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Aftermarket bearings

5K views 25 replies 14 participants last post by  Aquillin87 
#1 ·
I went through all my Shimano schematics and wrote down all the bearing numbers. Crossed all the numbers into sizes and came up with a total of 3 sizes used between all the reels.

That said....where are y'all getting bearings from. Bocas are expensive and Boca doesn't make them anyway they just resell. I found some threads from 3 years ago but want to get some current info.

Thanks
 
#3 ·
Thanks. Looked them up and their prices for regular ABEC5 stainless are the same price if not higher for 5 bearings than a Boca complete kit with 5 bearings.

I'm looking for way cheaper that people have used with good results. But I appreciate the suggestion
 
#4 ·
I changed my Bocas out for speed spool. These are great. Ceramic and SS.


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#11 ·
Well I ordered from a place that sells on ebay. They also supply bearings for RC cars and nitro engines. Since I used to race those for about 10 years, I know the stress on bearings in those applications. They also sell stainless steel bearings for fishing reels so I figured I'd give them a whirl. Ordered a total of 40 bearings ABEC 5 in the 3 sizes I needed and spent just under $70 to my door.

So at $1.75 per bearing if I replace them 3 times for 1 of a "quality" bearing I still come out ahead. Pretty sure their specs showed the same lubricant as Boca advertised with theirs. And the same stainless numbers as as other fishing parts places advertise. So time will tell...
 
#13 ·
I don't personally like oiled bearings. They do spin way faster than greased bearings, but my experience over time is the grease does a better job of keeping moisture out. I've done the super tuning on my reels before. Polishing surfaces, no extra oil/grease than minimally needed, and degreased bearings with 1 drop of oil. It spins way to easy for my thumb control so I just end up tightening things down to make it controllable for me. That just defeats the purpose of everything I did lol.

I even put a set of Boca ceramics in one reel I did and ran them dry....my god they were noisy on a quiet lake. Drop of oil quieted them done some, but when you're on a lake and there is no other noise but your bearings, it's freaking annoying to my ears. Others it doesn't bother, but high pitch sounds I pick up good on. One reason I haven't bought a DC reel....that sound drives me nuts on a windy bay when someone is using it in the back of the boat 😂😂😂
 
#14 ·
I decided to do my own test of new ceramic bearings vs clean stock bearings. I found orange sealed ceramics on sale, plus it’s a buy one and get one free deal. They also had combo packs for Lew’s with the three bearings that I need. Each pack contains 2, 3x10x4 bearings, and 1, 5x11x4 bearing. The packs were also buy 1 pack and get 1 pack free.

www.abec357.com is where I bought them. They appear to be based in Florida. I reached out for questions and got an immediate response, with additional follow up as well.

Looking forward to seeing how they compare to stock and how they perform.
 
#15 ·
I decided to do my own test of new ceramic bearings vs clean stock bearings. I found orange sealed ceramics on sale, plus it’s a buy one and get one free deal. They also had combo packs for Lew’s with the three bearings that I need. Each pack contains 2, 3x10x4 bearings, and 1, 5x11x4 bearing. The packs were also buy 1 pack and get 1 pack free.

www.abec357.com is where I bought them. They appear to be based in Florida. I reached out for questions and got an immediate response, with additional follow up as well.

Looking forward to seeing how they compare to stock and how they perform.
please report back on this..... thxs in advance.
 
#17 · (Edited)
the only bearings needing replacement for castability are the two or three spool bearings depending on the specific reel. these bearings are easily accessible via side plates, I pull, clean and reinstall mine more often then a complete teardown. this can be done in a few minutes after every two or three trips. no grease in my reels other then a minute amount on drag washers and drive shaft gear. i use shimano drag washer grease for both. the thing I really like about the orange seal bocas is being able to remove the seal to clean and relube, sealed bearings do not allow for this. and i actually pull the orange seals off permanently before installing.
 
#18 ·
I’m going to test them dry with seals first, then test with no seals and different oils after that. I have a couple of TPG1SH reels with recently flushed stock bearings that will be used for testing.

Full disclosure, I’m skeptical that I will see a big improvement with these ceramics over the stock bearings. I expect some differences but nothing dramatic. If my expectations are exceeded, I’ll be surprised and pleased.
 
#19 ·
First test of the ceramics with seals orange left on and bearings running dry is complete. No noise, very smooth, very controllable, and long. Mike said earlier that good ceramics don’t make noise. These units are a higher ABEC7 spec vs. the ABEC5 and that probably explains the smooth performance. I tested against an identical reel with flushed and freshly oiled stock bearings. The distance was very good with the dry ceramics. They work well right out of the box. I need more time with them but so far, I like them.

Time to install the other ceramic sets into my other reels and experiment with different oils and run without the orange seals.
 
#20 ·
www.abec357.com
BONUS BUY - current promo code, buy 1 get 1 free

Update on my experiences with the orange sealed ceramic bearings in Lew’s baitcaster reels…

- ABEC7 orange sealed ceramic ball bearings feel noticeably different from the less expensive, ABEC5 spec steel ball bearings.

- The ABEC7 spec is a tighter tolerance and uses smaller diameter bearings and more of them in the bearing race than the ABEC5 bearings. Take note of the bearing specs when you buy and know what you are paying for.

- the ABEC7s don’t over spin as easily midcast…I run loose settings on the spool tension and magnets and feather heavily with the thumb. The bearings feel more controllable and the reduced midcast over spin means fewer small overruns that cause me to pull out extra line at the end of a cast and waste time. This performance characteristic is noticeably different and I like it.

- the bearings cast far and smooth right from the box. On the bench, they freespin for a very long time, with seals on and no extra lubrication. They do not rattle or make a lot of noise during a cast.

- I took the seals off and applied 1 drop of very thin oil. Noticed that the bench freespin tapered off significantly. I believe it’s because of the very tight ABEC7 specs. The bearings still feel great when casting.

- the promo offer BONUS BUY, is a buy 1 get 1 free promo and applies to the purchase of either single bearings or sets of bearings. The baitcaster set comes with 3 bearings…..2 side plate bearings plus 1 spool bearing.

- I am not affiliated with the site. I get nothing for sharing the promo code. The CEO of the company is very responsive and they are based in Florida. Reach out to them with questions and he always replies promptly.
 
#23 ·
this is a great thread. just to test, I took two of my 200E7s and stripped the of all grease (except for drag washers) and they worked way better. I did notice some of my bearings were a bit worn so going to replace some. to that end, I used the reference above and got in contact with abec357.com. what a great resource. I worked with Sunil who cross referenced my Shimano BNT numbers with their stock - both SS and ceramic. they even had an obscure bearing I needed for a Lew's speed spool. great service for sure, co when I get the bearings I will rework the two E7's and report back, but just wanted to shout out for abec357.
 
#24 ·
When choosing replacement bearings for your Shimano reel, it is important to make sure that you are getting the correct size and type of bearings. You can find this information in the schematics for your reel.
Here are a few tips for replacing bearings in a Shimano reel:
  • Clean the reel before replacing the bearings. This will remove any dirt or debris that could contaminate the bearings.
  • Use a bearing puller to remove the old bearings. This will help to prevent damage to the reel.
  • Apply a thin coat of grease to the new bearings before installing them. This will help to protect the bearings and extend their lifespan.
  • Use a bearing press to install the new bearings. This will help to ensure that the bearings are properly seated.
Once you have replaced the bearings, you should test the reel to make sure that it is working properly. If the reel is noisy or does not function smoothly, the bearings may not have been installed correctly.
 
#26 ·
I have replaced quite a few of my reels with these they have bearings for lots of different reels and kits for different models.
 
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