There’s a huge variety of bearings on the market, so we’re not surprised if you feel overwhelmed. Ball bearings are probably the bearing type you think of first. The standard deep groove radial ball bearings are used for mainly radial loads but can handle smaller axial loads too. They are found in everything from hard drives to skateboard wheels.

Ball bearings come in different varieties too. Angular contact bearings are designed to support radial loads and heavy axial loads while self-aligning ball bearings have an inner ring that tilts a few degrees independently of the outer ring to cope with shaft/housing misalignment. Some ball bearings have two rows of balls for extra load capacity while double row angular contact ball bearings can accept thrust loads in both directions

Roller bearings use steel rollers instead of balls and are used in applications that involve heavy radial loads. The most common type is the cylindrical roller bearing which is used in gearboxes, railway axles, compressors and many other types of machinery. Spherical roller bearings are used where there is some shaft and housing misalignment. Taper roller bearings will support heavy radial and axial loads and are often found in car and truck wheels.Ball thrust bearings are unable to handle radial loads. They are for pure axial loads and are often used in conjunction with radial ball bearings.

Roller thrust bearings are also for pure axial loads but will support larger loads than ball thrust bearings.

Needle roller bearings are a thin section version of the roller bearing using very thin rollers. These are used where space is very limited.

Needle roller thrust bearings can only support axial loads and, again, are used where space is at a premium