Kraton Fast Eddy Bearing Replacement

[imasnyper]

I'm fairly new to the hobby, I've put about 5 battery packs through on my Kraton 4s. I just ordered some replacements for some lost parts from the last time out with it, and also ordered a Fast Eddy sealed bearing kit at the same time. My question is, should I wait until the stock bearings actually seize before I do the upgrade/replacement, or should I just replace them all right now to avoid the headache of doing it later and possibly breaking other parts in the process? I do run it a lot on gravel, and when the wheel popped off on the last run, the outer wheel bearing puked out on to the gravel and you could see a lot of dust and gunk on it, but it was still spinning fine.

 

[Sandracer_NL]

If they still spin OK I would leave them for now.
I drive 99.99% on sand (mostly very fine sand) with the stock (metal) bearings for about 4 monhs now. I already have replament for all wheel bearings (double sided rubber seals) and will soon be getting replacement bearings for all diffs as well. They will all be replaced in winter whan I'm planning a full maintenance.

One tip of advise: Watch your motor bearings when running on gravel! I've covered the non-used motor mount holes in the motor with tape so sand/gravel cannot come in the motor. A bad motor bearing, (as a result of sand), can destroy the entire motor!! FYI I will replace my motor bearings during winter as well with hybrid ceramic bearings.
So check your motor and motor bearings for sand/gravel and cover up the holes in case you haven't done so.

 

[WoodiE]

My question is, should I wait until the stock bearings actually seize before I do the upgrade/replacement, or should I just replace them all right now to avoid the headache of doing it later and possibly breaking other parts in the process?

If you're already doing maintenance on the RC then now would be a good time to go ahead and replace the bearings, just to save you the time.

As for when to normally replace bearings. I would NOT wait until they are seized as you are risking damaging parts. After ever couple rides you should be checking them to ensure they are spinning freely and without a gritty feel or sound. If so, then clean them or replace them. I typically only clean my bearings 2-3 times at most then replace them.

 

[chrisexv6]

As said before I would replace them while you're already working there. Worst case is you now have a set of bearings "just in case". I bought our Kraton used and it came with Fast Eddys already installed, but also the originals too. The originals feel fine and have come into good use while I wait for replacements of the Fast Eddys that seem "not so smooth" anymore.

FWIW I came from the Nitro world and bearings were basically a non-issue there. Im guessing brushless makes everything go faster (the vehicle AND its parts )

 

[imasnyper]

Thanks for the replies, I'll replace them when they get here then!