Selecting The Right Bearing:

Premium chrome steel bearings are made from AISI 52100 bearing steel.  This is the best combination of long life and low cost for applications that are not exposed to rusting conditions.  There is no accurate way to easily tell the difference between stainless and chrome steel bearings.

Premium 440C stainless steel bearings help reduce rust and corrosion.  Please note that hardended 440C stainless steel is considered a corrosion resistant steel and can rust under extreme conditions.   The main difference is that stainless steels have around 18% chrome content compared to around 1-2% for chrome steel.  Martensitic stainless steels such as 440C are attracted to magnets. 

A hybrid ceramic bearing can provide more rpm, less weight, and less drag.  Our bearings use only high quality Silicon Nitride ceramic balls.  This material is extremely tough and provides up to 3 times the life and less drag than comparable steel balls.  Hybrid ceramic bearings can use either chrome steel or stainless steel races.  Ceramic balls cannot rust.

Shielded bearings are a good choice for most normal operating conditions.  Shielded bearings are not sealed and will not prevent leakage.  Engines with shielded bearings that leak from the front usually are either worn out or not machined properly.  Replacing the shielded bearing with a sealed bearing will fix this problem.
Leave both shields in place.

Sealed bearings are a good choice if you fly or ride in dusty fields or have a problem with excessive leakage from the front of the engine. Sealed bearings come filled with either a high quality grease or oil that should last the life of the bearing.
Leave both seals in place.

RC-Bearings only carries a superior quality bearing, with a minimum rating of ABEC 3. 
Our bearings have been put to the test by our valued customers, hobbyist and industrial applications all over the world.