And if you have to go there tons of the older roller plates used the needle bearing aircraft.....helicopter actually bearings.
If you are convinced hard is better , try steel needle bearing rollers, drop by your local bearing shop with a plastic roller to find a mate, bout 11.00 a piece these days I would guess.
Sucked up the supply on the west coast for these cute little neddle bearing rollers one year building roller plates, we had never thought of using plastic until cat came with their own roller setup. Whoa, but the plastic looked cheap, know what, tried them and they worked as good as the needle bearing........well close enough that the pilgrims couldn'd tell the difference.
We were always a little leery anyway of the potential for centrifical disaster with the steel rollers, when your primary clutch is spinnging 8500rpm and you're in a little over drive and the old secondary is spinning about 10,000 rpm and its all held togething with some cheap cast aluminum, could be a heck of an explosion. Made it through that part of my life without being sued over making somebody's sled go faster and their widow suing for getting guys in over their heads.
Got nothing but sympathy for guys trying to earn a living making your sled go faster for $500........that's scarey!
