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HobbyParts 16 - Skate - Hobby Information
Skate Bearings - Question 16
What other factors affect bearing performance?
The attributes of a bearing that affect its performance are many and varied, but the most important features that would affect the performance in a skating application are as follows ...
- Lubricant type and quality - Heavier lubricants such as grease for longer life. Lighter lubricants such as oils for freer running.
- Quality of the bearing steel - Bad quality steels can fail very quickly. (Stick with known bearing brands)
- Internal axial and radial clearance (how much movement there is in both directions when the rings of the bearing are pushed in opposite directions). Too little or too much clearance can be detrimental to bearing performance. You can usually feel this movement with your fingers but you will not be able to determine whether it is within acceptable limits just by feel. Check the manufacturers specifications on the bearings and try to stay within the "MC3" range for normal skating applications. The terminology "MC3" will be recognised by most bearing suppliers. If you want more speed, you will want to use a higher internal clearance to allow the bearings to spin more freely. We have had some very good success supplying "MC5" clearance with a very light oil lubricant for speed skating. These are not available in a serviceable shield type though, and they will need replacing on a regular basis.
- Manufacturing quality control and cleanliness.
(None of the above attributes are covered by ABEC grades).
The best way to ensure that you get a good bearing is to stick to the well known manufacturers, and by this we do not necessarily mean "well known skating brand names". If you are buying pre-packaged sets it can be beneficial to check if the actual bearing shows a bearing manufacturers name and country of manufacture. Of course, not having these details doesn't mean that the bearing is no good.
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H.E. Supplies (Hobby Engineering Supplies) offers thousands of products including remote controlled cars, planes, boats, and helicopters. We stock spare parts for remote controlled models. Our range includes the popular Solarbotics solar model kits and spares. We also distribute the full range of miniature engineering products from Miniature Bearings Australia. This range includes small bearings, timing pulleys, timing belts, seals, o-rings, gears and more. Also available from our store in Mansfield Queensland are a full range of lubricants, adhesives, kites, balsa wood and plastic rod and sheet materials. See our Online Catalogue for more information. Our main business is handled from our sales counter and showroom at 186 Wecker Road Mansfield, Queensland, Australia, but we also sell by phone, fax, online and mail order. We offer all of our hobby parts through our online store and some of the more popular MBA items. If you would like to purchase other MBA items online, Small Parts and Bearings offer the full range in their online catalogue.Using the links at the top of this page you will find extensive information including catalogues (Products and Store link), technical data, and other product specific information.
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