Discover the best bearings for your RC vehicle: metal vs. rubber shield, steel vs. ceramic. Make the right choice for performance and durability
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| Bearing Type | Features |
|---|---|
| Metal Shielded | – Better performance than Rubber Shielded and still offers protection from dirt – Easier to clean |
| Rubber Shielded | – Offers better protection than Metal Shielded but has more resistance – Harder to clean but can go longer without cleaning with less maintenance |
| Steel Bearings | – Gives the best performance for the price – Can take higher impacts and loads over time making them better suited for wheel-bearing |
| Ceramic Bearings | – The biggest advantage is in Stock racing – Being lighter and less resistant helps get the most out of lower-power vehicles – In areas that have less load benefit the most from Ceramic Bearings |
| Our Pick | – Most of the time you will be fine Metal Shielded Steel Bearings – We only recommend going to Ceramic Bearings if you are stock racing or in low-impact areas like transmission cases |
| Where to Buy | FastEddy Bearings.com – Best bearing for the price (Buy on Amazon Ad to help the site grow) Boca Bearings.com – considered by many as the best bearing money can buy ProTek RC (Amain).com – one of the best hobby supplier (buy on eBay Ad will help the site grow |
Metal vs. Rubber shield bearings for RC
- Metal shield bearings in general are the best overall (protection to performance ratio)
- Metal shield bearings are easier to clean when you go to rebuild
- Rubber shield bearings offer a bit more protection from dirt and mud but they also have more resistance to spin
- Rubber shield bearings might be harder to clean but you usually can get away much longer without cleaning them
- Overall the difference between the two is not huge we suggest sticking with the one that is most available to you
Steel bearings Vs. Ceramic bearings in your RC
- Steel Bearings are generally the best performance for the price
- Steel Bearings are best suited in high impact and/or high load areas such as wheel bearings of the RC vehicle
- Ceramic bearings have the most benefits in areas that have less load on the bearing such as transmission bearings
- Stock racing is the main reason to run Ceramic bearings
- Ceramic bearings reduce rolling resistance which helps stock cars achieve higher speed and acceleration
- Ceramic bearings also weigh less which usually benefits lower-power cars the most
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