Thrust Ball Bearings

Thrust Ball Bearings carry pure thrust (axial) loads. When a load is properly applied to this bearing, the internal contact points are aligned on a plane parallel to the shaft. Radial loads dislodge the balls from their track. Thrust ball bearings can be single direction and double direction designs.

Single Direction Thrust Ball Bearings
These bearings consist of one row of balls, which rotate, between a housing washer and a shaft washer. They are separable type and can be mounted separately. Single direction thrust ball bearings, can accommodate axial loads in one direction and locate a shaft axially in one direction. They are not suitable to any radial load.
Double Direction Thrust Ball Bearings
These bearings consist of two separate rows of balls which rotate between a center shaft washer and two housing washers. This bearing should be used when a thrust load is applied from two directions. They are separable type and can be mounted separately on the shaft. They can axially locate a shaft in both directions and should not be subject to radial loads.
The thrust ball bearings have flat housing washers. They do not allow any misalignment between the shaft and the housing or angle between their support surfaces. They are manufactured to normal tolerance as standard. They are available in pressed steel and machined brass or steel cage. For satisfactory operations, they should be subject to a minimum load. If the thrust bearings work at high speeds or changes in the direction of the loads, the inertia and friction may affect the rolling. The requisite minimum axial load to be applied to thrust ball bearings can be estimated using.