Thrust Bearings

Thrust bearings are a particular type of rotary bearing that allow rotation between parts used but they are designed to support axial loads like vertical shafts for which spherical, conical or cylindrical rollers are used. They are used in gear sets like in car transmissions between gears and between the housing and the rotating shafts.

Thrust bearings are of different varieties. Ball thrust bearings are composed of ball bearings supported in a ring. They are used in low thrust applications where the radial load is very small. Thrust roller bearings are made of small tapered rollers arranged so that their axes converge at a point on the axis of the bearing.

BALL THRUST BEARING

A ball thrust bearing is a particular type of rotary ball bearing. Like other ball bearings, they permit rotation between parts, but they are designed to support a high axial load while doing this (parallel to the shaft). Higher speed applications require oil lubrication. Generally, they are composed of two washers (raceways) which may be grooved the rolling balls elements which are typically caged. As opposed to roller thrust bearings, ball thrust bearings can generally operate at higher speeds but at lower loads.

Some important factors when selecting thrust bearings from AST:

• Thrust bearings must be kept in matched sets.
• The bore (d dimensions) of one washer (smaller) in the set will conform to the specifications.
• The bore (d dimension) of the mating washer will be ~ .007” larger because it is a clearance hole for the shaft.

• FM Series Metric Thrust Bearings – With a groove race
• F Series Metric Thrust Bearings – Without a groove race

ROLLER THRUST BEARING

A cylindrical roller thrust bearing is a particular type of roller bearing. Like other roller bearings, they permit rotation between parts, but they are designed to support a high axial load while doing this (parallel to the shaft). Higher speed applications require oil lubrication. Generally, they are composed of two washers (raceways) and the cylindrical roller elements which are typically caged. As opposed to roller thrust bearings, ball thrust bearings can generally operate at higher speeds but at lower loads.

• Thrust bearings must be kept in matched sets.
• The bore (d dimensions) of one washer (smaller) in the set will conform to the specifications.
• The bore (d dimension) of the mating washer will be ~ .007” larger because it is a clearance hole for the shaft.

AST’s cylindrical roller thrust bearings currently start with bore sizes from 45 mm and go up to 360 mm with outer diameters from 64 mm to 440 mm. Let us know if you need sizes outside these dimensions.