For angular loads, special bearings known as ____-________ bearings are required.

• A. ball-bearing
• B. self-aligning
• C. spherical
• D. tapered

Answer: (B)

Angular loads create a tendency for the shaft to tilt relative to the bearing housing, which can push the bearing into unfavorable contact and increase wear if the bearing can’t compensate for that misalignment. Self-aligning bearings are designed for exactly this situation. Their design allows the inner race to tilt within the outer race because of a spherical surface relationship, so the bearing automatically accommodates small angular misalignments or shaft deflection without creating high stress in the rolling elements. This keeps the rolling contact proper and reduces wear and binding under angular loading. Other bearing types don’t inherently provide this automatic misalignment compensation, so they aren’t as well suited for angular-load conditions.