Bearings-General bearings-Needle roller bearings

A needle bearing has a large surface area in contact with the outer surfaces compared to ball bearings, and is much compact as there is less added clearance. The typical structure consists of an inner race or sometimes merely a shaft, a needle cage which orients and contains the needle rollers, the needle rollers themselves, and an outer race. Radial needle bearings are cylindrical and use rollers parallel to the axis of the shaft. Thrust needle bearings are flat and use a radial pattern of needles. Needle bearings are heavily used in engine components such as rocker arm pivots, pumps, compressors, and transmissions.

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Radial needle roller and cage assemblies

KZK series and KBK series
Applied to pins of connecting rods of automobiles.
K...(TN)  KNL series
KK series
KS series
KKS series

Thrust needle roller / cylindrical roller and cage assemblies

AXK
AXW
K811 / K812 / K874 / K893 / K894
AS / GS811 washers
WS811 / LS washers
ZS washers

Heavy duty needle roller bearings

NK (TN) / RNA49 / RNA69 / NKS / RNA48
NKI / NKIS / NA49 / NA69 / NA48
NA49...RS / NA49...2RS
RNA49...RS  / RNA49...2RS
RNAO / NAO
RPNA / PNA
RNAV / NAV​

Drawn cup needle roller bearings

​HK...TN, HK / BK / TA
Inch series SCE / BA / BHA / M
HK...RS / HK...2RS / BK...RS (Sealed types)
F / FH / FY / MF / MFH / MFY (Full complement)
HF / HFL (Drawn cup roller clutches)

Inner Rings

​IR / LR

Track roller bearings (Cam followers)

​RSTO...X / RSTO / STO...X / STO
RNA22...2RS / NA22...2RS / NA22...2RSX
NUTR / NUTR...X
NATR / NARV / NATR...PP / NARV...PP
KR / KR...PP / KRV / KRV...PP
KRE / KRE...PP / KRVE / KRVE...PP
NUKR / NUKRE