CERAMIC BEARINGS: WHAT ARE THEY?
Ceramic bearings used in racing are constructed using conventional hardened steel races, but the steel balls replaced with Cerbec® ceramic balls made by Saint Gobain. We improve them by superfinishing the steel races, then coat the races and the ceramic balls with MicroBlue® - the only coating that changes the way lubricants work. The result is an improvement over an un-coated steel bearing of 40-50%.

WHY ARE CERAMIC BEARINGS BETTER?
One, ceramic balls are "rounder" than steel balls. That's what makes them far more free rolling and much smoother running. Two, they're about 50% lighter than steel balls, which is why spin-up times are much improved. Three, ceramic balls have a much lower degree of thermal expansion compared to steel balls. This results in cooler running and improved lubricant life Four, the balls in ceramic bearings are much harder than steel balls (over 100% harder). This, combined with their excellent surface finish is the reason they out-wear steel bearings.

WHAT MAKES MICROBLUE® CERAMIC BEARINGS BETTER THAN ORDINARY CERAMICS?
Simply put, MicroBlue improves lubricant "lubricity". When you combine this with superfinished races and the benefits of ceramic balls, you have the freest rolling, coolest running and longest lasting bearings you can buy. Fact.

I'VE HEARD STORIES ABOUT FAILURES. WHY IS THAT?
The all to common reason can be tracked back to cheap import bearings. The majority of import balls are actually ceramic coated steel balls. So when loads get to a certain point, the steel ball distorts and the ceramic "eggshell" breaks. We're not done yet. Most of the import silicon nitride balls are rather soft and porous, resulting in surface breakdown and failure. This is why we chose to use only Cerbec balls from Saint Gobain fifteen years ago. They're a helluva lot more expensive, but we don't have to deal with bearing failures. When we say that these are the best, we mean it!

WHAT MAKES IMPORTED BALLS MORE LIKELY TO FAIL?
The majority of imported balls are actually ceramic coated steel balls.This reduces costs by eliminating the costly manufacturing processes pure ceramic balls require. The problem is, they will not tolerate anything near the compressive stresses pure ceramic balls can. Since the underlining steel balls can (and will) flex, the internal forces cause the ceramic outer coating to crack and spall. Is it worth the risk? We think not.

IS THERE ANY WAY TO TELL?
The best advice we can give you, is to look carefully at the color of the balls. Cerbec balls are typically between dark, reddish brown to dark charcoal gray. Bearings with lighter, gray colored balls are something you should be wary of.

ARE THEY WORTH IT?
There is no question that ceramic hybrid bearings are "freer rolling" than steel bearings, but their high cost, understandably, gives pause to many. The primary reason is the cost of the ceramic balls. The other is that they are hand-built, not mass produced. We do our best to offer MicroBlue ceramics priced as close to the market rate for a quality bearing as possible. Quite honestly, for those on a budget, we suggest you think about using one of our MicroBlue-coated steel ball bearings.