The Difference in Steel Ball Installation Between Bidirectional and Unidirectional Bearings

Double-acting ball bearings consist of a shaft ring, two raceways, and two ball-retainer assemblies. The bearing is separable, with each part capable of being independently installed. The double-acting bearing is used for...Unidirectional BearingThe same shaft collar, bushing, and ball retainer assembly are used.

Single-direction thrust ball bearings typically consist of a row of steel balls (with retainers), a race ring (tightly fitted to the shaft), and a housing ring. The housing ring has a clearance with the shaft and is tightly fitted with the bearing housing bore. The steel balls rotate in the space between the race ring and the housing ring. Primarily, they can only withstand axial loads in one direction and cannot bear radial loads at all. Since the axial loads are evenly distributed across each ball, the single-direction flat thrust ball bearing has a significant load capacity; however, due to its higher temperature rise during operation, it has a relatively low allowable speed.