# Ever consider ceramic bearings for you reels.



## hustlur (Jan 29, 2007)

I switch all my bearings to ceramics, and there is a lot of difference in spool spin and drag. Anyone else have this experience?


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## barty b (Dec 31, 2004)

hustlur said:


> I switch all my bearings to ceramics, and there is a lot of difference in spool spin and drag. Anyone else have this experience?


Please enlighten me on how bearings have an effect on DRAG? Spool spin yes,much improvement, Am I missing something here?


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## OV Renegade (Aug 5, 2006)

*I'm just*

guessing but I think he might be talking about the friction in the ceramic bearing compared to the roller bearing, not the actual tighten down drag. My $.10


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## barty b (Dec 31, 2004)

gotcha


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## hustlur (Jan 29, 2007)

barty b said:


> Please enlighten me on how bearings have an effect on DRAG? Spool spin yes,much improvement, Am I missing something here?


Drag sytems are drag systems!!! I own a bunch Shimano Stella 2500FB, and checking out the schematics on the difference in drag smoothness, it is really determined on the quantity and quality of its bearing. Ceramic has 0% heat friction, which means heat can slow down your resist momentum. (p=mv) in this case (-p=-mv) I also work in an industry where bearings play a great part of our products. A lot of high end fishing reel companies have been using the steel bearings, because it's a more economical and practical part for their product. i.e. - No corrosion, the balls keeps their spherical shape, and the steels tend to last longer. The only thing is that steel generates viscocity. I know it has a lube(Depends on what they use, well that's another story...), yet it still creates a ceartain amount of heat. Ceramics on the other hand, does not. It creates almost 0% viscocity minus the causes of impurites or an unrounded sphere. To answer your question about drag, it gives the smoothness under all the schematics of your reel, thus giving you a better performance.


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## OV Renegade (Aug 5, 2006)

*Touche'*

Do they use them in the casting tourney reels. I think if they were used there with good results you would hear more about them. I saw some on fleebay some British bloke had them for sale. i just looked and their about $40, but apparently them come in a thousand different sizes.


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## hustlur (Jan 29, 2007)

OV Renegade said:


> use them in the casting tourney reels. I think if they were used there with good results you would hear more about them. I saw some on fleebay some British bloke had them for sale. i just looked and their about $40, but apparently them come in a thousand different sizes.



No worries. Let me know what you need, and let me see what I can do. It won't be $40 bucks....lol What a joke.


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## barty b (Dec 31, 2004)

*snif snif*

I smell something...AH YES..:spam:


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## hustlur (Jan 29, 2007)

barty b said:


> I smell something...AH YES..:spam:


lol no:spam: Just helping an angler out!!!


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## barty b (Dec 31, 2004)

Fair enough :fishing: 
BTW I use ceramics in all my casting reels (Abu's),Just never really thought about them effecting the drag, More concerned with the smoothness when the spool is doing 30,000 rpm


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## hustlur (Jan 29, 2007)

barty b said:


> Fair enough :fishing:
> BTW I use ceramics in all my casting reels (Abu's),Just never really thought about then effecting the drag, More concerned with the smoothness when the spool is doing 30,000 rpm


 You are actually putting more friction on drag than freespool. It's this force that really kills the reel.


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## barty b (Dec 31, 2004)

Ya lost me again


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## barty b (Dec 31, 2004)

You mentioned Stella's, I am talking about conventional reels,not fixed spool. The bearings in an Abu Garcia have NOTHING to do with the drag system.


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## hustlur (Jan 29, 2007)

barty b said:


> Ya lost me again


Using ceramics gives your reel's schematics more life. The spin of your cast have less pressure on the schematics of your reel, than the retrieve. (i.e. fighting fish, retrieving weights and bait, and simply cranking back line.) These type of pressure will affect the performance of your reel. Ceramics not only helps the performance of your reel, yet it helps prolong it also...


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## hustlur (Jan 29, 2007)

barty b said:


> You mentioned Stella's, I am talking about conventional reels,not fixed spool. The bearings in an Abu Garcia have NOTHING to do with the drag system.



I have Avets, and all 2 speeds. The bearings do affect the lever drag system on both high and low. Plus check out what kind of bearings. There are spool bearings and drag bearings in ceartain conventionals.

Here is a pic of an SX's spool and drag control.


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## hustlur (Jan 29, 2007)

Barty B..

Here is an ABU Ambassadeur
Step#1








Step#2








Step#3








Step#4









pull the white nylon sprocket gear (key #23403) and lube the left spool bearing (key #19843).... HEY, WHAT'S THIS!!!!!! SOME CHEAPSKATE PUT A BRASS BUSHING INSIDE INSTEAD OF A BEARING!!!!!! WHAT A BUNCH OF CROOKS!!!!! well, i guess i shouldn't say that because i don't really know for sure. it could have been an honest mistake, or they could have intended it to be that way, it which case, it might still be an honest mistake (right?).

Step#5








Replace the bushing with bearing.


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## surfchunker (Apr 10, 2006)

*brake blocks*

is that the correct way or do the big ends go out ?


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## hustlur (Jan 29, 2007)

surfchunker said:


> is that the correct way or do the big ends go out ?


The big ends go out!!!


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## hustlur (Jan 29, 2007)

It is probably good to check out your nylon sprocket for wear and tear. I like spraying them with a teflon industrial spray rather than lubing them.


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## Lip Ripper (Dec 8, 2003)

wait, the big..... bushing...........drag.....i give up:beer:


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## hustlur (Jan 29, 2007)

Lip Ripper said:


> wait, the big..... bushing...........drag.....i give up:beer:


lol my brain hurts too!!! Need some :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer:


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## Al Kai (Jan 8, 2007)

I recently installed Ceramic Rocket bearings in my Abu 5500c3. They costed about 40 dollars.
I noticed that it casted smoother and a little further. I would say they are worth it. I also purchased and used Yellow Rocket oil. Very nice.
My casting is still semi lousy but I do like the upgrades. What I lack in talent I more than make for in enthusiasm.


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## AtlantaKing (Jul 7, 2002)

Whoa, someone's been looking at Alan Tani's tutorials. Please give credit where credit is due. 

And, on the newer 6-pin Abus with the plastic brakes, the orientation shown in the picture is correct, with the "flanged" end in.


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## Mark G (Nov 15, 2004)

*ceramics*

have been out for awhile. when they first came out they were like anything else new, all the rage, yes some distance casters do like them, some now think they are overrated and not worth twice the price of steel. They do run quieter and with less vibration- and they can actually be run dry in a reel, as pointed out they don't heat up near as much as steel, but most of us need some amount of lube to tame the reel- a dry bearing is super fast.

I have them in a couple of reels and I like them, but they are not likley worth the investment for a general purpose fishing reel. 

Distance casting I have heard they can add up to 5% or so to total distance, never did a valid A/B test so I can not confirm this stat.


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## barty b (Dec 31, 2004)

AtlantaKing said:


> Whoa, someone's been looking at Alan Tani's tutorials. Please give credit where credit is due.
> 
> And, on the newer 6-pin Abus with the plastic brakes, the orientation shown in the picture is correct, with the "flanged" end in.


Really hustlur,c'mon man..I have been building my own custom reels (abu's) and doing conversions fo a while now,Thanks for the techno babble and the entry level step by step on breaking down a POS Record 60. Yes I like ceramics,I'm happy you do as well. I don't use Avets (I owned 2 mag converted) not my cup of tea. 
As for the bearsings effecting the reels "schematics" as you say, I offer this; An Abu Garcia CT ultracast reel i.e. blue yonder,mag elite,sport rocket,sport mag etc...has a spool that spins completely free. this means that when you disengage the reel NOTHING SPINS BUT THE SPOOL! No drag washers,anti rev.bearings NOTHING. Same goes for CS (levelwind) models. Now in these the levelwind cog gear is driven by the retainer gear so the levelwind mech. stays in synchronicity with the line level on the reel.
Take it as you will,but I see NO direct effect of bearings stressing any part of a reel.


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## Mark G (Nov 15, 2004)

*I too*

have a little problem with this theory that the bearings have any significant effect on drag performance. They do have some effect- not only will a ruined bearing not cast it makes it difficult to retrieve.

but the reality is that the spool is moving much much slower during the retireve than during the cast. Bearing performance should have a negligible effect on retrieve. 

Even a very large critter that can spool your reel in a matter of several seconds is not testing the bearings- he is testing the drag- unless the drag is locked down (or has locked up) I see type of bearings as playing an insignificant role here.

and that's my .02 worth of blather :beer:


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