lewis1404 Posted October 12, 2008 Report Posted October 12, 2008 I need some new bearings but don't know if to go for the cheap ones or the stainless steel ones is there any advantage going for the considerably more expensive stainless ones or not chrome steel (normal ones) £2.39 each Stainless Steel ones £7 each from AK Bearings Quote
BeamerBob Posted October 12, 2008 Report Posted October 12, 2008 My opinion is that stainless is not the best material for use as a bearing. If you don't have enough grease on the bearings to repel water to keep them from rusting, then the non-rusty stainless bearings will chew themselves up pretty quickly anyway. Quote
avspider Posted October 12, 2008 Report Posted October 12, 2008 I've personally found out that SS one's last longer Quote
popeyethewelder Posted October 12, 2008 Report Posted October 12, 2008 I have not bothered with stainless bearings on my bigger bugs, and never had a problem with the Chrome ones Quote
frayz Posted October 12, 2008 Report Posted October 12, 2008 Bearing care for both bearings will be the same. Chrome AFAIK is harder than stainless so should last just as well if cared for properly. Quote
Sand-Yeti Posted October 12, 2008 Report Posted October 12, 2008 As far as I can see the singular advantage from a technical standpoint is that stainless bearings have a higher resistance to corrosion. If your buggy environment and possibly lower preventive maintenance activity means you are replacing standard steel bearings very frequently , then possibly stainless could be the answer. Stainless bearings could be four times more expensive than standard wheel bearings. You should be able to do the sums based on you current bearing usage to see if it is economically worthwhile going down the stainless route. Our dry desert environment in the UAE doesn't warrant using the more expensive bearings here as we get a good life out of our standard bearings. Quote
lewis1404 Posted October 12, 2008 Author Report Posted October 12, 2008 ive ust taken out my bearings and one on each side was compleatly ceased up but they have lasted me 1 yr without any maintenance at all so i think ill buy some more steel ones Quote
lardyb Posted October 12, 2008 Report Posted October 12, 2008 I've got some for sale if you've got 20mm axles http://community.flexifoil.com/showthread.php?t=152298 Quote
youngged Posted October 13, 2008 Report Posted October 13, 2008 I found a place on ebay last year doing very cheap chrome bearings and asked this same question. All I got was people saying dont do it get the more expensive stainless ones and basically saying I was mad. You seem to have got a much more balanced response. When buying the chrome ones I could buy 3 sets for the price of 1 set of stainless. I gave the cheapies a whirl and was very happy with then, even on the beach they lasted me about 6 months until i sold the bug, and they were still going strong. So it was looking like although they wouldnt last quite as long as the stainless ones value for money wise they were much better. Quote
SandMonster Posted October 13, 2008 Report Posted October 13, 2008 Based on practical experience (& much to AK's chagrin;) ) the stainless option seems to be pretty much fit & forget. My current set have been on about a year or so now with zero maintenance. This includes fairly regular weekend use (at the beach) with the odd period of inactivity (that used to be the killer for standard bearings as the rust would grow inside the bearing and either seize the bearing solid, or grind the insides away when you next used 'em.) Need to order a new set now tho - blooming prices have gone up I see Quote
BeamerBob Posted October 13, 2008 Report Posted October 13, 2008 My view on this is that if your bearings have so little grease that they can rust, they are going to be cooked soon anyway. So if the grease prevents rust by not allowing the air and moisture to attack them, then I want the more substantial metal in there to take the wear and tear in a lubricated environment. It is my understanding that stainless is somewhat softer than the standard bearings. This decision is even easier when I can buy lots of standard bearings for the price of one stainless model. On top of that, Popeye doesn't use stainless. Who's gonna argue with him? Quote
MadAndy71 Posted October 21, 2008 Report Posted October 21, 2008 Stainless - fit and forget as has been said Std chrome steel - more prone to corrosion but if you are the type to wash down your buggy before putting it away, std chrome may be the better option. They can last and do last with a little proactive care. Go on the beach, get home, put buggy in shed caked in wet salty sand means your wheels will spin a little less freely when you get the buggy out the following weekend. Another point also mentioned ... stainless is inherently softer than chrome steel. The stainless bearings sourced by another site mentioned on this thread are of a particular grade called 440 grade stainless steel. Whilst this does reduce the anti-corrosion capabilities that a very high grade stainless bearing could offer, it does make the bearing a lot harder resulting in a good compromise between corrosion resistance and hardness. Quote
SandMonster Posted October 22, 2008 Report Posted October 22, 2008 On top of that, Popeye doesn't use stainless. Who's gonna argue with him? Me...! Quote
popeyethewelder Posted October 22, 2008 Report Posted October 22, 2008 Std chrome steel - more prone to corrosion but if you are the type to wash down your buggy before putting it away, std chrome may be the better option. They can last and do last with a little proactive care. . I always powerwash the buggy, wheels and headstock after a beach session, for the sake of 5 minutes, its worth it, I then quickly wipe everything with a towel (water marks on stainless....oh I can't be doing with it lol) Then every time before I go to the beach I spray the bearings with WD40, never greased, never messed with the seals.....never had a problem... Like Andy said, they require a little proactive care, tbh I would do what I do even if I did have stainless bearings in, if your car get caked in mud and salt off the roads during the winter, you clean it....if its worth cleaning Quote
popeyethewelder Posted October 22, 2008 Report Posted October 22, 2008 On top of that, Popeye doesn't use stainless. Who's gonna argue with him? Me...! lmao, I am not saying dont use stainless bearings, I have stainless bearings on the Wildkat buggy all 14 of them, I am just saying I don't have problems with Chrome ones...you pays your money you takes your chance Lewis sent me a photo of the bearings in his headstock and they were well and truely sh@gged, but that was purley down to zero maintanance Quote
windjammer1599968715 Posted October 22, 2008 Report Posted October 22, 2008 i have had stainless and chrome bearings in my t2 i prefer the chrome ones due to the fact they spin for longer i can go and make a cuppa and there still spinning Quote
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