This topic was of great concern to me at one time. About 12-13 years ago I had a ball bearing let go and it felt as though my wheel was coming off. I replaced it two more times until I put roller bearings in it. I drive my truck hard and haven't thought about those bearings other than to grease them once in a while. The original ball bearings need to be greased every 1,000 miles or so as the rollers don't need near the attention. I would put rollers in hands down from my personal experience. I also think it's worth the extra money.
