SPECIFICATION

Material: Chromium Steel Balls & Races.
Grease: Almagard Extra High Pressure Grease 90% Fill
Seal: 2RS, LLB or LLU (2RS = 2 Rubber Seals)
Precision: ABEC 3
Quality Level: EMQ
Ball Roundness: Grade 10

QUANTITY

This listing is for single bearings, and not pairs.

SIZE GUIDANCE

All Bearing sizes are stated above in the drop down menu in following order: Inner Diameter x Outer Diameter x Depth/thickness in mm (unless mentioned otherwise).

DESCRIPTION

The bearings supplied that have the "MAX" suffix in part number have a "Maximum" or "Full" Complement of ball bearings within the races, which is ideal for mountain bike frame pivots, where strength is critical. Note, however, not all frame bearings are available in a MAX configuration.
Designed specifically for suspension pivots, Enduro Bearings pioneered MAX type bearings almost 20 years ago for bicycles to address the challenges associated with mountain bike pivots. These bearings have 35-40% more load capacity than standard radial bearings. We accomplish this with a special design where the maximum number of balls are inserted into the bearing. The race grooves are deeper on these bearings for more lateral support for the twisting and multiple forces associated with mountain bike pivots.

QUALITY/PRECISION

All Bearings will be supplied to a minimum of ABEC-3 standard (note the cycle trade usually fit ABEC-1 at original equipment OE level). The ABEC rating for bearings commences at ABEC 1 which is seen in most bearing applications for bicycles supplied from the factory. Higher end bearings for bikes are ABEC 3 or even ABEC 5 for very expensive precision hubs for instance. We at Kinetic supply ABEC 3 rated bearings - If you are looking at a competitors product that doesn't mention it's ABEC rating, it could be safe to assume it is not rated or only supplied to ABEC 1 standard.
The term 'EMQ' is the overall specification which encompasses all aspects of the bearing, and not just ABEC precision. The abbreviation EMQ stands for Electric Motor Quality - this was a standard derived from the electric motor industry as a minimum requirement of standards to cover all aspects of the bearing to ensure quality. (i.e the grade of rubber used in the seal, a high grade of race/ring material, grease type and grease fill etc). The electric motor industry dictate very high standards due to the extreme conditions they operate in, and was a way of ensuring that inferior/cheaper quality bearings weren't used.

SEALING

Enduro usually have LLB or LLU seals, occasionally 2RS seals. LLU is a close fitting twin lip seal usually seen on frame bearings where resistance isn't so much of an issue (unlike a wheel bearing). LLB seals however sit off the bearing and provide a compromise of good sealing versus low resistance, which is ideal for wheel bearings. A 2RS seal (2 Rubber Seals) is a single lip seal and most often seen in cartridge bearings.

OUR PEDIGREE & EXPERIENCE

Please rest assured you are buying quality, tried and tested bearings for bicycle application. We have been supplying the cycle trade directly for a number of years now, and have experience with supplying the correct type of bearing for the correct application. For instance, other sellers/suppliers will happily sell you wheel bearings for your mountain bike frame and vice versa. We will not, as experience tells us they will not last as long.

FITTING, CARE & MAINTENANCE

Ensure you use appropriate tools to fit the bearings and that the seating surface is clean and free from rough edges so that they fit true and square. Quite often bearings can feel fine before fitting, but then feel "notchy" or "rough" after fitting. This is almost always due to the bearings not sitting square and true. To prolong the life of your bearings, do not direct a high jet of water near areas of your bike where bearings are situated - an ingress of water can lead to premature bearing failure.

It's also a good idea to swipe a smear of good quality grease on the outside facing seal after installation - this will help keep the dreaded moisture at bay a bit longer. We recommend a thick water resistant grease such as Mobil XHP222 on the outside of all bearings to keep moisture away. Note this grease can also be used internally on non-fully revolving bearings such as headsets and mountain bike frame pivots (it's too thick for bearing internals of wheels and BB's generally).

Also, don't be tempted to fit a frame bearing to a bottom bracket/wheel or vice versa - we usually supply MAX bearings for frames (they do not contain as much grease but are super strong which is important as they do not fully revolve). Wheel & Bottom Bracket Bearings have an internal cage and gaps between balls to aid grease fill and heat dissipation.