Can cylindrical roller thrust bearings be used without positioning by the outside diameter of the outer ring?
The fixed-side ring (outer ring) does not require especially precise positioning; however, a guide should be used to prevent the raceway from shifting and protruding from the rolling surface of the rollers.
If a cylindrical roller thrust bearing is used with a horizontal shaft, what kind of fit will be used with the housing side? Is it necessary to provide the same “0.25 mm or above” clearance as thrust ball bearings?
This clearance is recommended for thrust ball bearings as they may be subject to radial loads. Cylindrical roller thrust bearings cannot handle radial loads by design, so such a large clearance is not necessary.
Can thrust roller bearings sustain radial loads?
With the exception of cylindrical roller thrust bearings and some tapered roller thrust bearings (TTF type), it is possible in theory for thrust roller bearings to take radial loads to a certain percentage of the axial load. However, stable operation under these conditions requires careful restrictions.
For this reason, we primarily recommend thrust roller bearings for axial load applications.