Bones Reds Ceramic Bearings

Bones Reds Ceramic Bearings

Ceramic balls for quicker acceleration and a smoother, longer roll.

Bones Ceramic Reds take the Reds formula and swap steel balls for ceramic. They're for skaters who want quicker acceleration, less friction and a bearing that handles grime better, without going all the way to Swiss-made ceramics.

The balls are Grade 5 silicon nitride, hot isostatically pressed. They're lighter than steel, so they get up to speed quicker, and they create less friction, so Bones says they're faster than Super Reds with or without lube. Because ceramic is harder than steel, when dirt gets in, the balls help re-polish the steel races flat, and they won't rust. Races are higher quality steel with a superior finish and laser engraving, with a single non-contact removable bone coloured shield, a high speed nylon retainer and Speed Cream lubricant.

Key Features

• Ceramic balls: Grade 5 silicon nitride, lighter and harder than steel
• Quicker acceleration: less weight to spin up
• Lower friction: faster than Super Reds, lubed or dry
• Self-polishing: help re-polish the races when dirt gets in
• Rust-free balls: ceramic won't corrode
• Removable shield: single, non-contact, bone coloured

Specs

• Rating / standard: Bones Skate Rated (no ABEC rating)
• Size: 608 standard, 8mm bore
• Balls: Grade 5 silicon nitride ceramic
• Races: Higher quality steel, laser engraved
• Shields: Single non-contact removable rubber shield, bone coloured
• Retainer: High speed nylon
• Lubricant: Bones Speed Cream
• Spacers / washers: Not included
• Sold as: Set of 8 bearings, with instructions and sticker

About Bones

Bones Bearings comes from George Powell, the engineer who co-founded Powell Peralta in 1978. In the early 1980s he went looking for a faster, tougher skateboard bearing and worked with a small Swiss manufacturer to build one for skating rather than for machinery. That bearing became Bones Swiss, and the thinking behind it became the Bones Skate Rated standard.

Today Bones Bearings is part of the Skate One family in Santa Barbara, California, alongside Powell Peralta and Bones Wheels. The range runs from everyday Reds through Super Reds, Big Balls and Race Reds up to ceramic and Swiss-made bearings, all built to Skate Rated clearances, tolerances, materials and lubricant. Riders choose Bones because they roll well, last, and are easy to clean and service.

FAQs

Do these fit all skateboard wheels?
Yes. They're standard 608 size skateboard bearings with an 8mm bore, so they fit almost every skateboard, cruiser and longboard wheel on a standard 8mm axle. Each wheel takes two bearings, so this set of 8 does all four wheels on one board.

Are ceramic bearings worth it?
If you skate a lot, yes. Ceramic balls are lighter, so they accelerate quicker, they create less friction, and they won't rust. They also help keep the races smooth when dirt gets in, so they tend to stay faster for longer.

What does Skate Rated mean?
Skate Rated is Bones' own standard. ABEC is an industrial rating that only covers machining tolerances for high RPM machinery, and it says nothing about the side loads, impacts and dirt that skateboard bearings deal with. Bones builds to its own Skate Rated clearances, tolerances, materials and lubricant instead, so there is no ABEC number on the box.

How do I clean ceramic bearings?
Flick the removable rubber shield off with a pin, soak the bearings in citrus degreaser or isopropyl alcohol, then dry them completely. Add two or three drops of skate bearing lube, refit the shields and spin them in. Keep them out of puddles and wet grass, and clean them when they sound gritty or start to slow down. Treat them the same as steel bearings; the steel races can still rust if left wet.

Do I need spacers?
They don't come with spacers, so add a set if you want them. Spacers sit on the axle between the two bearings in each wheel, so the bearings stay lined up when you tighten the axle nut. Lots of street skaters ride without them, but they help bearings spin freely and stop them being crushed if the nut is over-tightened.

Why Buy From Twelve Board Store

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Skate Rated. Built for skating, not machines.