The wear rate of ceramic ball bearings is significantly less than stainless steel … If you opt for full ceramic bearings (bearings with ceramic cases in addition to ceramic balls), you're looking at about $800 per set. They will both also cope with higher temperatures than chrome steel but ceramic bearings also win here. Unlike their steel equivalents, ceramic bearings are able to run unlubricated which not only stops possible contamination of delicate components in the surrounding applications but also reduces weight as there is no need for heavy greases. Plastic and 316 Stainless Race Radial Ball Bearings. Stainless steel bearings and full ceramic bearings are both corrosion resistant but the ceramic bearings have greater corrosion resistance. Ceramic bearings offer many advantages over all steel bearings, such as higher speed and acceleration capability, increased stiffness, lower friction and more. Hybrid bearings sit between full ceramic and steel options. Ceramic Bearings Review and suppliers - Ceramic bearings are typically constructed with a ferrous inner and outer ring or race with ceramic balls in the place of steel. Most sealed ceramic bearings are actually hybrid ceramic bearings, which combine a steel race with ceramic ball bearings. I'm using a ceramic ball bearing with an aluminum sub-platter of my design and build. This means lighter weight reels since the balls make up 50-75% of a bearings weight. On the one hand much of the cycling public associates bearing upgrades with going “ceramic”, and on the other hand there is a healthy chunk of cyclists from all demographics who believe ceramic bearings are just marketing hype and a waste of money. A set of fine quality ceramic bearings starts out at about $200 (USD), more than double what you would pay for comparable steel bearings. Learn the truth about reel bearings and purchase reels wisely. Ceramic bearings are able to fulfil these requirements as many of them are lightweight and vacuum compatible. In our higher-end CULT bearings (ceramic balls and races), lighter lubrication is needed, so they roll much quicker with less drag than standard steel bearings. I didn't try using the old bearing when I put in the new sub-platter (I went straight to the new ceramic one), so I can't tell you what the difference is, but the new alum. Ceramic Bearings Vs Steel Bearings An Engineering Analysis. If solid ceramic they're lighter than stainless steel by as much as 60%. Ceramic is far more superior compared to steel bearings. Posted on December 22, 2020 5:09 am by Cindy Larson. sub-platter with the ceramic ball-bearing absolutely dropped the sound floor jaw-droppingly noticeable. The ceramic balls are lighter and roll better at least 3 times compared to steel balls. This article to try to assist with this fun little area. 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