[TowerTalk] Thrust bearings

Jim Lux jimlux at earthlink.net
Fri Mar 1 15:48:40 EST 2013


On 3/1/13 11:44 AM, K7LXC at aol.com wrote:
>>   Let's suppose the rotor's specs will take that compressive  weight.
> Wouldn't logic indicate that, regardless, it will last longer if we  don't
> press all that weight on the rotor 24 by 7, forever?
>
>      Do your car wheel bearings wear out because  there is weight on them
> 24-7>

Most car bearings don't have aluminum races <grin>..

But you're exactly right.  Unless the metal is going to cold flow (it 
wont), the presumption is that the yield strength is higher than the 
contact pressure.  And if it wasn't it would dent instantly until the 
load was distributed.  There's no wear without motion.


>      The fact is that bearings need some amount of  pre-load to seat and
> operate properly. Any wear is from use when it's moving.
>
>      In the Orion manual it says to put ALL of the  weight on the rotator.
> You might have missed that.
>


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