Thrust washers

OK whats a thrust washer?

I know its supposed to stop lateral movement of a shaft, but frankly it looks like any other washer to me, what makes it different?

Can I just turn a new one out of a bit of steel or does it have to be summat special??

Mostly they are called thrust washers because that is their function in that given application. They might be something more than an ordinary washer though, either a specific diameter or thickness, or they might have a ground finish, or they might be made of bronze for example. They might even have an oil groove on the face(s), like the long spiral groove you sometimes see in internal bores of plain bearings. No reason why you can't turn your own up, provided the material and finish is right for the job in hand.

Edited By Steve Pavey on 06/11/2015 10:25:37

They are usually to be found in thrust bearings, one either side of a ball race. In that arrangement they must be hardened.

As Steve says, there are other possibilities, but that is the more usual duty

Brian

They can also be made if steel with a bronze face that has oil retaining dimples. This type was used in car gearboxes layshafts, at least they were when I used to take them apart years ago.

For heavier duty applications there are also three part ball or needle bearing thrust bearings.

You local bearing supplier will be able to help.

If its in one of your motorbike engines or gearboxes, it is probably a hardened and ground thrust washer, available in various thicknesses in order to set the correct end float on your crankshaft or gearbox shaft. They can also be fitted either side of the rollers in a roller bearing big end and need to be of the right material and dimensions. Some use hardened steel, others bronze in this application.

In my model heli blade grips the thrust bearings have washers each side of the race to cope with the centripedal forces on the grips/blades. In that application the outer facing washer has a fine tolerance to the shaft whereas the inner washer is a looser fit

Hi all, have a look at [email protected] is almost obsolete.....

this stuff is brilliant but oh so expensive...there are similar products out there.....

cheers Clogs

I've used Vesconite - turned up a few propellor shaft bushes and rudder bushes from it. They have a useful calculator on their site so you end up with the correct bore when pressed into its' housing. They used to sell offcuts from the UK office, but it's a few years since I bought any. Acetal or Delrin is very similar (ie doesn't swell very much when immersed). Both machine beautifully.