Bearing Failure Mode
Misalignment & Uneven Wear
Shaft/housing misalignment concentrating load and wear on one side of the raceway.
📷 Photo placeholder — Off-centre wear band on the raceway
📷 Photo placeholder — Off-centre wear band on the raceway
Symptoms
Wear or flaking concentrated on one side or a narrow band of the raceway rather than evenly across the full width. The wear pattern is off-centre, indicating the load path is not uniform.
Likely causes
Shaft and housing bores not aligned, bent shaft, inaccurate machining of mounting seats, or deflection under load. Misalignment forces the rolling elements to run off-centre, concentrating stress.
Prevention
Ensure shaft and housing seats are machined accurately and aligned within tolerance. Check shaft straightness. Use self-aligning bearing types (e.g. spherical roller) where misalignment cannot be eliminated. Verify mounting during installation.