Roller Bearings
Cylindrical, tapered and spherical roller bearings for shafts carrying loads a ball bearing cannot. A roller contacts its race along a line rather than at a point, which spreads the load over far more steel and is why roller bearings carry several times the radial capacity of a ball bearing of the same bore.
The trade is speed and axial capacity. A cylindrical roller bearing takes heavy radial load but almost no thrust and must be allowed to float axially. A tapered roller bearing takes heavy radial and one-directional thrust together, which is why they are fitted in opposed pairs on gearbox and wheel shafts — and why they need setting to a specified preload or endfloat on assembly rather than simply being pressed home.
Spherical roller bearings tolerate shaft misalignment that would destroy either of the others, which makes them the right choice on long conveyor shafts and in fabricated housings that are not machined in one setup.
Sourced to order. Send the designation, or the shaft diameter with the load and the direction it acts in.
Lines in this category
- Cylindrical roller bearings
- Tapered roller bearings
- Spherical roller bearings
- Needle roller bearings
- Thrust roller bearings
- Split housings
Products
We source this line to order
We do not hold this category in stock, and we would rather say so than list parts we cannot ship. Send a part list, a specification or a photograph and we will quote it with a lead time — this is a line we supply regularly to order.
How to choose
Start from the direction the load acts in, because that eliminates whole types at once. Pure radial and heavy: cylindrical. Radial with thrust: tapered, fitted as an opposed pair. Radial with misalignment: spherical. Then check the housing — tapered bearings need a specified preload or endfloat set on assembly, and getting that wrong destroys them faster than overloading does. If the shaft is long or the housing fabricated rather than line-bored, assume misalignment and choose spherical.
Frequently asked
Why do tapered roller bearings come in pairs?
Each one takes thrust in only one direction, so a single bearing would let the shaft walk. Fitted in opposition they locate the shaft both ways, and the pair is then set to a specified preload or endfloat on assembly.
Can a roller bearing replace a ball bearing in the same housing?
Sometimes dimensionally, but check the load direction first. A cylindrical roller bearing cannot take the axial load a deep groove ball bearing was carrying, and substituting one is a common cause of rapid failure.
What lead time on larger sizes?
These are sourced to order and lead time depends on size and series. Send the designation and quantity and we will confirm before you commit.