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Needle Bearings

Needle bearings have a large surface area that is in contact with the bearing outer surfaces compared to ball bearings. Additionally there is less added clearance (difference between the diameter of the shaft and the diameter of the bearing) so they are much more compact. The typical structure consists of an a needle cage which orients and contains the needle rollers, the needle rollers themselves, and an outer race(sometimes housing itself).

Radial needle bearings are cylindrical and use rollers parallel to the axis of the shaft. Thrust needle bearings are flat and use a radial pattern of needles.

Full complement bearings have solid inner and outer rings and rib-guided cylindrical rollers. Since these bearings have the largest possible number of rolling elements, they have extremely high radial load carrying capacity and are suitable for particularly compact designs. [1]

Needle bearings are heavily used in engine components such as rocker arm pivots, pumps, compressors, and transmissions. The drive shaft of a rear-wheel drive vehicle typically has at least 8 needle bearings (4 in each U joint) and often more if it is particularly long, or operates on steep slopes.

Additional clarification of Needle Roller: According to "Marks' Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineers", a Needle Bearing is a roller bearing with rollers whose length are at least four times their diameter.

Needle bearings feature a smaller cross-section, higher load-carrying capacity, greater rigidity, and lower inertia forces that facilitate size and weight reductions in machinery. They’re designed to withstand oscillation, perform under severe conditions, and interchange with sliding bearings.

Diverse types of [needle bearings] are available in a wide variety of sizes and tolerances, for a multitude of applications.

Needle roller and cage assemblies are offered in single or double row, solid or split cage, metric and inch sizes; as well as in connecting rod bearings for special applications.

Needle roller bearings incorporate rollers that are three to ten times longer than their diameter and exhibit a relatively large radial load capability.  The M-type cage and roller assemblies contain controlled contour rollers to deliver high durability even under heavy loads or misaligning operating conditions.

Product Features and Benefits:

• Range includes solid, drawn cup or cage and roller options 

• High quality steel - ultra clean steel to extend bearing life by up to 80%

Drawn-Cup Needle Roller Bearings 

Used in automotive applications such as camshaft journals, compressors, and powertrain.

Thrust Needle Roller Bearings 

Product Features and Benefits:

Range includes solid, drawn cup or cage and roller options

High quality steel - ultra clean steel to extend bearing life by up to 80%