What is ABEC / Swiss / Ceramic Bearings
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- Опубліковано 3 лют 2012
- What's the difference between ABEC, Swiss, and Ceramic bearings?
The purpose of Rat Vision is to not be bias while explaining differences between brands and products. However, we are frequently asked what products we recommend. After testing and researching we have found Oust products to be superior.
www.oustbearings.com/
ABEC:
Many Skateboard Bearings are marketed with an "ABEC rating" of 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9 What do these ratings mean? But what do these ratings mean, and do they correspond to how well a bearing works for skateboarding?
The Annular Bearing Engineering Committee was created to set standards for bearing tolerances. ABEC sets tolerances, which are only the dimensions of the entire bearing and the allowable spaces between the balls and the inner ring and the outer ring/race. That's all!
The ABEC scale does not rate speed, durability, axial and torsional loads, torque, steel grade, ball sphericity, materials, surface finish, raceway depth, ball size, lubrication, and on and on. ABEC strictly measures tolerances.
The point of ABEC is to set tolerance measurements that are used as guidelines to follow for the manufacturing of precision bearings.
Tolerances:
Tolerances are crucial for proper bearing function and load handling. A bearing must have tolerances in order to rotate.
Tighter tolerances usually equal more precision and better functionality going straight down a hill or during wide turns. However, a tighter tolerance, or higher ABEC rating does not presume the bearing is faster. It only implies a bearing may function more efficiently at higher speeds. You still have to factor in axial and torsional loads, and the other factors mentioned above.
Because of these additional factors, a lower ABEC (ABEC 3) bearing may actually operate better than a higher ABEC (ABEC 7) rated bearing.
Tolerances are important, however, the tolerances set in the ABEC scale are not necessarily the most beneficial when it comes to skateboarding.
Axial and Torsional Loads
It's important to account for bearing loads -- vertical, axial, and torsional loads. These loads are directional forces applied to the bearing. Basically, vertical is up and down, axial is side to side, and torsional is a curve or twist.
Bearings encounter tremendous axial and torsional loads, especially in longboarding. Imagine the amount of force applied to a bearing while speeding around a turn, or sliding and drifting.
The entire raceway surface does not touch the ball completely. A ball only touches a very small spot, called a footprint, with in the raceway. This means the ball can move from side to side in the raceway.
When loads are applied the balls are being forced to roll out of the raceway.
While the balls are hitting the raceway edge the raceway is rubbing against that ball and burnishing the ball. Burnishing is contact surfaces causing plastic deformation from sliding one object over another. In other words, this means the balls and races can gouge, scratch, and indent each other. Tighter tolerances and deeper raceways reduce the chances of balls burnishing by keeping them in the raceway more. This is why bearings with tighter tolerances function better at greater speeds.
Swiss
What is a Swiss bearing and why are they claimed to be better than all other bearings? Would your first response be "They are manufactured in Switzerland", or "They're made from Swiss steel"?
What differentiates Swiss bearings to make them better? As consumers, have we been duped for decades into the misconception that the Swiss make superior products?
Other than materials used and country of origin, there are no noticeable physical, mechanical, or material contrasts that constitute a bearing to be Swiss or superior. Meaning, there are no guidelines or instructions to make a Swiss style bearing. These are not watches, army knives, or cheese here. A bearing is a bearing, is a bearing.
Swiss bearings do not have specific attributes that separate them from any other bearings manufactured around the world.
When comparing a Swiss bearing to a Chinese bearing there relatively is no difference. Swiss is merely a country who makes bearings like everyone else.
What can make a Swiss bearing, or any bearing, better than another is merely the quality of materials and the manufacturing process.
We urge you to contact various bearing manufacturers and ask them specifically what a Swiss bearing is and why they are better than all other bearings. Or is it all marketing hype?
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Dude you are an incredible teacher! I came here looking for some quick facts and stayed because of your logical, succinct, easy to understand way of teaching. I hope you’ve found a way to profit off of this talent of yours in some way. Cheers and thanks for the education!
Can I replace my bearings with cheese?
Yes
Try it let us know how it goes.
Yes. I recommend pepper jack
You can replace cheese with bearings
Tamás try swiss
a bit nit picky but the test you performed on the ball bearings was not a hardness test, it was a compression test
the ceramic ball is harder than most steel ball bearings by its very nature, being ceramic
this also makes it extremely brittle, hence why it failed so catastrophically
the steel ball that you tested up to 20ksi was likely tougher (less hard) and was able to yield slighltly, thus giving the impression of higher durability
to test hardness you need to perform brinell or rockwell tests (one of the two is generally for harder materials cant remember which one)
Justin Hall Exactly! For bearings, modulus of elasticity is MUCH more important. In layman's terms, that tells you how much pressure the material can withstand before deformation. Silicon Nitride ceramic is about 5 times better than bearing steel. Sure, you can put a lot more pressure on a steel ball before it BREAKS, but how much pressure can you put on it before it deforms? Once the ball deforms, the bearing is toast.
Rc Bearings So, you think ceramic has a higher modulus of elasticity? And you say you worked with NASA for 30+ years. Just because you worked at NASA doesn't mean you've reached the pinnacle of knowledge and expertise on every subject matter. Sure, a Brinell and Rockwell test will give a hardness rating, but it's over kids heads. Showing a compression test is more visual. What makes you think that Silicone Nitride is 5 times "better" than bearing steel? It's much more brittle than steel.
Rat Vision - Skateboard Tech That test is meaningless because you didn't do it under ASTM testing conditions and you didn't show what the ball looked like after it reached its compressive yield point (which is a LOT lower than ceramic). Yes, Silicon Nitride is more brittle. But until you reach the point where that characteristic becomes relevant, its performance is superior to steel. I think you short-change kids by saying they can't understand the results of proper testing techniques.
Rc Bearings Here is something you missed when thinking about ceramic. SOME ceramics are harder than some steel, so when a ceramic ball is inserted between races with a lower hardness the balls deform the raceway surface. With damaged raceway surfaces, the ceramic balls are now susceptible to damage due to their brittle nature. This alone makes ceramic balls terrible for bearing applications, ESPECIALLY in a skateboard setting where loads are constantly applied. If you know as much as you think you know about ceramic than you know that ceramic cannot handle loads better than steel. This is why ceramic balls are not better than steel. Please don't be one of those people that believes ceramics will resurface the race. It's false.
all I was saying was the statement in the video was misleading
"ceramic balls are harder than some steel balls, but not all, and here's a compression test to prove it"
a compression test is not a hardness test
sure most of the people that watch this will not know any better and be visually entertained at a couple of ball bearings getting crushed, but it is not right to misinform people, unintentional or not
You are literally the most informative and objective youtube when it comes to skateboarding. Thanks for all the information on your whole channel.
You are the Bill Nye of skateboard science.
I'm seriously digging your videos, so keep up the good work.
ps. I'm trying to research the differences between skinny vs. wide wheels along with the differences between core positions and how they affect the board's performance in street skating. If you have a video or information on those subjects would be much appreciated. Keep on keeping on, amigo!
We do have ALL that info in a video that has not been released. It was created for a series of How To videos for skate shop employees. To give quick reply, skinny wheels are faster depending on the riding surface. Wider wheels can be faster on a rougher surface. This can be argued because of other variables. Core position also place a big part too because the contacting surface of a wheel changes while riding. If you want more info. Hit us up in a private message. It may take a while to get a reply tho.
fuck bill nye the sjw shill
there was a Transworld buyers guide a few years ago where they interviewed pros about their setups and every pro said they rode Swiss bearings with the shields removed. Its like they wanted kid's to do the same so their bearings would fail prematurely and have to buy new ones.
Justin Buice I'd have to agree with you hands down but at the same time with a healthy amount of skepticism it's pretty easy to see that it could be a combination of buying the top bearings in the shop with 'modifying' them slightly to make them look arguably cooler. Yeah could go either way
@@bungcheese5901 off
Naaaah ...these pros and sponsored skaters are just spoiled plain and simple. They can break a board with zero concern because their car trunk and closets at home are full of extra skateboards and parts.
@@Airik1111bibles so true!!!
The only way this stuff starts to make a difference is if your bearings heat up over 500 degrees or if your skating faster then humanly possible..... you would not be able to skate fast enough to even start to notice a different in material or abec.. however the shelded is better then seald because you can get in there with ease to clean and lubricate
Thank you skateboardtech for all the research and hard work you put into these VERY helpful videos! Much appreciated!!!
keep at it!
2020 and this is still the best video about bearings I've ever watched. Good job!
AWESOME! Thank you for the great comment. Nice to see that you aren't brand-washed.
Any bearings will work just fine so go with a cheap price.
Did you cut your hair halfway through this vid?? 😂😂
Thanks for watching. We will be making more videos in the near future.
These videos are amazing. I wish you guys would still make them!
this video is TO THE POINT. thank you for the great explanation, your knowledge is great :)
5:11, look at the wall to the left
Thanks
Thank you for the nice comment. If you have any questions at all send us a private message in our channel.
Great video. As a skater who just recently starting skating again after about 25 years, there are a lot of new products out in the market that I have been unsure of. Back when I was a kid we never had so many choices. Thanks to your channel I have really learned a lot. Keep up the good work and keep the videos coming.
Thank you for the very nice comment.
Sweet! This video was made at different times and I had a hair cut. So, it goes from long to short, and then I think long again. I added that just in case people noticed the hair.
"You can learn a lot from cheese." I lost it.
Great video! Thanks for taking the time to make this.
Hey dude, just found your channel and it's awesome! I love how you go in to the physics of skateboarding and give opinions based on facts, not opinion! Kepp it up!
why is this guy not making more videos? What happened? He's like the Beakman of skateboarding.
This video is amazingly helpful. All skaters should watch this.
Love your videos! They are always so informational and backed up with facts, one can really learn a lot
What wheels do you already have? Once I know I can suggest something that may be faster.
I KNEW IT! WALMART BEARINGS ARE GOOD!
So the country in which the bearing are made doesn't matter, yet 'Murica is still the best?
+ＫＮＩＴＯＰＬＥ I believe that you have missed his point,, he was fighting the idea that just because there swiss they are better, and he made it quite clear that he had done research that proved that the best ones were made in America, not because they were made in America but because they were the best, they just so happened to be the best
NerfNation Just because somebody says something convincingly doesn't mean they have any evidence.
+Matthew Drake as a swiss headhunter for engineers and a brother of 2 engineers i can tell you that he hasnt done any research and hes wrong. Switzerland has much higher standarts in education, percision, machining, know how etc. than china.24% of the swiss economy is percision maschining (to comparison swiss banks only make 4%). We also have a very unique education system in wich you study a job like machining for 4 years in theory and in practise. The differences are very high compared to china. China is the place to manufacture the cheapest where switzerland is the country where you get the best know how and percision. That is why many many companys like for example logitech develop theyre products in switzerland and produce them in china.
Its the same with the usa just take the iphone (designed in california manufactured in china)
And its also safe to say manufactured in usa is much more percise than in china in general.
+Matthew Drake and yes there are rules and laws to call a product swiss made or swiss. We have a federal agency wich rules and controls it.
Knitople If you listened, he says American bearings are made the best. It doesn't matter what country does it, is what he was saying. That doesn't mean any bearings in the US are great. It just means im general of the top ones. 1 company in China could make a $10,000 bearing that tops them all or come up with a technology or material for $5 that tops them all. It was a general statement about Swiss doesn't just mean the best of the best. Like most sports marketing is for profit. Do you need a $100,000 road bike for cycling on the streets? Answer is no. Do you need an ABEC 11 or the strongest bearings in the world for skating? NEVER. It's overkill and you will never go 1000mph or put 18gs (Gforces) on a skate bearing. They will sell you one and sell you anything else that convinces you it's better for profit. That doesn't mean a more expensive bearing won't roll better or last longer.
This is a highly technical video that covers all the bases for you to make your own educated conclusions on your upcoming bearing choice. Great job, thanks for all the info even if this vid is almost 7 years old.
Purchased Bones' Swiss Ceramics holiday season 2005. I am still riding them July 2015. I clean & oil them every 3 weeks or so. All 8 bearings still spin freely. I would say that I easily purchased at least 2 sets of steel bearings per year before the ceramics.
This is what happens when your stuck in a blizzard, instead of you being able to go out and rollerblade you have to sit at home and think deep thoughts about rollerblades.
Well after watching this video I would hope you wouldn't buy Swiss. We recommend Oust.
I applaud your dedication to one company, but I've been rollerblading since 1990 and swiss have always been the best from experience, but they have always been the most expensive. You are right though in that you don't need to waste your money and buy a really expensive set of bearings. I would say once you get to the point of experience and skill swiss will push you to the next level. But someone who is a beginner or intermediate rollerblader will probably have issues cause its easier to hit faster speeds with swiss, they might not be ready for that yet. Can't say anything on skateboarding did skateboard here and there in the 80's as a child but once I started rollerblading I never looked back. Maybe Oust would be better for skateboarding I can't comment on that from experience.
Oust gang🙌, you made me more knowledgeable then most of my friends who have years of skating ahead of me, on skating. 🙏
Yes, thank you. We did all the testing and research to educate people about what makes products good. Good products don't always come from brands with the coolest name that have been around a long time. If you take away all the brand names, then all you're left with is a difference in quality and performance.
Taken from here en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABEC_scale
Tolerances:
ABEC 1: 0.0075 mm (0.000295")
ABEC 3: 0.0050 mm (0.000197")
ABEC 5: 0.0035 mm (0.000138")
ABEC 7: 0.0025 mm (0.000098")
ABEC 9: 0.0012 mm (0.000047")
Great explanation, although you got something wrong. You talked about hardness when comparing ceramics versus steel, but performed a compression stress test; the compression stress is another property. Compression is related to how much force can the material withstand and hardness is about the resistance to scratches, indentations, bounces and is a very complex matter. So you get the idea, the regular fragile glass has actually higher hardness than most steel alloys in Brinell scale. Sorry for the lecture, what I'm trying to say is that ceramic ball have an upper hand against regular steel for prevent scratches inside the bearings.
Rodrigo SCompressive Yield Strength is the important measure here. That is how much pressure the material can withstand before permanent deformation. Silicon Nitride is about 10 times better than steel in that respect. ANY small deformation renders a bearing worthless. Of course, only the higher quality ceramic bearings use Silicon Nitride (black or dark gray balls). Most cheaper ceramics use Zirconium Oxide (white balls) which are not nearly as good.
Rc Bearings I am really curious to hear why you think ceramic is better than steel, and why you think it's 5 or 10 times better.
Rat Vision - Skateboard Tech I don't THINK they are better. In some applications I KNOW they are better. As far as the 5-10 times better, this is engineering fact. The compressive yield strength of ceramics is generally 5-10 times higher than steel. As far as bearing use, hybrid ceramic bearings are used in virtually all AMA and World Superbike engines as well as MotoGP, Indycar and F1 engines and transmissions. Studies by ARPA showed that hybrid ceramic bearings would survive 5 times as long as the standard steel bearings in case of loss of lubrication in C-17 turbine engines. Sure, these aren't skateboards, but the principles still apply.
Rc Bearings I don't think the compressive yield strength is the most important parameter. How many skateboard bearings have you seen failed due to a broken balls?. Normally the issue is the wear and tear that gradually reduces the rolling speed of the bearing; with a higher hardness it is likely that the wearing rate inside the bearing would be decreased. Other two factors more important that compressive resistance would be the quality of the lubricant and the sealing against external impurities. For this application (skateboarding), most bearings in the markets have a high enough compressive yield point to withstand most scenarios.
@@rcbearings1zirconium oxide is actually stronger than silicon nitride
Finally someone who gave a good presentation AND good information. Thanks
Seriously appreciate your honesty and perspective. Great job keep it up
This guy should make a bering company
True that
You'd think he owns Oust Bearings by the way he preaches about them.
or a cheese company at least
@@robertkelly1590 prolly friends with someone
ok great but which bearings are good??
Mansur estes oust are the best rn
Void Diablo Dem are some expensive bearings! Thanks tho it'll be worth it hopefully.
Thank you for the great comment. We plan on showing tests that compare top brands in the future.
Thanks for all these tips they're really helping me out and my board
iv ridden pretty much every type of bearing and my favorite by far is bones swiss ceramics not only are they high quality but if you take care of them they are by far the best
Yeah, i ordered those oust bearings and they honestly dont outperform my swiss bearings or reds cermics
Yeah I run Swiss Ceramics on my inlines after trying many many different setups and they're great. They do require a little more maintenance but the way they're made makes them easy to service.
SKF from SWEDEN still make the best bearings in the world, even if there are other factors to consider as you point out. I think that Bones and others did like a lot of others they could not tell the difference from Switzerland to SWEDEN. Switzerland does not have any production of bearings Sweden does. And a lot of car manufacturers like TELSA use SKF ! If they say SWISS they are likely to be made in China.
Agree SKF are the best. SKF from Italy though.
This video is straight money. One of the best things skate-related I've seen in awhile.
I just purchased Abeac 11 bearings for my Oxelo Town 9EF V2 Adult Scooter, I hope these will ok for my scooter!! Great video by the way (8 years later 👌👍)
SO WHICH ONE DO I BUY FOR CRUISING
+Loser Right Here any.
(Industrial, Rush, Spitfires. If you are lazy buy ones with integrated spacers and speedrings)
Bones
Brabafied !
Too expensive for just cruising.
Antinull I live in Germany, Bones Reds cost about 22€ here, that would be 25$, in Germany you can get more decent bearings for 10€ less. So depending on where you live, Bones Reds are way too expensive for just cruising, for that money you can get bearings with integrated spacer that at least have two shields instead of just one.
Antinull Sadly like I said it depends on the country. The cheapest in Germany that aren't industrial bearings would be spitfire titaniums or other more unknown bearings.
Dude... I really want some freaking cheese now.
wot
dickcheese?
oh my gah these vids are saving my life! I'm investing in a longboard and now i'm rethinking the custom parts
I love this, it shoves my friends "my swiss are so much better than everyone else's bearings" down his throat. Can't wait to show him this. Thanks RatVision, love the information I took from this, hope to see more. Keep up all your hard work.
From, the Newbie Longboarder.
Thank you for the great comment. Yes, your friend is a sucker.
that haircut tho ... went from long to short in mi Utes haha
But wicht bearing is NOw the best for longboarders? Haha
Kamiel Carelsbergh Oust
such an excellent and informative video, literally every second felt like I was learning something new and useful
Wow is this a detailed and professional explanation. Unheard of on UA-cam. Amazing
Hahahahaha "Well that's great, what the hell are tolerances?" MY exact words!!! WHAT?????
"no better bearing than one made in the USA"
uh huh, little bit of "murrica" working its way in there.
I noticed that too, cringeworthy
Who the hell cares
Wow man...great video. I learned a lot. Thanks.
Awesome channel, ive never seen before getting the engineer aspect of skateboarding seriusly. Very interesting and very helpful, this work worth it.
Keep on and thank you.
incredibly well made video, great job!!!
Im here almost 10 years later in 2021 and this is still an amazing video!
Hell yeah!!! I haven’t posted in years and I randomly came on to respond to guys like you! Thank you for leaving the cool comment. This video is timeless!
@@RatVision me too just looking to get a set of wheels and bearings , so many options, im over 50 and would like to try some 1/2 pipe skateing maybe a pool but street is too hard for me . what is a good ramp wheel posibly masonite ramps? thanks and great tutorials , do you cover protective gear like wrist guards and knee pads helmets etc? it is a under used product and i wish younger gen x or y would man up and put them on... just sayin... i rode without them for years , but dont do as i do do as i say!!! Lol Peace Skaters
FINALLY !!! Someone that talks about engineering pony of view about bearing more than Brands !!!! Congrats!!!!! Excellent video!!!!!
I'm not through the entire video, but i can tell this is till now the most informative "best..."-video i've seen
Take look at our other video on bearings and bearing spacers. We didn't go into talking about bearings with built in half spacers. What you will find is great information about how spacers work and don't work. Seismic bearings don't fit correctly, because nearly every wheel is different and you'll see this in the video. Seismic bearings also do not fit their own wheels!
you guys explain everything so well
Bro you are vicious with your elaboration in skateboarding 🙌
Thanks for the nice comment. We recommend Oust Bearings for all types of skating. In our opinion, hands down the best.
Thank you so much!! I always thought that abec was how fast a bearing went… now I don't have to get the super expensive high number abec bearings. You saved me here man.
YES. Watch our other video on bearings and bearing spacers. You are applying a lot of axial and torsional loads, which can blow the bearings out without the right tolerances and raceways. We recommend Oust bearings, especially for what you are doing, because they redesigned the their bearings to handle these loads. During these heavy loads bearings want to roll out and ride on the edge of the raceway where they can gall from friction and deform. This is also why you need a good lubricant.
thanks for helping me you inspired me to skate and longboard and clean bearings and everything your the best man
You sir, is accumulating a LOT of good karma with your videos. Bringing out knowledge to the would is the most noble attitude a human can do.
You earned my respect, and subscription.
Wow! Thanks a lot.
Rat Vision - Skateboard Tech what bearing would you recommend for a longboard?
We don't have it posted anywhere to view. Is there something specific that you would like to know?
Dude, you are so funny and educational at the same time.
Thanks for this video man. It was super helpful!
this video is awesome. thank you so much for this detailed explanation
skateboardtech i like how you sound so scientific with what you say keep up the good work man
Awesome review! Thank you Teacher!
Finally a video that explains bearings without the stupid brand names and uses the direct terminology to explain the science behind the materials used and functions of a bearing.
Thank you for this video! It has really helped
This Video is so good! You really understand how to make a tutorial video, thanks!
Thank you so much for the video I've learn a lot from all of your video
I dont skate or anything, but that was a super good video!! I'm upgrading my nephews scooter and was always curious what abac 9 really meant. Keep up the good videos bro!
Thank you for such details information! ✌
Dude, you're smart and awsome! Love your channel!
Great videos, I always tell all my skating friends to watch rat vision. More please.
excellent video. very informative 👍
i know, i have been riding them for a year, and they are faster than ever! thanks for the video!
Thank you for the very nice comment.
I love these videos they're just amazing and well explained. I just wish you'd differ your test subjects more in the clips, for example at 9:40 is a great expression between polishing and race depth, I just wish I knew what bearings each was from.
These vids are very useful!
Thank you Rat Vision you helped me a lot :)
i love your videos!! and i have a question, can the "rating" of the abec just be the type of skating or how u like your bearings? thank you
im really glad you made this video, thank you so much because i was going to by some swiss bearings
Cool. Glad I could help. Remember, just because they are ABEC 9 there is no guarantee that they will function better than ABEC 7 or 5 bearings. All the other features that make a bearing better than another effect performance. We can only hope that extra care went into the other factors as the tolerances got tighter and gave the bearings an ABEC 9 rating. You won't hear any of this stuff at any skateboard or inline shop, because employees don't know anything, but what is "cool".
thank you sooooooo much i hope you will do another videos👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
excellent video! thanks for the knowledge. Do you have a favourite baring?
I love your bearing pile!
That's great. There is nothing wrong with choosing Bones Reds. The price is great, they work good. This video is intended to teach people the difference between bearings, especially about ABEC, Swiss, and ceramic bearings, because most skaters have no clue.
Thanks for the comments.
Keep these videos coming 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
We recommend Oust. They have redesigned the standard bearing to handle axial and torsional loads, that are applied while skating, way better than other brands. This redesign also increased the tolerance of the bearings beyond the ABEC scale.
What a load of crap
Your videos explain many questions on a lot of issues dude. Specially about bearings , now I can go get cheaper brands and taking care of them so they perform at their best.
Nice!
Nice video, question, if i wanted to get a higher achievable speed, what would you recommend to do? new bearings, new wheels? In a few videos you said that bearing spacers needed to be .401, so i'm wondering if there is a way to check it or where i can get a specific tool to measure it? I'm new to skateboarding and would really appreciate a response! :D