How much do bearings play in buggying my buddy says allot.

Really not a lot, IMO. They have to be pretty crappy to hold you back and usually I replace mine when they get loud enough to bother me, and that is usually long before friction is going to have an effect. Buggy bearings can be the lower grade asian bearings and don't need to high grade, since water, sand, salt and dirt will destroy them long before any normal wear will. We just don't subject them to the kind of loads and rotational velocity that they are able to tolerate.

It's not like in-line skating where switching from cheaper Asian bearings to better ABEC 3's will make a noticeable difference. Even then, moving to ABEC 5's is of debatable value (but everybody feels better) since the speeds are so much lower then what they are designed for, and going to 7's or ceramics is only for serious racers and then even the value is debatable.

In a buggy, tire tread, pressure, wind, kite and rider skills are the dominant influences unless the bearings are just plain locked.

I agree with everything Angus said but will add in that the surface you are rolling on can have a big affect on your speed and upwind ability. A hard surface will really set you free and one with higher resistance will change the way you need to ride and will dampen your performance. A high resistance surface can also be comforting in that it is easy to slow down once you back off the power.

I only replace mine when I make a trip to the dry lake beds, otherwise you will not feel the difference unless it lightwind and a hardpacked surface................aj

I think ill just keep the ones I have and let my buddy spend all that cash :singing: