was seriously considering Bones Reds but saw several posts at Amazon from buyers who said they'd gotten awful fakes. I figured that Ebay would be an even worse bet not to get fakes. I saw them even cheaper than Amazon at a skate parts outlet online but didn't like my chances.
So, I settled on relatively little known but highly rated bearings for sale on Amazon, I figured the odds that some enterprise would go to the trouble of creating knock offs for an obscure brand is minuscule.
I got Old Boys, and Kveni ceramics. The Old Boys are quite a bit more expensive than the Kvenis but still way cheaper than premium ceramics. The reviews are very positive. The Old Boys are Zirconium Oxide, said at a site I inspected to be superior to Silicone oxide. Both are shielded on one side for easy cleaning. I don't have any kind of apparatus for cleaning. Lately I've been cleaning with gasoline (i.e. the last week or so, being very low on acetone and having heard that gasoline would do a good job some time ago), my old steel bearings, and I was down to two sets of mismatched steel (i.e. 32 bearings), definitely time to get something else. Maybe ceramics are a mistake. Anyway, the ceramic balls won't rust, which is a definite positive. I don't tend to do things that would shatter the balls, i.e. jumps. I guess I should look into getting bearing cleaning equipment. I never heard of a bearing press before reading cropduster's comment above. Been skating the streets around here for 30+ years now, but I have no company. Just a lone skater!
Old Boys: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075QLMQW6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Kveni: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B086SNKWQZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I swapped out my steel bearings yesterday for the new Old boys and skated about 6 miles.
Is a bearing press just to get the bearings in and out of the wheels? I can do that without a special tool but maybe the tool's a better idea and less apt to damage the bearings. Yesterday I just used a small hammer and a dulled nail to remove one bearing from each wheel and then pop the other one out with a wider piece of steel and the hammer.
Yep, it has an end with a shoulder to pull the bearing from the wheel hub, and then a shaft to "load" the rear bearing, well and front bearing which you then close with a lever to press them together, in Australia they're about $40 so i would expect you to find one for about half that in the US.
For me it makes a tedious job (cleaning and reoiling bearings) faster but more than that it is safer for the hubs, I use Primo Deano hubs which are plastic and rather old now so i'm mindful.
Gasoline is a pretty good degreaser but very harsh on plastics, if you use isopropyl alcohol or acetone they evaporate quicker and will be kinder to your carriers and seals, you could use a fancy skate oil like "Bones speed cream" but for outdoor use, a generic 3 in one oil is fine, and that's mainly because you should be cleaning them more often because often environment.
I did some scouting around last night, trying to figure out what those contraptions are all about. Watched a couple of videos on Youtube by gals who demonstrated cleaning bearings (1) and (2) replacing wheels. I think they may both have worked for the same skate shop in Long Beach, CA. I believe they both recommended the Bones Bearing Removal Tool. I could not find that for sale. Amazon doesn't have them in stock. I don't know if that's all I need for bearing maintenance, and etc. I did find a cheap tool that looks like it will do the same thing on Ebay:
Bearings Puller Press Skate Tool Boards Skateboards Roller Derby Quad 8mm Bones
This forum won't let me paste in the listing but I imagine a search at ebay will turn it up readily, the price last night was $11 + $4.20 shipping plus state tax.
This is the one recommended that I couldn't find:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00829ZSIU/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=devaskation-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00829ZSIU&linkId=c54e2eaf860f50cf3f3b0bdb1400d25f
The gal who showed replacing wheels demonstrated a neat trick, which is placing a couple bearings on a bare quad skate axle and jamming a new wheel onto the axle forcing one of the bearings in place, then turning the wheel over and jamming the wheel down again to get the other bearing in place. Maybe better than what I have been doing.
I have been able to get bearings out of wheels for cleaning but I think these dedicated tools are perhaps less apt to damage the bearing in doing so, therefore I ordered one, should be here in 4 days or so.
Never seen that contraption before, looks interesting, probably a doddle to use.
I use this, saw it on the same amazon page you linked to
https://www.amazon.com/Sure-Grip-Bearing-Press/dp/B014V0LNKU/ref=pd_lpo_468_t_1/146-3572046-3107467?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B014V0LNKU&pd_rd_r=ad4728dc-94c7-4f88-845c-bbd6bf3c3fec&pd_rd_w=pqN6h&pd_rd_wg=c0HLR&pf_rd_p=eba84458-d862-45eb-bb57-06592e30f645&pf_rd_r=2VDSYY9988XWG1C64W37&psc=1&refRID=2VDSYY9988XWG1C64W37
I'm rolling on krypo cruise 62mm with bones reds.....clean them with what ever is to hand to be fair petrol, wd40, bearing cleaner. Lubricate with again what ever I can get hands on at time light oil, bearing oil, white grease in spray can. The bearings have never failed. I push bearings out with flat blade screw driver too from opposite side of wheel. Push the bearing back in with axel on skate an push wheel on to it, turn around do the same to other side of wheel / bearing.
Interested to see your update on the new bearings and things when you've given them some use.
If you read my other posts you'll see I am a bit of a bearing nut, but there are a lot of folks on here who disagree with me (it's okay with me if they are wrong though *grin*). So, you make up your own mind. Here are my recommendations:
Thanks, sevenspirals. I have read your posts in the past, and reread them!!! In fact, I bought a set of Kwik ceramic bearings (16), because I read you saying that they were your favorites! Received them a few weeks ago from what I believe is a well known family owned skating supply store, IIRC in Miami, FL. Good price from them too. I haven't put them in my wheels yet (because I wasn't able to find new wheels for them, see below).
I'm skating my Old Boy Ceramics in my almost new Kryptonics Route 70mm 78A Red wheels. I have the idea it'd be nice to put other bearings in their own wheels and be able to just swap out wheels, while I'm dealing with cleaning/drying/lubing the bearings from another set of wheels. To that idea I went looking for more good 70mm 78A wheels but a few weeks ago I couldn't find any, at least it so seemed to me. The Kryptonics were sold out everywhere. Today I got an email from Walmart saying some had come in -- Cruise, not Route, but I don't know that it matters. Poking around at Walmart they seem to have other similar Kryptonics (and possibly other) 70mm 78A wheels. I know, 70mm are darn big, but I'm street skating and a primary concern is safety, being able to roll over objects and not fall! Perhaps Kryptonics isn't what I should be buying, don't know.
Where I'm skating there are basketball courts that aren't being used -- I guess it's the pandemic. But roller skating seems to be making a big comeback, also probably because of the pandemic. At least outdoors, skating seems pretty safe what with air circulation and distancing being part of the equation. I've never seen so many skaters in my town as on those basketball courts. I even went out there a couple days, deciding to work on my backwards skating, something I was starting to get the hang of a few years ago. I am not good at it but I have 30+ years of forward street skating experience. Those people on the courts (today there must have been a dozen, never saw that many skaters in one place in my town before today!) practice moves, twirls, backwards, even some tricks, leg raises, etc. Not my style... yet. Anyway, I may do that but right now I'm into the ~6 mile daily skates up and down the adjacent street, basically going as fast as I can safely go with a heart rate monitor on. Those people on the courts don't appear to be into street skating. Their skates have smaller wheels. I haven't so far talked to any of them. I used to skate a bit out there a few years ago. I'd never seen anyone else skate those courts before the pandemic. I was just trying to develop some backwards skating chops. The surface is sloped, which helps, and hinders, but more than anything they are so much smoother than even the smoothest asphalt streets around here. So smooth, in fact, that I feel awkward skating on them. I figure given enough time on them, I'll get used to them. A lot of the skaters on those courts look to be just getting into skating.
It's really easy to overthink bearings. Expensive too.
Outdoor skating is hard on equipment. Dirt, water and vibration are the enemy and you can't do a thing about it.
Good bet for survival outdoors is a good quality double-shelded and greased bearing. The shields will keep the dirt out and the grease will shed the water. Double-shielded and greased bearings will last forever and require no maintenance. Expect to either disassemble and clean or outright replace when they start to get gritty. How and where you skate will make that decision for you.
There are plenty of old stock NMB 627 and 608 bearings around. They're inexpensive and durable, and significantly better quality than the skateboard stuff. About any of the Qube line will also work well. Avoid any Bones bearings on Amazon. There are a lot of fakes.
Cleaning is a bit of a religion. I use low-voc mineral spirits and a pickle jar. Soak the bearings, agitate slightly to get the goo out. Pat dry with a paper towel, apply lubricant. I like corn head grease. Pack it in there good. Get a tube at a John Deere dealer for $6 and your grandkids will still be using it. Ignore all the pundits that say grease is slow. That only matters if you're trying to win snack bar bets. Once you get moving, the grease liquefies and you won't know the difference. Use whatever, but the takeaway is get the dirt and goo out, dry them, and apply a suitable lubricant.
dvw... so when you clean your bearings, you remove one shield of double shielded bearings? What method do you use to do that so you don't damage the shields, and how do you get them back on effectively?
I've just pried them off before.
Last time I tried prying off a shield from my double shielded bearings I couldn't manage to do it. This was a couple months ago. I know I've done it in the past but don't remember how I did it.
@Muse... If they're double metal shielded, I generally don't have to clean them, but my skating style isn't hard on equipment. The double shielded and greased bearings take a long time to require maintenance. That's the point, and that's why I prefer them.
Depending on the bearing, sometimes you can ease the shield off with a straight pin, clean and lube, and replace. One false move, however, and the shield gets deformed and it's not going back on right. No big deal, but now you have an open side, and you can treat them accordingly.
Some bearings like the Bones Swiss and others have a soft silicone shield that can be removed and replaced without any drama.
I just got another NOS set of 627zz double metal shielded NMBs, I will experiment with them sometime soon to see about removing one shield and get back to you after I've done that.
My dance partner has been using them for a few months, and they keep rolling silently and smoothly. Seems like a great bearing.
I've never roller skated indoors. I don't know of a rink around here. There was an ice skating rink about 1/3 mile from me for a couple decades but they closed a decade ago and now they sell sporting goods there, I've been told. I never skated there, may have walked in and gazed for a minute or two many years ago, but that may be a fantasy!
I skate the street. I skated today and the street looked exceptionally clean, there was over 2 inches rain the last 72 hours being the reason (the street was nearly dry by this afternoon). 1/2 the year there's no rain here at all to speak of. Usually there are several months with continuous zero precipitation, so the streets get dirty/dusty. Quickstep, where did you get those NOS bearings? Is NOS a brand or a type?
Ok can't quote 404 error, what is this ametuer hour. Kick the website coders butt
@muse
To get seals off bearings use picks. I use dental picks. Or some other small diameter rigid pick
Faking it till i make it
NOS means new old stock. I found them on Ebay, tube of 50 NBM bearings for 50 or so dollars. I will send you the link. I put these on my 7mm axles and they work well. But if you are using 8mm axles they won't work for you at all.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/50-NEW-NMB-627ZZ-MINI-BALL-BEARINGS-NIT-MAKE-OFFER/233209123336?epid=622627880&hash=item364c58d208:g:kV4AAOSwtxNcwoet
But I just checked and found these NMB 608s that will work on 8mm axles. I will link them below.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/50-NEW-NMB-608ZZCM-DOUBLE-SHIELDED-SKATEBOARD-BEARINGS-NIP-MAKE-OFFER/331655099699?hash=item4d382f3533:g:jH0AAOSwo~pc8StA
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lot-of-100-NMB-608DSD28-bearings-NEW/200522163149?hash=item2eb00d63cd:g:W5YAAOxy5P9RHWIO
So, I want to measure the diameter of the axles on my skates? I have digital calipers, so can do that. Thanks for the info!
Edit: My cheap calipers said 7.93mm, so 8mm it is. I still have a few old NMB bearings, double shielded, that are functional, in my "collection." Don't know when/where I got them. I've been skating the streets since 1989.
Edit2: My NMB bearings say 608Z Singapore. I have a handful, possibly 1/2 a dozen, in various condition. I got the shields off one side of a few of them, don't know how or when.