Bearings

What are Bearings?

All cars come equipped with either Bearings or Bushings. Most entry level vehicles come with Bushings. The Bushing is a VERY inexpensive solution to the Bearing. Bearings, on the other hand, provide less rolling resistance, better efficiency (which leads to longer run times), and an overall faster car! The downside? Bearings need maintenance and they're expensive! But, I would HIGHLY suggest Bearings as your first performance upgrade (if you don't have them already!).

How do you change to Bearings?

First, purchase a Bearing kit at your local hobby store (or track). Every company sells an upgrade Bearing kit for every model of vehicle they offer. You will then need to sit down and allow yourself a few hours (depending on your vehicle) to do the change-over. Remove all the bushings that are in your car and replace with the Bearings. It's pretty simple.

There is a way to make your Bearings SUPER-SMOOTH!!!! I would suggest doing one end of the car at a time (unless you WANT to disassemble your entire car from the get-go). Have a can of motor spray, some VERY thin oil (Trinity's Royal Oil works well) and a large trash can.

DISCLAIMER: This tip works best on the TC3 (or any car with a closed drivetrain) as it requires removing ONE seal from the Bearing and leaving it off. If you don't feel comfortable doing this (or you have an open drivetrain) I would NOT suggest this tip! It does require you to maintain your Bearings a little more often, but the end result is well worth it! I take no responsibility in your car, your Bearings, or anything else getting messed up!

Ok, that said. First, remove a Bearing from the car. You will see (on each side) either a black, rubber seal or a white, teflon seal. With the tip of an Xacto knife (or something similar), carefully remove ONE seal from the Bearing. Inspect the Bearing. You should see alot of goop in the Bearing (more if the Bearings are brand new!). This is what we need to get out of there. Use the motor spray to clean out ALL of the goop in the Bearing. Depending on the condition of the Bearing, this may take a few minutes work. Now, fill the motor spray cap (or other small container) with motor spray (about 1/4 full is fine). Drop the Bearing in there and let it set while you go on to the next Bearing. After all the Bearings are done (either the entire set or one end of the car), shake the cap up a little and let the Bearings soak for about 15 minutes. Now, take one Bearing out at a time and place it on a soft, dry, CLEAN rag. Let it set for a few minutes to drain the spray out of it. Apply ONE drop of Trinity Royal Oil and replace in the car, UNSEALED SIDE IN!!!!!! It is VERY important that you put the side WITHOUT the seal facing into the CLOSED DRIVETRAIN!!!! This is why this only works on a closed drivetrain vehicle. That's it. If you want to have a REALLY free drivetrain, don't put ANY oil on the Bearing. This is not recommended unless you like ALOT of Bearing maintenance or have TONS of Bearings sitting around.