Are Ball Bearings Worth It?
 

Well, in the quest for speed I am constantly looking for modifications to make my Rustler faster. As of right now, I put a Velineon brushless system in it, with an 8 cell battery powering it. Currently, my top speed is about 45mph.


So, now to my question. Is it worth it for me to install ball bearings in the car to improve the cars speed? If so, how much will the ball bearings really improve my speed?


Here's the bearings I am looking at. I am going to be running on pavement so they should be perfect. Any feedback is appreciated.


[link=http://www.bocabearings.com/bearing-inventory/4020/rc-car-truck-bearings/ultra-seal/traxxas-rustler-electric-off-road]Bearings[/link]



Joe

RE: Are Ball Bearings Worth It?
 

ball bearings will reduce friction, thus allowing more of the power to get to the wheels.
but its more than that. bushings will wear out over time, especially in brushless vehicles.
did you upgrade your rustler with a vxl system? because the vxl rustler comes with ball bearings.
anyway, you can find ball bearing kits for almost any RC on ebay. usually wont cost more than $15-$25. money well spent.


oh, if you really seek speed......you need to get a 3s lipo. that will ad 25MPH right there.

RE: Are Ball Bearings Worth It?
 

Thanks for your response Nitro Sport.


The car was originally an XL-5, so it has bushings. I installed the VXL system after I had the car awhile.



Joe

RE: Are Ball Bearings Worth It?
 

Nitro was right. You really should have bearings , but you can get them cheaper than boca. Not that they are bad , because they are good , but pricey.

RE: Are Ball Bearings Worth It?
 

Install bearings and spin your frontwheel -it will "never" stop spinning:) Try to change it at one of the sides of your car and compare the "spintime" between the bushing and the bearing;)

RE: Are Ball Bearings Worth It?
 

Bearings are a must have even if you use a stock motor in my opinion.

RE: Are Ball Bearings Worth It?
 

Thanks for all of the responses guys. I appreciate it. Looks like I will be looking into a set of ball bearings for the Rustler.




Joe

RE: Are Ball Bearings Worth It?
 

Bearing's def. should be the first upgrade to any vehicle w/ bushings.

RE: Are Ball Bearings Worth It?
 

You can get them pretty cheap on Ebay and they are an absolute must for any brushless RC.

RE: Are Ball Bearings Worth It?
 

Go Boca or avid for the bearings. Don't bother with the cheesy Ebay bearings for 20 cents apiece; they won't last any longer than your bushings.

It's totally worth the 25-30 bucks for your bearings, don't try to save a whole ten dollars on a identifiably inferior part.

RE: Are Ball Bearings Worth It?
 

good thread btw why do tamiya charge $20 for 4 sealed 1050 bearings? the only replacement parts from tamiya i can't consider cheap [:o]

RE: Are Ball Bearings Worth It?
 

are you sure you dont have bearings already?

it was almost 8 years ago I think, but when I built my rustler kit, I thought I remembered the box saying something about "ball bearing equipped". part of me thinks it might have been referring to only the transmission and I know at least the trans had em, cant remember if I had to add them everywhere else or if they came with it.

RE: Are Ball Bearings Worth It?
 

I believe that they are still made in Japan as opposed to everyone else whose are made in china almost exclusively. I have a couple of vehicles outfitted with them. They are expensive ,but just a bout the best bearings you can get.

I wouln't suggest buying the super cheep bearings on ebay that come straight from china. I know a few people who had problems with those. One guy's TXT-1 literally crushed some of the balls in a couple of those bearings.

RE: Are Ball Bearings Worth It?
 

The Stampede/Rustler/Bandit didn't start coming with bearings until after the kits were discontinued.

RE: Are Ball Bearings Worth It?
 

i use the standard bearings available in the kits, and i replace the bushings in the steering with yeah racing ones from rcmart. I think that all RC's must come stock with a full set of ball bearing and no stupid plastic or bronze bushings. You will be suprised how much more steering you can get from replacing the bushings on your tamiya ta05 or tb03 to ball bearings, certaily helps on tight tracks.