How to measure bearing sizes without calipers ??

[Flathead]

So I want to fully load up my Lews with 11 Abec 7 but am unsure of the sizes, can you just measure them with a tape, ie would just trace around them with a pen then measure the distance (width) or will that not work.

[Tavery5]

If you want to measure them yourself, then purchase a cheaper set of calipers. Not my place to tell you, but if you follow through on your plan you are going to spend quite a bit of money with little to no gain made in performance on many of those bearings. Do some research, save some money on bearings and you will have more than enough to purchase a set of calipers.

[Thor]

The best advice on this forum in months.

Buy the calipers, measure your bearings, replace until you're happy. Only you can decide if replacing the bearings in a cheap reel gives you the performance you are looking for.

[facelessnewsouth]

The best advice on this forum in months.

Indeed. Upgrading every bearing in a reel will gain only minimum improvements, if any at all. The most important to performance are the spool bearings. The rest are relatively low speed, and it won't make your reel any better to replace them with abec 7's.

[Flathead]

Not really, I can get 11 ABEC 7's wholesale delivered under $40, I just need the sizes, I will just buy some calipers, I am swapping them all because my handle bearings are rusted ( I already did the spool, tension and side plate), and $40 isn't a lot to spend for piece of mind, I am doing a drag upgrade so I will have the reel apart anyway.

Remember I live in Aus and ONLY fish salt so they need doing anyway, the only reason I am doing ABEC 7's is the cheap price I can get them for, otherwise I would just replace with standard bearings..

[Tavery5]

Not really, I can get 11 ABEC 7's wholesale delivered under $40, I just need the sizes, I will just buy some calipers, I am swapping them all because my handle bearings are rusted ( I already did the spool, tension and side plate), and $40 isn't a lot to spend for piece of mind, I am doing a drag upgrade so I will have the reel apart anyway.

Remember I live in Aus and ONLY fish salt so they need doing anyway, the only reason I am doing ABEC 7's is the cheap price I can get them for, otherwise I would just replace with standard bearings..

That's a good deal for bearings as long as they are a quality bearing and not some cheap Chinese knockoff. What bearings do you need help with the sizes for. The Lews reels use the same size as the Abu Revo if that helps any.

[Flathead]

Thankyou that does help, there is no way I would of payed retail to replace the inner real bearings if I wasn't getting such a good deal, I really am interested in the bearings inside the pipe (The thing that the wormshaft fits into), there are 2 of these one either side and also the handle bearings 2 also but these are really small (mine are rusted and gritty) I should be able to order some calipers ( but I live in a small town and it will take 5 days for delivery), otherwise I would of just popped down the shops and bought some, I know people are saying your wasting your money but if I can get ABEC 7's for this price I say why not, I use the reel atleast 3 times a week.

I will look at the Revo handle sizes and worm shaft pipe size and see what happens, thanks again.

[21farms]

download and print this:

http://www.bocabearings.com/pdfs/Fishin ... -Chart.pdf

[nctrucker]

I like that chart! makes things easier for older reels.

[Afrayedknot]

You could probably use a ruler too.

[tim3716]

Maybe contact Lews and ask them... They have outstanding CS