Ceramic Ball Bearings Vs Steel Ball Bearings

Ceramic bearings are more dimensionally stable at high temperature than stainless bearings.

Ceramic ball bearings vs steel ball bearings.

Ceramic bearings vs steel bearings ceramic materials offer superior corrosion and heat resistance higher dimensional stability and lower density which facilitates high speed. When it comes to load and speed ratings 440 stainless steel bearings are the clear winners. This means that the overall friction reduction between a high quality steel bearing and a ceramic is below 0 5. Internal bearing construction ceramic bearings are not 100 ceramic.

Frictional differences between a high quality steel ball and a ceramic is a 10 15 improvement at best. The ceramic balls are often silicon nitride or equivalent. Steel bearings are commodity items that are composed of hardened steel balls and a steel inner and outer race. They use ceramic balls and usually a steel inner and outer race.

With a high quality ceramic probably lasting longer than a basic steel one think of how often you enter a major race or gran fondo with brand new bearings. Performance is the litmus test of a bearing. Once you have a considerable amount of mileage on a bearing set it is safe to think that the high quality bearing runs close to how you bought it and a basic bearing is closer to the end of it s life span. Of the different components of a bearing races cages seals grease friction from the actual ball bearings is only about 3.

Next come silicon nitride bearings with 75 load 25 speed while the clear loser here are the much softer 316 stainless steel bearings with 15 load and roughly 6 speed. Ceramic bearings are in actual fact hybrid. Ceramic is brittle and unlike steel does not handle vertical loading well. Electrically non conductive if you have an electric motor that is controlled by a variable frequency drive it is important that you use an electrically non conductive bearing.

Full ceramic zirconia bearings can support roughly 90 of the 440 stainless bearing load and 20 of the speed. This makes their application in ball bearings somewhat impractical for both longboard and skateboard. Ceramic bearings in my opinion are just not worth it. View profile view forum posts stainless join date aug 2008 location californeeeah posts 1 529 post thanks like likes given.

Ceramic bearings vs steel bearings ceramic materials offer superior corrosion and heat resistance higher dimensional stability and lower density which facilitates high speed. Results 1 to 12 of 12 thread. They also have a much higher operating temperature range than stainless which will anneal soften at a much lower temperature. A top class set of steel bearings as compared to a much promoted ceramic bearing is just as high performing.