For the same race diameter, smaller balls allow more balls in that circumference. Half the ball diameter would allow twice as many balls. More balls allow more points of contact and better load sharing, i.e. the contact pressure at each contact point is less than for a larger ball.
No, bigger is not always better!
On Sun, Jan 10, 2010 at 8:46 AM, Dean Nixon <vintage.lugged@gmail.com>wrote:
> In particular for the Super Record models - they seem identical even in the
> old catalogs. Other than the bearing size (3/16 vs. 5/32) is there any way
> to tell the difference visually? Measuring the diameter of the races would
> be difficult I think. Also, will the races get damaged if they are used
> with
> bearings that are either to large or too small? What is the rational behind
> using 3/16" bearings for the pista version anyway? Just wondering...
>
> Dean Nixon
> Toronto, Canada
> _______________________________________________
>
--
Ken Freeman
Ann Arbor, MI USA