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Full Bearing Kit for Shimano 22 Aldebaran BFS
Full Bearing Kit for Shimano 22 Aldebaran BFS
11 bearings for your Shimano 22 Aldebaran BFS, one for every bearing position in the reel. Each position gets the class that makes sense there, so the kit works as one matched system instead of a mix of old and new parts.
Most anglers only swap the spool bearings. That helps the cast, but worm shaft, pinion and drive gear keep running on factory parts and bushings. This kit replaces all of them in one go: the spool starts easier, the gearbox runs quieter and the handle turns without play.
Worm shaft and pinion gear get Edge Open, the Edge bearing without shields for lighter rotation inside the gearbox. On the worm shaft it replaces the factory plastic bushing.
Installation
- Open the reel and remove the factory bearings and plastic bushings.
- Seat each new bearing in its position.
- Oil lightly and check that everything turns freely.
Made for the classic BFS range: very light plugs, small spinners, drop shot and finesse rigs. One small drop of oil per spool bearing is enough.
Bearings do not raise what your reel can handle. The upper limit is still set by the reel itself: spool, gears, drag and body. At the light end they do help: with the Apex spool bearings the reel casts noticeably lighter lures than before, as far as its spool allows.
Why a full kit
A few seasons in, every bearing has done its work.
After some seasons the bearings in a reel start to scratch. Most anglers then swap the spool bearings and stop there. This kit gives the whole reel a fresh set, matched to this exact model: every bearing seat, each with the class that fits it.
- 11bearings in the kit
- 6positions covered
- 3classes: Apex, Edge, Core
- 1plastic bushing replaced by a bearing
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Free spin
Fresh spool bearings let the spool start early and keep turning. You see it the first time you flick the spool.
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Casting distance
A spool that keeps its speed carries the lure further with the same cast.
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Smoother retrieve
New bearings on worm shaft, pinion and drive gear make the line lay and the crank run quieter and softer.
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A reel that feels tight again
No scratching, no play in the knobs. The whole reel feels smoother in the hand.
Position by position
Not every seat needs the fastest bearing.
We could put Apex everywhere. You would barely feel it outside the spool, and some seats need durability more than speed. So each position gets the class that does the most for it.
This reel after the full bearing swap, filmed in our workshop. The video loads from YouTube when you press play.
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2x Spool
ApexThis is where the cast is made. The spool bearings decide how early the spool starts and how long it keeps turning, so they get the performance class.
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1x Worm shaft
Edge OpenThe worm shaft drives the line guide. With a bearing in this seat it turns far more smoothly, and you feel that in the retrieve.
Replaces the factory plastic bushing with a real bearing.
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1x Pinion gear
Edge OpenThe pinion meshes with the drive gear. A light running bearing here lets pinion and gearing turn more easily. You feel it as a lighter crank, and the spool gains from it too.
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2x Gear support
CoreThese seats carry the load every time you crank or fight a fish. A faster bearing would be hard to notice here. Durability counts, so they get Core.
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1x Drive gear support
CoreThis seat holds the drive gear when you crank under load. A faster bearing would be hard to notice here. Durability counts, so it gets Core.
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4x Knobs
CoreKnobs see water, dirt and side load. Many reels ship with only two bearings and two plastic bushings in the knobs. With the kit every knob seat runs on a robust bearing.
Good to know before you order
The kit comes without a reel-specific manual. You open the reel, swap the bearings position by position and close it again. If you service your own reels, this is routine. If you have never opened a baitcaster, let someone do it who has.
Installation is at your own risk. Take your time, keep the parts in order and make sure the reel goes back together exactly as it came apart.
Bearings do not raise what your reel can handle. The upper limit is still set by the reel itself. At the light end they do help: with fresh spool bearings a reel casts noticeably lighter lures than before, as far as its spool allows.
Casting distance
Same cast. Up to 30 % further.
Worn or sluggish spool bearings slow the spool down while the lure is still in the air. Ours let it start earlier and keep running, so the lure carries further. Those extra metres can be the difference between a few small fish and the one you came for.
- Stock bearingsThe spool slows down early and the lure lands short.
- Kazemaki bearingsUp to 30 % more distance with the same cast. Out where the big one can be waiting.
How much you gain depends on your reel, your lure and your cast.
Free spin
Stock stops after seconds. Ours spins for over a minute.
After the full swap the spool of this reel keeps turning for 1:17 minutes from one flick. A stock spool usually stops after 3 to 5 seconds. That free spin is what carries your lure further.
Stock bearings
0:04
3 to 5 seconds
Kazemaki bearings
1:17
1 minute 17 seconds
Kit time measured in our workshop on this reel after the full bearing swap, see the video on this page. Stock time: what a baitcaster spool typically does out of the box. Shown in time lapse.
Why swap at all
Same bearing. A few seasons apart.
You do not see it from the outside. Open an old spool bearing and this is what sits inside. It still turns, but every cast pays for it.
After a few seasons
- Grease or gummed oilMany stock bearings are packed with grease, which brakes the spool hard from day one. Old oil thickens and goes sticky on top.
- Dirt in the racesSand and fine grit stick in the residue and grind with every turn.
- Rust and pittingWater gets in, the steel pits. You hear it as a rough, scratchy cast.
Fresh bearing
- Dry, or one drop of oilApex and Edge ship dry and can be fished that way. We recommend one drop: a touch quieter, and with regular re-oiling they last longer.
- Clean racesNothing between ball and ring. The spool runs out quietly instead of stopping.
- Smooth balls and racesNothing rough left to grind. Less noise, more distance from the same cast.
One drop costs a little free spin. You see it in a spin test, you barely notice it on the water. Our pick: Glitch Oil High Spec for Apex, Tumble Weed for Edge. Core comes pre-lubed, nothing to do.
FAQ
Questions about the full kit
Does the kit fit left and right hand reels?
Yes. The bearings are the same for left and right hand and for every gear ratio of this reel. The reel card further up lists the versions the kit is made for.
Which tools do I need?
A fine screwdriver and tweezers get you into the reel. One spool bearing sits behind a pin in the spool shaft, and you need a pin remover to get it out without damage.
The easy way is our Baitcaster Reel Tool Kit. It has everything for the swap in one case.
Spool Bearing Pin Remover
€19,95
Baitcaster Reel Tool Kit
€44,95
Which oil do I use?
High spec bearing oil, the green one. One small drop on each spool bearing and on each Edge bearing is enough.
The Core bearings come greased. Nothing to do there.
High spec
€29,95
Is there a manual in the box?
No. Every reel comes apart a little differently, so the kit ships without a reel-specific manual. If you service your own reels, the swap is routine. If you have never opened a baitcaster, let someone do it who has. Installation is at your own risk.
I only want to change the spool bearings. Is that possible?
Yes. Type your reel into the bearing finder and you get the spool bearing set on its own. The kit already includes the spool bearings, so you do not need both.