Skateboard Bearings – Get The Best
Description
Small metal rings are located inside your skateboard wheels. Inside those small metal rings are even smaller metal balls. These are the actual ball bearings, but the ring and ball bearings are called commonly, “bearings.”
The only way to rate bearings currently is using the rating standard provided by the machining industry. It doesn’t translate well to skateboarding, but currently we have to use what we have in order to have any type of categorization and system.
The “ABEC” rating goes from 1 to 9, but uses only odd numbers. Because it was originally developed to rate the bearings in machines, not on skateboards, the ABEC rating only rates the precision of a bearing. The more precise the bearing, the weaker it usually is.
Skateboarders are known to abuse their bearings because of the jumping and impact abuse provided by the user. Even so, skateboarders want bearings that are both precise and durable. The best ABEC rating for a skateboard has been widely accepted as 3 or 5. They seem to be smooth enough and able to withstand the punishment of jumping on a board without breaking.
Be aware that there are some skateboard bearings that don’t list the ABEC rating system. This does not necessarily make them bad bearings. In such cases you may want to check with friends or a shop owner to see if they have any information on them and how they perform.
We suggest first purchasing a mid-priced set of bearings. They may hold up well enough for the abuse you give them in the beginning. Also, an errant mistake on your part may save you money when you ruin a mid-range set of bearings, rather than an expensive set. You can find either in our Bearings listings.
URL: Skateboard Bearings – Get The Best
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