How many of you still don't use spacers?

[Tracer]

Bearing spacers, you been skating for years and years and still break bearings? Talking to those idiots. Get spacers and avoid low speeds and broken dirty bearings

Haven't broken a bearing straight up with spacers

[mynameisnotjeff]

How many of you actually care about Tracer's posts?

[perverted super otaku!]

From what I understand skate parts aren't manufactured with enough precision for spacers to even do what they are intended to do.

[micky682]

What's a spacer? 

[ducky darnsworth]

What's a spacer? 

that thing in the middle, never had spacers until i got those bones swiss that comes with them

[ChuckRamone]

From what I understand skate parts aren't manufactured with enough precision for spacers to even do what they are intended to do.

This. They seem to add some life to bearings but they don't completely prevent bearing failure.

[Gray Imp Sausage Metal]

placebo effect or not they make my truck/ wheel setup seem more solid

[Tracer]

Spacer rhymes with tracer

no it doesn't

[j....soy.....]

longboard bearings.....

[HeadInLionsMouth]

Expand Quote

Spacer rhymes with tracer

[close]

no it doesn't

what in the hell are you talking about?

[Paul Cicero]

Amazing stuff in here

[Thomas]

Spacers are made to avoid damaging the bearings if you tighten them too much.
This thing isn't going to reduce the radial stress on the bearings...

[violentpizza]

Tracer uses spacers with the shield's off

[SodaJerk]

Always have, always will. It dumbfounded me when my friends are always complaining about popping bearings and axle shift but won't listen when I tell them to use spacers.

[BMCsteve]

I went to Bones Race Reds 6 months ago and stopped every thinking about bearings, spacers or washers again

[the snake]

Tracer uses spacers with the shield's off

me too, but shields have fallen by themselves  
and yeah, spacers are definetly unavoidable, wheels roll better with them

[bluntstofakie]

What really amazes me are people that see no need for speed washers. I know a few people that are too lazy to keep track of them when changing wheels , and end up just ditch them entirely. Iv'e tried putting as many spacers as possible on the inside of a wheel and none on the outside and it felt sluggish. Running none has to be handicapping yourself so much.

[heritage]

Always have, always will. 

This. And to Imp's post above, whether real or perceived my board just feels and sounds better as a result.

[Xen]

I've stopped using them altogether.

[the snake]

I've stopped using them altogether.

i've wait 2 days to read that shit !

[MYXGAMES2015]

I don't. Probably because I'm an idiot.

[micky682]

So this shit matter? I never put much thought into bearings and wheels besides the actual bearing. Always threw away those little rings that come with bearings.

[Zimmer]

So this shit matter? I never put much thought into bearings and wheels besides the actual bearing. Always threw away those little rings that come with bearings.

Spacers don't matter (wheels aren't made to tight enough tolerances), speed rings do matter - at least one inside and one outside.

[Tracer]

Lots of bitter old skaters here just trying to hold on. Spacers absolutely matter and increase bearing life by a significant margin.

[j....soy.....]

please don't misrepresent bitter old skaters.....

Race reds are the answer.....

[planman]

I don't think I've ever used them because they've never came with any bearings I've bought

[m477]

Spacers definitely have a purpose, when the bearing has lateral load, it keeps it on track/in line.

Here is a brand new spacer vs. a 5.year old spacer.



You can obviously see the damage from lateral load on the worn spacer. If you don't have spacers, the bearing can become misaligned which can cause damage to the bearing, or the bearing popping out of the seat (picture jaws' wheel popping off after the apt stair gap/drop). Sure, not having isn't the end of the world in most case but if you're spending good money on bearings, not using the included spacers is counter productive