bearing upgrades

OK,

Now I am on a hotrodding kick for some reason.  What are the recommendations for bearing upgrades in reels?

Do stock ball bearings need to be upgraded?  Where do I get new bearings.

MolBasser

stock abec 5 bearings are fine.  remove the shields. clean out the old grease with carb cleaner, blow it out with compressed air, repeat carb cleaner and compressed air x1, lube with corrosion x and you're all set. 

Will do.

Thanks.

MolBasser

Are you speaking of ReelX from Corrosion Technologies or CorrosionX from Corrosion Technologies for the bearings?

MolBasser

Alan,

I thought I saw that sometimes you pack the bearings with grease and other times you use corrosion X.  When do you do one vs. the other?

-Allen

for spool bearings that have to spin, it's carb cleaner and compressed air, then plain corrosion x.  i have reel x bottles, but they are filled with plain corrosion x.  for side plate bearings that do not affect freespool, it's grease. 

I did put in some ceramic ball bearings. from www.mikesreelrepair.

Being a long time skateboarder, I know that the ceramics are indeed faster. they are lighter, harder,
etc. they spin up faster because they are lighter, they last way longer.
there are different kinds of ceramic balls.

it is true the race is still stainless, but they are also more corrosion resistant.

grease is slower, but it does help keep out the water.

So I go with ceramic, but greased for kayak fishing.

do you really need to do this? no. but it's fun.

best,

J