Inline Skate Bearings and the ABEC Scale
By Jim Safianuk
Inline Skating Center
(http://www.inlineskatingcenter.com)
April 26th, 2005

If you think you need new inline skate bearings, it's best to check your bearings for wear using the tests shown below. Your bearings are at the core of your wheels and serve to reduce friction so you can skate smoothly and efficiently. Hence, they need to be properly maintained from season to season.

Checking for wear

The following are indications of major bearing wear from a no-load finger-flick spin test:

• One or more of your wheels sticks periodically



• One or more of your wheels are seized



• One or more or your wheels require(s) a lot of force, and still spins freely for only a second or two

In addition, the following are signs of major bearing wear from a spin test with the skater as the load:

• While in skating mode, you hear a loud, grinding noise from the bearings, like a metal-to-metal sound



• It takes a great deal of effort on your part to pick up and maintain speed when you skate
  
  
• Your bearings are hot to the touch after skating

The other reason you may want to replace your inline skate bearings is if you want to switch to a different type of bearing. You may want to change from shielded bearings to sealed or racing bearings.

Understanding the ABEC scale

Bearings are rated on the Annular Bearing Engineering Council or ABEC scale. ABEC ratings are 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9. The higher the ABEC number, the greater the manufactured precision of the bearing.

There are no required materials to meet the ABEC specifications. The bearings only have to be made to a certain precision. That's all!

Servicing your bearings

Bearings usually come in sets of four to eight. Before you head out to your favorite sporting goods store, write down the information that’s shown on the outer shields of your existing bearings. Don’t forget to flip the bearing over and include the text that's inscribed on the other side.

If you’re happy with the original bearings that came with your skates or the last set that you installed, then by all means buy the same bearings. If you have serviceable bearings like TwinCams or YAKs and you don’t mind doing your own cleaning and lubrication than you may want to stick with the double shielded type, especially if they are the OEM that your skate manufacturer recommends.

On the other hand, if you have non-serviceable bearings like NMBs, GMNs, or sealed bearings and are squeamish about doing your own cleaning and lubrication, even periodically, you may want to stay with this type of bearing and just replace them when they need to be changed.

In addition, if you have shielded bearings with pop-out caps, like Powell Swiss or Black Hole brands, and like them for their ease of maintenance, it’s probably best to go with this kind of bearing again.

Buying new bearings

As I mention in the lesson entitled Advanced Maintenance, my K2 skates have 8-mm, TwinCam, ABEC-1, double shielded bearings with the following inscribed on the casings:

TwinCam ABEC-1 608 ZZ

Normally, the manufacturer or brand doesn’t make a lot of difference within the three categories of shielded, serviceable bearings, serviceable bearings with pop-up caps, or sealed, non-serviceable bearings. A bearing size of 8 mm and the 608 designation are fine for recreational, inline skaters. The ABEC rating is another story!

ABEC-1, 3, and 5 are the most common bearings that come with inline skates, as well as the newer ABEC-7s, which are gaining in popularity. Whether a skater can go faster with ABEC-5 bearings versus ABEC-1 bearings has never been proven, scientifically or otherwise!

The higher precision may not make a significant difference for the recreational skater who travels in the 10 to 20 m.p.h. range. The average skater doesn’t require a higher-rated bearing because the difference in performance is so minimal that it would only become apparent at speeds a blader never attains.

In addition, the higher precision eventually deteriorates down to ABEC-3 or 1 due to dust, dirt, and regular wear and tear. To increase your skating speed, you’d be better off learning how to reduce wind resistance and improve your technique. These are proven ways to make you a faster and more efficient skater.

So, get the most affordable ABEC-1 or ABEC-3 bearings you can find, clean and lube them with oil on an annual basis, and you’ll be just fine.

Summing up

When it comes time to purchase new bearings, make sure you write down the information that's inscribed on the outer casing of your bearings and bring this information with you when you head to your local skating shop. In addition, beware that an ABEC rating is nothing more than a bearing precision. If you find a set of bearings at the right price that are suited for your skates, but they have a lower ABEC rating, go for it anyway! You'll probably never notice the difference.

The above article deals exclusively with the rationale you can use to select new bearings for your wheels. To find out how to remove, clean, and lubricate your existing bearings, as well as how to replace and install new bearings, refer to the section entitled Bearing Inspection, Cleaning, Lubrication, and Replacement in Lesson #2 Advanced Maintenance, which is the second lesson in the Skate Maintenance series from the Inline Skating Center.

About the Author

Jim Safianuk is the writer and publisher of the three-part series entitled Skating Lessons, as well as the two-part series named Skate Maintenance. He is also the owner of the Inline Skating Center, a site which was established to serve as a hub for the recreational, inline skating community. Click Inline Skate Bearings to visit their Skate Maintenance department. To learn about their skating lessons, maintenance module, and trail guides, send an e-mail to Jim Safianuk.

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