Why the fuck do my bearings keep breaking

[I Joey I]

Shit is really starting to piss me off, been skating since 93 and never had a problem with this until just these past few weeks and it's always the front right wheel. Is it because of the cold weather? Am I just popping shit to high and landing to hard? These are also brand new swiss bearings that are breaking. It's really starting to freak me out cause I don't have the money to be buying a new set of bearings every few weeks. I'm not even skating stairs, gaps, etc cause with winter weather here in NJ all I've been doing for the past few months is skating flat for a few hours a day and granted skating flat for those few hours is paying the fuck off with most of my shit popping cleanly and higher then I've ever had my most consistent flat ground tricks but I mean come on.

Anyone else ever run into this?

[corned beef]

don't pop off your nose or tail

[Nibbler]

or maybe put the ho-hos down till the breaking stops 

[Dylan Murphy]

Fuckin tell me about it. I'm in NJ too and I have the exact same problem. I pop all my shit high and I like to stomp it down. I don't think that has anything to do with it though. I think it's our weather, our hot then cold winters, and maybe all that ground salt. I really think it's the salt.

[I Joey I]

or maybe put the ho-hos down till the breaking stops 

I was thinking this lol.

[vegan*shawn]

How much do you tighten the wheels? They should have slight play when you move them back and forth, too tight or tight lose and it can ruin the bearings. Also are you using spacers? Those help to keep the bearings in place and lessen the chance of them breaking.

[I Joey I]

How much do you tighten the wheels? They should have slight play when you move them back and forth, too tight or tight lose and it can ruin the bearings. Also are you using spacers? Those help to keep the bearings in place and lessen the chance of them breaking.

Yeah they have slight play and I got spacers in there. Only thing though is my trucks axle's are slipping a little too frequently, I have always rode Indy's and wanted to try something new so I picked up a pair of Royals but they seem to slip just as much as Indy's. Dunno if that has anything to do with it but more then likely I'm thinking its been the temperature. I cannot wait until we can get to a consistent 50 degree weekdays again. Skating in 30 degree weather fucking blows and I refuse to skate in sub freezing temps.

[rhythm]

i always skate reds, and recently the plastic rings on the inside of the bearing (the things that keep the balls equally spaced apart) have been cracking on me

[GnarlesManson]

i dunno if you have already, but try the bones swiss 6, they have bigger balls so there a bit more durable. ive had a set last me a couple years.

[bigfukindirty]

i dunno if you have already, but try the bones swiss 6, they have bigger balls so there a bit more durable. ive had a set last me a couple years.

bigger what! 

[Canuck]

i've had the same bearings for like 2 years, they get better with age.

[Dr. Newton 2.0]

Get the new Bones Swiss Labyrinths. They have stronger shields than normal Swisses.

[HoovUCDC]

you might have a bent axle. i know i've broken a lot of bearings on a bent axle.

[WWD4D?]

For some reason bearings are what I seem to go through the most, which is weird because I always take good care of mine. I make sure to clean my bearings as often as they seem dirty. I don't skate stairs or gaps often at all, and I never ride though water or dirt or anything, I make sure that if its dirty ground I'll just grab my board and walk instead, but somehow bearings alway end up locking up on me, slowing down to where you can here them squeaking hella loud when youre riding, or just straight up breaking. I don't get how some of you can make one set of bearings last for over 2 years when I can't even make mine last for more than 2 months tops.

[jayrolla420]

I went through a summer where i broke like 3 axles and lots of bearings.  I think i just have hard stomps, my friend whos not much smaller would never have that shit break, like my wheels were out 3 times faster than him, strange......

[SFblah]

You're just that fat.

[barkeep11]

I bent my axle a while back, just a bit.  It was hardly noticable but my bearings were the first thing to go.  Same one every time, till I got new trucks and then it was fine.

[NYCasphaltSurfer]

I live in downtown NYC and this exact same thing happened to me this Winter as well.

I use better bearings in my skatepark setups (Bones Swiss) and have never had any issues, but I had a set of cheap Destructo (Sendai?) bearings on my street setup (with spacers) and the outer shields eventually came off and the bearings finally locked up. I was able to get one more session out of them after spraying some WD-40 inside, but they were in pretty bad shape.

I think that it's a combination of cheap bearings, skating in 30 degree weather, road salt, moisture, and rough landings.

[waskO]

saw these on the SPOT site, somewhat curious if they live up to their claim
http://www.skateparkoftampa.com/spot/shop_productdetail.aspx?ProductID=24136

-"Is all the street skating your doing in the city causing your bearings to rust?
Then rush has the solution you need with these long lasting, non corrosive, water proof, stainless steel, weather proof bearings."

[barkeep11]

Yeah sure!  Just as good as any other ABEC 19 generics.  If they were ground breaking they would have been brought out by someone other than a skateshop.

[Grundel Unit]

i dont think ive ever broken a bearing. could be a bent axle like that other dude said

i use REDS cuz they are cheap and last forever, if those are out i get local, DIY brands - bearing is a bearing unless you go swiss/ceramic

[CigaretteBeer]

Bones Swiss

[waskO]

Yeah sure!  Just as good as any other ABEC 19 generics.  If they were ground breaking they would have been brought out by someone other than a skateshop.

Rush isn't affiliated with SPOT in any way other then they have their products sold through SPOT. 

[BriDen]

i dont think ive ever broken a bearing. could be a bent axle like that other dude said

i use REDS cuz they are cheap and last forever, if those are out i get local, DIY brands - bearing is a bearing unless you go swiss/ceramic

I've broken a few bearings before (speed metal, zero), but reds have never broken for me. I've had two sets that lasted me 4 years and counting with no maintenance.

[barkeep11]

Expand Quote

Yeah sure!  Just as good as any other ABEC 19 generics.  If they were ground breaking they would have been brought out by someone other than a skateshop.

[close]

Rush isn't affiliated with SPOT in any way other then they have their products sold through SPOT. 

Was that TONE?  I appologize! 

[WWD4D?]

I skated a set of Rush's once and they actually lasted me for awhile. I think they were the longest lasting bearings I have ever skated actually.

[waskO]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Yeah sure!  Just as good as any other ABEC 19 generics.  If they were ground breaking they would have been brought out by someone other than a skateshop.

[close]

Rush isn't affiliated with SPOT in any way other then they have their products sold through SPOT. 

[close]

Was that TONE?  I appologize!  

Its Okkay

[toque]

I feel lucky that I'm not one of those NJ heads who just pops his shit so high and stomps so hard and clean,  keeps my bearings around longer. 

I work with this guy who used to be a rep or something along those lines for rush bearings so I have been skating them the last few sets,  they work out fine.  I think the ones in the picture above are some updated version though

[Baby Gerber]

Its gotta be the cold, i just got swiss bearings alwhile back and there starting to fart out.

[bobjohn]

They're flimsy things designed for vaccuum cleaners.