am I right in thinking I can just use 11 loose 1/4" balls bearings without cages in it?
You'll probably want one or two extra balls to account for the absence of cages spacing the balls apart evenly. If you use too few, they can all end up on one side of the bearing and your axle will flap around.
You'll probably want one or two extra balls to account for the absence of cages spacing the balls apart evenly. If you use too few, they can all end up on one side of the bearing and your axle will flap around.