Which Bearings Are You Guys Running?

[fulfillthedream]

i got some swiss and man they haven't  "broken in" like they used to... gonna just buy reds or maybe even try the spitfire bearings.

[BartHarleyJarvis]

I did some wheel/bearing swaps over the weekend and I was way disappointed in how my Swiss felt. I bought two sets last year and neither have help up very well. Not very smooth, a handful of crunchy bearings. I did a full cleaning which helped but I went back to my quantums isotopes on my main set up and relegated a pair of Swiss to a cruiser. Even my quantum Metallics felt much better.

I cleaned and relubed all of them with speed cream and they felt ok but not 3x better an old set of red big balls I’ve still got in the rotation.

[OhioGuy]

That’s interesting. Maybe they’re just not as good as they used to be. Mine feel sluggish, and Reds never got that way for me even with no shields. They just got faster and louder 🤤

[Ok]

too each their own.

my experience has always been that reds are disappointing.
mini logos might suck, but usually do pretty well, and are cheap, so i am stoked.
swiss and swiss 6 are dope.
my quantums are finicky. can be good. can slow way down.

i think i dont care anymore and want to try skf’s next.

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

Can we agree that the toughest component to gain any sort of consensus it’s bearings……

[JimmyFive]

I just bought a set of Swiss 6 as an impulse buy when they were on sale recently. They are smooth, almost silent. I think they are very gradually getting faster but compared to 7 ball Swiss they feel like they're taking an age to fully break in. 7 ball Swiss only took one session to be running fast, loud and freely. I hope the Swiss 6 get there. All in all I have been a bit disappointed by my Swiss variations. I have year old Bronson G3's that run smoother and as fast (if not faster) than the Swiss. My fave of all though are the set of Quantum Atoms I've had for 9 months. They are crazy fast and feel like gliding on ice compared to my one year old Swiss. Kinda wishing I'd got another set of them.

[fulfillthedream]

Can we agree that the toughest component to gain any sort of consensus it’s bearings……

i agree- i think there so many factors that go into them.. out of all the parts on the board they're the most complex

[Mbrimson88]

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Can we agree that the toughest component to gain any sort of consensus it’s bearings……

[close]

i agree- i think there so many factors that go into them.. out of all the parts on the board they're the most complex

For sure!


I also wonder how many might unknowingly have fake Swiss, if they are not performing all that well, given they really do copy them in every way to look like the real thing and can be subbed in and out of real skate shops, but then they just don't quite perform the same way as real Swiss do.

Not saying there would be that many out there, but who knows really.  I have seen some that are very close and some legit shops have even sold some that are not real, after people have asked me and I said just take close up pics and send to Skate One, some came back as yes they were genuine Swiss, others not, so there are still fake bearings out there.


One other thing to note is that when people clean them, take them all apart and do whatever they do to them, almost always they are never quite the same again, so I really think there are some better / more simple ways to go about it, as well as some not so good ways to go about it, but each to their own there.

I have Bones Swiss bearings I have skated only myself for a long time and they are still great, others I have had come back completely done and I fixed them up well enough you would never know they were in that state, then others that people have skated to death, that are never coming back, even in just a few months, so there can be so many variables in terms of use and human use / abuse in terms of how long they actually last.

That is why I am never surprised by such completely different views and comments about bearings here, as per others above too.

[moonordie]

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Can we agree that the toughest component to gain any sort of consensus it’s bearings……

[close]

i agree- i think there so many factors that go into them.. out of all the parts on the board they're the most complex

[close]

For sure!


I also wonder how many might unknowingly have fake Swiss, if they are not performing all that well, given they really do copy them in every way to look like the real thing and can be subbed in and out of real skate shops, but then they just don't quite perform the same way as real Swiss do.

Not saying there would be that many out there, but who knows really.  I have seen some that are very close and some legit shops have even sold some that are not real, after people have asked me and I said just take close up pics and send to Skate One, some came back as yes they were genuine Swiss, others not, so there are still fake bearings out there.


One other thing to note is that when people clean them, take them all apart and do whatever they do to them, almost always they are never quite the same again, so I really think there are some better / more simple ways to go about it, as well as some not so good ways to go about it, but each to their own there.

I have Bones Swiss bearings I have skated only myself for a long time and they are still great, others I have had come back completely done and I fixed them up well enough you would never know they were in that state, then others that people have skated to death, that are never coming back, even in just a few months, so there can be so many variables in terms of use and human use / abuse in terms of how long they actually last.

That is why I am never surprised by such completely different views and comments about bearings here, as per others above too.

I'm pretty sure that everybody saying "my swiss aren't that good" got fake ones.

[CarcassToss]

I have some Quantum Isotopes I got when they first started posting on here that are still going great, but the shields fell off a few. While waiting for replacements I got some Swiss 6, Bronson G3, and a local shop abec 7. All my bearings are always purchased from a shop and are definitely not fake.

I rode Swiss for a decade and had issues with 2 sets. One set had 2 broken cages within a month and I don't skate big stuff. Another set felt like the shields didn't fit right and they were constantly dirty and its sandy/dusty here so things get crunchy.

For me the order of preference is the G3/shop bearings, then the Swiss 6. IDK wtf is wrong with my 6 but they spin slower by hand, feel sluggish, and if you land remotely off center the wheel binds up. I cleaned them and relubed like a scientist using precisely 1 drop of Speed Cream and still nothing.

The G3 are bearings. They do their job pretty well and I don't have any faults with them really. If anything they're a tad quiet and don't sound as cool haha. The shop bearings are slightly louder, and louder is cooler.

In the end all this shit is probably in my head. Just find one you like and keep using it. I'd definitely buy the Isotopes or the cheaper Quantum's again. If I did Bones again I'd just go normal Swiss. Other than that I'd just rock whatever is moderately priced that isn't Reds cuz all my Reds have sucked serious balls.

[BartHarleyJarvis]

Just wanting to share my experience. Bought mine from a 303 Boards sale a while back and got sucked into the hype, everyone always goes crazy when there’s a Swiss sale.

Obviously plenty of people here have had issues with quantum’s as well whereas I have 3 sets and never had any issues. Just luck of the draw.

[CarcassToss]

All manufacturing has variances and acceptable defect ranges. I'm guessing skateboard bearings do too and likely to much wider variance than other components. Combined with impact and abuse it's not unthinkable that what is a small issue can be amplified by the fact that we're basically abusing the component.

[fulfillthedream]

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Can we agree that the toughest component to gain any sort of consensus it’s bearings……

[close]

i agree- i think there so many factors that go into them.. out of all the parts on the board they're the most complex

[close]

For sure!


I also wonder how many might unknowingly have fake Swiss, if they are not performing all that well, given they really do copy them in every way to look like the real thing and can be subbed in and out of real skate shops, but then they just don't quite perform the same way as real Swiss do.

Not saying there would be that many out there, but who knows really.  I have seen some that are very close and some legit shops have even sold some that are not real, after people have asked me and I said just take close up pics and send to Skate One, some came back as yes they were genuine Swiss, others not, so there are still fake bearings out there.


One other thing to note is that when people clean them, take them all apart and do whatever they do to them, almost always they are never quite the same again, so I really think there are some better / more simple ways to go about it, as well as some not so good ways to go about it, but each to their own there.

I have Bones Swiss bearings I have skated only myself for a long time and they are still great, others I have had come back completely done and I fixed them up well enough you would never know they were in that state, then others that people have skated to death, that are never coming back, even in just a few months, so there can be so many variables in terms of use and human use / abuse in terms of how long they actually last.

That is why I am never surprised by such completely different views and comments about bearings here, as per others above too.

[close]

I'm pretty sure that everybody saying "my swiss aren't that good" got fake ones.

got mines off the skateone website bud...

[Texas_Tone]

SKF

[backside_frontside]

SKF

Same but I degreased mine, because the thick lube made them feel so slow. I then added a drop of speed cream and they are really fast now.

[Texas_Tone]

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SKF

[close]

Same but I degreased mine, because the thick lube made them feel so slow. I then added a drop of speed cream and they are really fast now.

Yea I cleaned mine and have been running sewing machine oil in them, Texas heat broke down that lube quick, I like the all metal cages makes for easy cleaning

[Ok]

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SKF

[close]

Same but I degreased mine, because the thick lube made them feel so slow. I then added a drop of speed cream and they are really fast now.

[close]

Yea I cleaned mine and have been running sewing machine oil in them, Texas heat broke down that lube quick, I like the all metal cages makes for easy cleaning

which SKF, toe?

[Texas_Tone]

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SKF

[close]

Same but I degreased mine, because the thick lube made them feel so slow. I then added a drop of speed cream and they are really fast now.

[close]

Yea I cleaned mine and have been running sewing machine oil in them, Texas heat broke down that lube quick, I like the all metal cages makes for easy cleaning

[close]

which SKF, toe?

Standard green the Toyota carolla of bearings

[onkalo]

Andale abec 7. Only 2 weeks old, they feel sluggish and one already broke, paid 10€ for them (not even worth that). Glad they seem to be gone with dwindle.

Previous set that I had were modus blues and they lasted 3 years. Gotta get some new blues soon…

[back smith]

Bought some local shop ceramics and man they suck ass.

Bones Swiss only from now on unless I lose my job, then I will buy Reds.

[Mirai]

I also tried some Zealous bearings recently and was impressed by their speed and the built-in spacers.

[moonordie]

As I always say: Swiss 6 or regular Swiss. If you're on a budget go for Flip HKD 5 or 7. With this being said I'd like to try some SKF tho.

[roba]

what are your experiences with shake junt bearings? i’m thinking about getting the triple og’s, i’m a shake junt enjoyer, two times if you know me

[rikki]

Can't help myself, I feel like I want to try Bones Swiss shieldless and unlubed. General consensus among some of the local pro riders I know seems to be that that's the way to go. Are they tripping and should stick with the shields?

[moonordie]

Anybody using shieldless bearings = people who didn't paid for them.

[Mbrimson88]

what are your experiences with shake junt bearings? i’m thinking about getting the triple og’s, i’m a shake junt enjoyer, two times if you know me

The few sets that came through my hands were good enough for what they were.  Mid price and good performance, from what I remember.

They are probably still on one of the boards that I use for loan setups or went with a setup to someone who needed it, as I definitely don't have them back in the spares / junk box, so that is a plus for them.

I keep more "Hall of shame" product than "Hall of fame" product, as the good stuff goes on boards or goes to people who need it and the bad stuff is kept for show and tell if anyone asks why I don't have it for sale in the shop.

[Andrefosho]

Anyone else cleaning and oiling their bearings?

I used to rinse my bearing sets in gasoline, wipe and dry them, then drip some bicycle chain oil into them. Now just pop off the shield, add few drops of oil, shield back on and back onto trucks.

[hiljentaa]

Anyone have any recommendations for cheap bearings that only have one rubber shield? I hate how Mini Logos are double shielded.

[BeachChicken]

Anyone else cleaning and oiling their bearings?

I used to rinse my bearing sets in gasoline, wipe and dry them, then drip some bicycle chain oil into them. Now just pop off the shield, add few drops of oil, shield back on and back onto trucks.

This sounds terrible as gasoline and acetone can eat at some cages.

I clean my bearings sorta like how I used to clean bike chains- ultrasonic cleaner with a mixture of 90%+ isopropyl, jewelry cleaner, and a light degreaser. Run 2 full 480s cycles. Take them out and wipe each bearing, let it dry, spray some air on it to get dust on. Clean the shields as well. 1 drop of lube, spin bearing, put shield on, put back in wheel, put on board. Usually gets me 2-3mo of great performance before the sandy dust where I live gets in.

Dust getting in isn't a bad thing either and not an argument for not having shields. Even if you don't have shields the dust will stick to the balls and wear away at the balls and races. It doesn't just magically "get out" without causing damage. So much more gets in that even if it does escape the overall damage is higher an while a bearing might feel as fast in the short run it will last less time in the long run.

[moonordie]

Anyone have any recommendations for cheap bearings that only have one rubber shield? I hate how Mini Logos are double shielded.

I know I sound like a broken record but the answer is Flip HKD 5 or 7