Ceramic Ball Bearings Vs Steel Turbo
The only real big noticeable difference between the two is the bearing clearance.
Ceramic ball bearings vs steel turbo. Steel bearings are commodity items that are composed of hardened steel balls and a steel inner and outer race. Steel balls cannot reach the same smooth and roundness due to the material properties and therefore the polishing process is similar but a lot shorter. Geometrically the contact points inner and outer dimensions and thickness between steel and ceramic bearings is the same so they are interchangeable. A ceramic bearing is also harder than steel bearings up to 30 which improves durability and they also don t rust so less maintenance should be required.
The ceramic hybrid ball bearing cartridges are now being rolled out retrospectively throughout our range of performance turbos and by the end of this year most of the turbos currently using the extremely reliable ball bearing cartridges with steel balls will be available using the latest ceramic hybrid ball bearings. Ceramic ball bearings are overkill for todays street turbos but if you have the money and aspire to extreme power output maybe 5 of the people who think this is them really do so then ceramic is the way to go. This load on the ball bearings causes them to rut their housing. The biggest price paid on ball bearing turbos is continuous motion and pressure.
All of the above mentioned characteristics of ceramic balls make for a superior ball bearing when compared to bearings with steel balls. Ceramic bearings vs steel bearings ceramic materials offer superior corrosion and heat resistance higher dimensional stability and lower density which facilitates high speed. Yes the initial cost of ceramic hybrid ball bearings may be higher than traditional steel ball bearings but when you consider their superior long lasting performance it usually more than justifies the expense. In the racing world with leaded fuels ceramic bearings will get contaminated with the lead in the fuel and these deposits also cause premature failures.
It is possible to find cheap ceramic or steel bearings on aliexpress or ebay i trust those the same way i trust the 30 carbon handlebar for mountain bikes that is advertised on the next page. Https bit ly 2m1d1y7 t shirts hoodies.