Q: Can a Spherical Bearing be Used in High Misalignment and High Load Conditions?

A: Spherical bearings are also referred to as spherical plain bearings, spherical ball bearings or ball bushings.

Spherical bearings can roughly be divided into four bearing types: spherical ball bearings, spherical roller bearings, spherical rod ends, and spherical plain bearings. Spherical bearings are specially designed to accommodate high misalignment and high load bearing applications such as hydraulic cylinder rod ends, vehicle steering linkage suspensions and heavy equipment articulated joints.

The bearing components consist of a convex inner ring, a concave outer ring, and a self-lubricating bearing with a PTFE liner. The inner ring rotates angularly within the outer ring so that the full bearing supports both rotational and angular movement.