VCRC Ceramic Bearings are precision manufactured components.
While from the outside they look like a steel bearing, inside they are very different. VCRC Ceramic Bearings are comprised of our Ceramic balls, specially formulated grease, retainers & seals. The outer rings (races) are 52100 hardened steel.
VCRC Ceramic Bearings naturally breakdown and repel contaminants. While no bearing whether steel or ceramic can be completely contaminant proof, our ceramic bearings are designed to operate under such conditions for a reasonable amount of time without failure.
With normal steel bearings, when contamination (water, dust, dirt, debris, etc.) enters the inner parts of the bearing, the bearing typically fails a short time later. The contaminants eat up the steel balls and soft steel races.
With our ceramic bearings, the contamination is pushed away and broken down by the hardness of the ceramic balls. The contamination does not necessarily leave the bearing but instead is constantly pushed out of the rotation pattern of the ceramic balls, allowing the bearings to operate smoothly.
While installed and loaded the bearing will perform flawlessly (provided proper grease levels are maintained). Upon removal for cleaning & grease application, the bearing can feel "gritty" if the bearing is rotated in your fingers. This is because the contamination that is pushed away while loaded is now free and can be felt by human touch.
If you remove one of our bearings and feel the "gritty" feel we described above we recommend doing some routine maintenance. Bearings subjected to prolonged contamination can fail and are not covered under warranty.
With proper cleaning, grease intervals and correct installation methods, our bearings are designed to last for many trouble free years.
