Spherical Plain Bearing is a bearing that permits angular rotation about a central
point in two orthogonal directions (usually within a specified
angular limit based on the bearing geometry). Typically these
bearings support a rotating shaft in the [bore] of the inner ring
that must move not only rotationally, but also at an angle.
Spherical bearings are used in countless applications, wherever
rotational motion must be allowed to change the alignment of its
rotation axis. A good example is the drive axle bearings of a
vehicle control arm (or A-arm) suspension. The mechanics of the
suspension allow the axle to move up and down (and the wheel to
turn in order to steer the vehicle), and the axle bearings must
allow the rotational axis of the axle to change without binding.
While in practice, spherical bearings are not used here, it is a
simple concept that illustrates a possible application of a
spherical bearing. In fact, spherical bearings are used in smaller
sub-components of this type of suspension, for example certain
types of constant-velocity joints.
Spherical bearings are used in car suspensions, engines, drive
shafts, heavy machinery, sewing machines, robotics and many other
applications.
| Tolerances for radial spherical plain bearings(except for series
PB..., GEBJ…S) |
| Inner ring |
d mm | △dmp | △dmp*(GE...LO) | vdp | vdmp | Vdp* (GE...LO) | Vdmp* (GE...LO) | △Bs | △Bs* |
over | incl. | max | min | max | min | max | max | max | max | max | min | max | min |
- | 18 | 0 | -8 | 18 | 0 | 8 | 6 | 18 | 14 | 0 | -120 | 0 | -180 |
18 | 30 | 0 | -10 | 21 | 0 | 10 | 8 | 21 | 16 | 0 | -120 | 0 | -210 |
30 | 50 | 0 | -12 | 25 | 0 | 12 | 9 | 25 | 19 | 0 | -120 | 0 | -250 |
520 | 80 | 0 | -15 | 30 | 0 | 15 | 11 | 30 | 22 | 0 | -150 | 0 | -300 |
80 | 120 | 0 | -20 | 35 | 0 | 20 | 15 | 35 | 26 | 0 | -200 | 0 | -350 |
120 | 180 | 0 | -25 | 40 | 0 | 25 | 19 | 40 | 30 | 0 | -250 | 0 | -400 |
180 | 250 | 0 | -30 | 46 | 0 | 30 | 23 | 46 | 35 | 0 | -300 | 0 | -460 |
250 | 315 | 0 | -35 | 52 | 0 | 35 | 26 | 52 | 39 | 0 | -350 | 0 | -520 |
315 | 400 | 0 | -40 | 57 | 0 | 40 | 30 | 57 | 43 | 0 | -400 | 0 | -570 |
400 | 500 | 0 | -45 | - | - | 45 | 34 | - | - | 0 | -450 | - | - |
500 | 630 | 0 | -50 | - | - | 50 | 38 | - | - | 0 | -500 | - | - |
| The deviations in the columns with symbol*apply to spherical plain
bearings of series GE…LO. |
| Outer ring |
D mm | △Dmp um | Vdp um | Vdmp um | △Cs um |
over | incl. | max | min | max | max | max | min |
- | 18 | 0 | -8 | 10 | 6 | 0 | -240 |
18 | 30 | 0 | -9 | 12 | 7 | 0 | -240 |
30 | 50 | 0 | -11 | 15 | 8 | 0 | -240 |
50 | 80 | 0 | -13 | 17 | 10 | 0 | -300 |
80 | 120 | 0 | -15 | 20 | 11 | 0 | -400 |
120 | 150 | 0 | -18 | 24 | 14 | 0 | -500 |
150 | 180 | 0 | -25 | 33 | 19 | 0 | -500 |
180 | 250 | 0 | -30 | 40 | 23 | 0 | -600 |
250 | 315 | 0 | -35 | 47 | 26 | 0 | -700 |
315 | 400 | 0 | -47 | 53 | 30 | 0 | -800 |
400 | 500 | 0 | -45 | 60 | 34 | 0 | -900 |
500 | 630 | 0 | -50 | 67 | 38 | 0 | -1000 |
630 | 800 | 0 | -75 | 100 | 56 | 0 | -1100 |
800 | 1000 | 0 | -100 | 135 | 75 | 0 | -1200 |
| 2>. Tolerances for series PB… |
| Inner ring |
d mm | △dmp um | △Bs um |
over | incl. | max | min | max | min |
- | 6 | 12 | 0 | 0 | -100 |
6 | 10 | 15 | 0 | 0 | -100 |
10 | 18 | 18 | 0 | 0 | -100 |
18 | 30 | 21 | 0 | 0 | -100 |
D mm | △Dmp um | △Cs um |
over | incl. | max | over | incl. | max |
10 | 18 | 0 | -11 | 100 | -100 |
18 | 30 | 0 | -13 | 100 | -100 |
30 | 50 | 0 | -16 | 100 | -100 |
50 | 80 | 0 | -19 | 100 | -100 |
| |
| 3>. Tolerances for series GEBJ...S, |
| Inner ring |
d mm | △dmp um | △Bs um |
over | incl. | max | min | max | min |
- | 6 | 12 | 0 | 0 | -100 |
6 | 10 | 15 | 0 | 0 | -100 |
10 | 18 | 18 | 0 | 0 | -100 |
18 | 30 | 21 | 0 | 0 | -100 |
D mm | △Dmp um | △Cs um |
over | incl. | max | over | incl. | max |
10 | 18 | 0 | -11 | 0 | -240 |
18 | 30 | 0 | -13 | 0 | -240 |
30 | 50 | 0 | -16 | 0 | -240 |
50 | 80 | 0 | -19 | 0 | -300 |
| |
| The symbols of dimension and tolerance |
| d: Bearing bore diameter, nominal. |
| △dmp: Single plane mean bore diameter deviation. |
| Vdp: Bore diameter variation in a single radial plane. |
| Vdmp: mean bore diameter variation. |
| △Bs: Deviation of a single width of the inner ring. |
| B: Width of inner ring, nominal. |
| D: Bearing outside diameter, nominal. |
| △Dmp: Single plane mean outside diameter deviation. |
| VDp: Outside diameter variation in a single radial plane. |
| VDmp: Mean outside diameter variation. |
| △Cs: Deviation of a single width of the outer ring. |
| C: Width of ourer ring, nominal. |
| △Ts: Actual deviation of width of the angular contact spherical
plain bearing. |
| △Hs: Actual deviation of height of the spherical plain thrust
bearing. |
| hs,△h1s: Center height deviation of rodends or ball joint rod ends. |
| Tolerances for angular contact spherical plain bearings | | | | inner ring and width of bearing |
D mm | △dmp um | Vdp um | Vdmp um | △Bs um | △Ts um | over | incl. | max | min | max | max | max | min | max | min | - | 50 | 0 | -12 | 12 | 9 | 0 | -2740 | 250 | -400 | 50 | 80 | 0 | -15 | 15 | 11 | 0 | -300 | 250 | -500 | 80 | 120 | 0 | -20 | 20 | 15 | 0 | -400 | 250 | -600 | 12 | 180 | 0 | -25 | 25 | 19 | 0 | -500 | 350 | -700 | 180 | 200 | 0 | -30 | 30 | 23 | 0 | -600 | 350 | -800 |
D mm | △dmp um | Vdp um | Vdmp um | △Cs um | over | incl. | max | min | max | max | max | min | - | 50 | 0 | -14 | 14 | 11 | 0 | -240 | 50 | 80 | 0 | -16 | 16 | 12 | 0 | -300 | 80 | 120 | 0 | -18 | 18 | 14 | 0 | -400 | 120 | 150 | 0 | -20 | 20 | 15 | 0 | -500 | 150 | 180 | 0 | -25 | 25 | 19 | 0 | -500 | 180 | 250 | 0 | -30 | 30 | 23 | 0 | -600 | 250 | 315 | 0 | -35 | 35 | 26 | 0 | -700 |
|
| Tolerances for spherical plain thrust bearings | | | | Shaft washer and height of bearing |
d mm | △dmp um | Vdp um | Vdmp um | △Bs um | △Hs um | over | incl. | max | min | max | max | max | min | max | min | - | 18 | 0 | -8 | 8 | 6 | 0 | -240 | 250 | -400 | 18 | 30 | 0 | -10 | 10 | 8 | 0 | -240 | 250 | -400 | 30 | 50 | 0 | -12 | 12 | 9 | 0 | -240 | 250 | -400 | 50 | 80 | 0 | -15 | 15 | 11 | 0 | -300 | 250 | -500 | 80 | 120 | 0 | -20 | 20 | 15 | 0 | -400 | 250 | -600 | 120 | 180 | 0 | -25 | 25 | 19 | 0 | -500 | 350 | -700 | 180 | 200 | 0 | -30 | 30 | 23 | 0 | -600 | 350 | -800 |
d mm | △dmp um | Vdp um | Vdmp um | △Cs um | over | incl. | max | min | max | max | max | min | - | 30 | 0 | -9 | 12 | 7 | 0 | -240 | 30 | 50 | 0 | -11 | 15 | 8 | 0 | -240 | 50 | 80 | 0 | -13 | 17 | 10 | 0 | -300 | 80 | 120 | 0 | -15 | 20 | 11 | 0 | -400 | 120 | 150 | 0 | -18 | 24 | 14 | 0 | -500 | 150 | 180 | 0 | -25 | 33 | 19 | 0 | -500 | 180 | 250 | 0 | -30 | 40 | 23 | 0 | -600 | 250 | 315 | 0 | -35 | 47 | 26 | 0 | -700 | 315 | 400 | 0 | -40 | 53 | 30 | 0 | -800 |
|
|
| |
| Tolerances for ball joint rod end | | | | Shank or housing of ball joint |
d mm | △dmp um | △h1s um | over | incl. | max | min | max | min | - | 6 | 0 | -30 | 800 | -1200 | 6 | 10 | 0 | -36 | 800 | -1200 | 10 | 18 | 0 | -43 | 800 | -1200 | 18 | 30 | 0 | -52 | 800 | -1200 |
| | | Rings of ball joint housing |
D mm | △Dmp um | △Cs um | over | incl. | max | min | max | min | 10 | 18 | 0 | -27 | 100 | -100 | 18 | 30 | 0 | -33 | 100 | -100 | 30 | 50 | 0 | -39 | 100 | -100 |
|
