Hello All;

I have a question concerning the hardness requirements for a ball bearing housing or shaft mount. Is there a minimum hardness for the shaft or housing to make sure that when a bearing is installed it receives the right amount of crush? Does the hardness matter?

Hardness matters only if the bearing moves relative to the mating surface, which is not usually a good thing.  

Crush (that's not really the right word, except in the case of split bearings) is determined by the size of the mating part.  Note that the bearing itself is elastic, so the interference with the mating part also affects the clearance inside the bearing.

Bearings are normally pressed into/onto one part or the other, depending on which part of the bearing is rotating, and I always forget which is which, so study the technical section of your bearing catalog.

 

Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

thread821-260253: Ball Bearing Mount/Housing Hardness
If you cross-post, you should cross reference your threads and direct all responses to one or the other.

I agree with Mike, it shouldn't matter unless there is relative movement, which sometimes occurs for outer ring / housing.  If there is relative movement, wear properties are important... I think hardness is a subset of that.

For rotating shaft, stationary housing, the inner ring is interference fit onto shaft, outer ring is clearance fit in housing.
 

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To electricpete:

Ref: "If you cross-post, you should cross reference your threads and direct all responses to one or the other."

Sorry, I have no idea how to do that. I was just trying to reach people from both fields as I wasn't sure which would be more relevant.