Common Causes of Bearing Failures

There are many causes of bearing damage. It is not always easy to determine the exact cause, but
most bearing failures can be attributed to one or more of the following major causes:
Foreign Matter: One of the most common sources of trouble in bearings is wear and pitting
caused by foreign particles. This could be in the form of dirt, abrasive grit, lint, dust, steel chips,
etc.
Improper Mounting: Bearings should be mounted with a press fit on the rotating ring.
Generally, the shaft rotates and the inner ring is mounted with a press or interference fit.
1. Mounting bearings on shafts by applying blows or pressure to the outer race will
usually cause denting (true brinell)
2. Loose shaft fit rotation of the shaft within the inner ring can produce heat and
small loose particles of metal that will eventually get into the bearing, causing
wear
3. Loose housing fit damage similar to loose shaft fit
4. Excessive tight fits (shaft and housing) can cause rings to crack. Usually causes
excessive internal preload because of the removal of internal clearance. Causes
high operating temperature and premature failure
5. Out of round housings usually found in split housings where careful machining
is necessary to obtain round housing. Causes localized overloading with abnormal
wear on surfaces and retainer pockets. Early fatigue occurs in these areas
6. Poor finish on the bearing seat a coarse finish on the bearing seat will soon
break down causing a loose fit condition, previously described
Bearing Misalignment: A frequent source of trouble resulting in overheating and separator
failure. Common causes are bent shafts, out-of-square shaft shoulders, out-of-square spacers, and
out-of-square clamping nuts. Inspection of the raceways will show the ball track veering from
oneside
to
the
other.
Vibration Brinell (False Brinell): Caused by the rapid movement of the balls in the raceway
while the equipment is idle. Rolling elements quickly remove lubrication and, because there is
not enough rotation of the bearing, fresh lubricant is not moved back into the spot. This means
the bearing is sitting in one spot, devoid of lubrication, and the movement of the rolling elements
wears away the metal. The indentations run axially across the races.
Electrical Damage (Fluting): When electric currents pass through a bearing, there is arcing and
burning at the points between the races and the rolling elements where the current jumps the air

gap.
Pitting or cratering of a bearing is caused by relatively large charges of electricity.
A line of small burns along the line of contact of the rolling elements is caused by a low current
constantly passing through the bearing. This fluting or grooving is formed on all parts as the
current continues to pass through the bearing, and the contact points change as the bearing
rotates. The steel melts in the affected zone. Electrical damage will cause early spalling and
results
in
a
noisy
bearing
which
will
have
to
be
replaced.
Improper Bearing Lubrication: Lack of or improper lubrication generally causes overheating
or excessive wear in the bearing. These conditions can result from insufficient lubrication,
improper lubricants, complete absence of lubrication, or insufficient lubrication due to loss
through leakage. Also to be considered is the breakdown of lubricants either by oxidation or
exposure
to
atmospheric
conditions.
Bearing Fatigue: Fatigue means the fatiguing of the metal in the components of the bearing. It
is a result of stress reversals produced when rotating members create flexing of the metal.
Fatigue develops due to the magnitude of the load and the number of times it is repeated.
Actually, the rolling elements create a wave of metal in front of them as they roll. Thus, the metal
in the components is alternately put in tension and then compression. This action eventually
results
in
flaking
of
the
metal.
Bearing Corrosion: The finely finished surfaces of ball and roller bearings are readily subject to
corrosion by water, acids, and other agents. Corrosion is basically abrasive in nature and will
account for excessive or abnormal wear in bearings. Common causes of corrosion include
moisture, acid action, poor or broken down greases, poor wrappings, and condensation resulting
from
excessive
temperature
reversals.
Defective Sealing: This enables foreign material and contaminants to enter the bearing, causing
wear.
High Temperatures: High temperatures frequently cause premature bearing failure, the nature
of the failure being predicated on the temperature to which the bearing is raised and the grease
with which it is lubricated. Mild temperature elevations may cause grease to bleed which reduces
the efficiency of the lubricant. Under increasingly elevated temperature conditions, oxidation
causes loss of lubricating elements and the formation of carbon. The carbon thus formed may
lock or jam the bearing. High temperatures may also reduce the hardness of the metal causing
early failure. High temperatures can cause loss of internal clearance and preloading results.
Many bearing failures can be traced to dirt. Cleanliness is always a must.

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