Replacement Ball Bearings

Submitted by portdalhousie on Tue, 04/28/2020 - 12:56

Hi,  I am working on some bike projects, and was wondering what people recommend for replacement ball bearings.  Bearings Canada sells them online, and they are quite inexpensive.  They sell carbon steel, chrome steel and stainless bearings.  I asked the company to tell me what the hardest and softest metals are, and the response was that "they are all about the same."  Obviously, I don't want to use bearings that are harder than the steel of the bike components.   Bearing grade numbers related to the accuracy of the bearing, and the number of imperfections in the product, and not hardness of the metal.  The late Sheldon Brown sold grade 25 bearings, and that matches the usual chrome type. 

Any help greatly appreciated!  Thanks.  --David Webb

 

3 Comments

Submitted by Cbgimse on Tue, 04/28/2020 - 18:13.

I just go to my local bike shop and tell them what size and how many. I just bought some 1/4" last week at ten for a dollar.

Submitted by T-Mar on Fri, 05/01/2020 - 07:20.

Grade refers to the dimensional accuracy of the ball bearings. Generally grade 25 is reccommended for bicycle maintenance. Typically, bicycle bearings use a chromium steel alloy, as it provides the best balance load carrying, fatigue life, hardness, corrosion resistance and cost. Genrally stainless steels are the softess, though there is not a lot a variance of hardness in steel ball bearings, only about 10%. If you want harder,  there ceramic bearings, which are a fairly popular upgrade with performance oriented cyclists, though they are very expensive.

Submitted by portdalhousie on Sat, 05/02/2020 - 20:53.

Thanks for this info!  I ended up getting grade 25 chromium steel bearings.  Canada Bearings has an assortment pack of bicycle sizes.  My LBS charges alot more than 10 for a dollar!