Bearings are the part thanks to which skateboard wheesl rotate around trucks axles. It is crucial to have high quality bearings to ensure proper rolling and durability. As with any part of your skate it is vital to know the anatomy of this relatively complex but small part.
BEARING ANATOMY
Όπως βλέπετε στην εικόνα ένα ρουλεμάν αποτελείται από τα εξής τμήματα:
Outer race and c-rings: Ο εξωτερικός δακτύλιος έχει μια κυλότητα ακριβείας πάνω στην οποία η μπάλες γλιστράνε. Συνεργάζεται με τον εσωτερικό δακτύλιο για τον σκοπό της κύλισης και την προστασία των rolling elements.
Retainer: They are the retainers or cages. They are made from metals such as heat treated aluminium, solid bronze or pressed steel. Others are made of non-metallic materials such as nylon, PTFE or phenolic resins. Pressed steel is a common choice. It is a very important component as it is what separates and keeps the spheres at symmetrical radial distance.
Rolling Elements/balls: It is the balls/spheres that allow the rotation. In most cases they are made from a type of steel known as high carbon chrome steel, often called chrome (cro-mo) steel. It is used for reasons of cost and durability. Bearings are also made from other materials such as stainless steel, ceramics and plastic. Although much more expensive, ceramics have lower friction while spinning at high rpm. Their smooth surface and uniform size distribute the load evenly on the balls and do not cause additional friction from imperfections on the surface of the balls. This translates into less power required for rotation.
Inner Race: Ο εσωτερικός δακτύλιος έχει μια κυλότητα ακριβείας πάνω στην οποία η μπάλες γλιστράνε. Συνεργάζεται με τον εξωτερικό δακτύλιο για τον σκοπό της κύλισης και την προστασία των rolling elements.
Bearing Shields: The shields are designed to keep out larger particles (such as pebbles or dust) and also keep the grease inside. They can be pressed into the outer ring (non-removable) or held by a circular fastener (removable). You can skate without this part but your bearings will be exposed to dirt but it will be a bit faster.
ABEC MEASUREMENT
In skateboarding as well as in most sports there are several myths that are heard from time to time and mislead the athletes and the end users. One of these myths is that the higher the ABEC, the faster the bearing. Nonsense!
Let's take it from scratch. What does ABEC stand for? It is the Annual Bearing Engineers Committee. That is, a committee of engineers for bearings which examine the accuracy of the rolling elements of the bearings. They defined a grading regarding the accuracy of the bearings. We come across ABEC 3, ABEC 5, ABEC 7, ABEC 9, ABEC 11. The higher the ABEC rating, the lower the tolerance for errors in the manufacturing process. But in skateboarding where the speeds achieved are comparatively very low, these measurements are completely useless.
Specifically, the maximum revolutions achieved per ABEC measurement are:
ABEC 1 less than 25,000 rpm
ABEC 3 less than 32,500 rpm
ABEC 5 less than 37,000 rpm
ABEC 7 less than 43,000 rpm
If you think that in perfect ground conditions and with excellent bearing lubrication, if we take a 52mm skate wheel and put ABEC 7 bearings the ratio to the maximum possible speed that can be achieved will be about 240km/h. Something of course impossible to catch with a skateboard. So the measurements are generally valid in laboratory measurements and not in practice which is the essence for the skater.
WHAT TO CHOOSE
Με όλα τα παραπάνω την τελική επιλογή για skateboard bearing την αφήνουμε εξ ολοκλήρου σε εσάς. Όλα είναι αξιόπιστα και καλά για τη χρήση που τα θέλετε.
ΣΥΝΤΗΡΗΣΗ ΡΟΥΛΕΜΑΝ
Ωστόσο είναι σημαντικό να ακολουθήτε τακτικά την συντήρηση και restoration που προτείνουμε στο ακόλουθο video.
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