Linear bearing upgrade

Thought some of you may be interested in an alternative to the typical cheap bearings out there.
[www.pbclinear.com]

My new design is going to use the frelon lined bearings from them with stainless rails, wish they had metric teflon lined bearings though. They also have an eBay Store so the average person can order parts.

Aluminatus A1 (no longer produced)
uses PCB SIMOs with leadscrews

[www.pbclinear.com]

I have tried the FM8 bearings from pcblinear on my X carriage. It is silent but it had a lot of resistance to movement. It is less forgiving to misalignement compared to LMu8's so I replaced them in the end. However I should also mention that I only had chrome plated rods so this could be the problem (they require stainless steel rods).

I imagine the matched rods are the way to go.

I am using the PCB Linear bearings on my TAZ 5 and I love them. Been using them almost a year (it's a TAZ 4 converted to a TAZ 5).

After noticing a 'clicking' noise from my Y carriage, I replaced the stock bearings with these. The clicking is gone, it seems smoother, but I also did notice it is not as easy to move. They are a little tighter. But it's working out pretty well. I got enough for the X and Z as well, but will only change them when I feel I need to.

I did read though, that the ball linear bearings are not good in applications wher there are repetitive short movements. If the balls are not allowed to fully circulate throughout the bearing, they will where out much quicker. So I believe that for 3d printers, the 'standard' bearings that every one uses, and are supplied in all the kits, are not the best choice.

The aluminum housing on the bearings seem to deform easily if tightened in place. The nest for the bearings needs to be an almost perfect fit or there is too much tension on the linear rod or too much slop in the mount. I also read that you can lubricate them with a light coat of 3 in 1 oil for smoother operation.