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Best Bearings for Your RC?

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 TypeFeatures
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 BuyFastEddy 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

1 thought on “Best Bearings for Your RC?”

  1. Pingback: How to Clean and Lube Rubber Sealed RC Bearings! | RCGuided

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