The bearing clearance is a measurement given to the small gap between the inner race outer race and balls.
Ceramic bearings better than steel.
Ceramic is the perfect material for any application seeking to achieve higher rpm s reduce overall weight or for extremely harsh environments where high temperatures and corrosive substances are present.
Ceramic bearings vs steel bearings ceramic materials offer superior corrosion and heat resistance higher dimensional stability and lower density which facilitates high speed.
Ceramics are inert whereas metals are reactive making ceramics resistant to corrosive materials such as seawater and many chemicals including acids and alkalis.
Another common difference in bearing construction is the cage type.
On ceramic bearings this is usually a c3 clearance whilst on steel it s usually cn.
They are more corrosion resistant harder and last longer in everyday use.
Ceramic bearings exist to help manage heat in high rpm applications.
It takes weeks for a kogel ball to sit in a tumbler and be perfectly polished.
Full ceramic bearings have races and balls that are made entirely of ceramic material and are superior to common steel bearings in many ways.
They don t expand or deform when they contact each other hertzian stress as much as steel bearings when they get really hot.
As ceramic bearings do not.
A ceramic bearing is also harder than steel bearings up to 30 which improves durability and they also don t rust so less maintenance should be required.
In our higher end cult.
Campagnolo chooses to put ceramic bearings in all of its wheelsets from mid range upwards.
It is required to prevent bearing seizure when it warms up and expands.
While a formula 1 engine revving to 15 000 rpm can create a lot of heat that can deform and swell steel bearings.
The first thing that strikes the eye when looking at bicycle bearings is the difference in price between steel bearings and hybrid ceramic bearings.
This is mostly due to the additional time spent to perfect a quality ceramic ball.