How to find the right Track Runner Bearings AI guide
Written by an AI model from its trained knowledge.
What the AI looks for in Track Runner Bearings
- Stud type vs yoke type
- Stud-type (cam follower, e.g. INA KR, McGill CF) when the roller cantilevers off a single mounting hole; yoke-type (track roller, e.g. NATR/NATV, NUTR, McGill CYR) when it can be supported on a pin or shaft on both sides. Yoke-type rollers handle heavier loads because the pin is supported on both sides, while stud types are easier to mount but the stud limits the load they can take.
- Outer ring profile
- Choose a crowned (profiled) OD unless the track is precisely aligned and parallel; choose a cylindrical OD only for flat, well-aligned tracks where maximum contact area is needed. A crowned OD tolerates misalignment and avoids edge loading that spalls both the roller and the track.
- Full complement vs caged rollers
- Choose full complement (e.g. the V suffix in NATV/KRV) for heavy, shock or slow loads; choose caged for higher speeds. More rollers carry more load, but the rollers rub against each other and run hotter at speed.
- Sealing and lubrication
- Use sealed versions (e.g. PP or 2RS suffixes, McGill S) in dirty, washdown or outdoor tracks. Check whether relubrication is through the stud end, the hex socket or a cross hole, and plug the holes you don't use. Contamination entering at the side faces is the most common cause of early cam follower failure.
- Concentric vs eccentric stud
- Specify an eccentric stud (e.g. KRE, McGill CFE) wherever the roller must be adjusted against a track or rail to remove clearance. Eccentric studs let you set preload or take up wear without machining slotted mounting holes.
- Track hardness and inch/metric fit
- Published load ratings assume a hardened steel track; derate the roller load for a softer track. Match the stud diameter and thread to the housing hole, using an inch series (McGill, RBC) or a metric series (INA, IKO, SKF, THK). A soft track brinells and wears long before the bearing does, and inch and metric studs that are close in size are not interchangeable.
Brands that matter
- McGill (Regal Rexnord): Originator of the CAMROL inch cam follower range and the usual reference for inch interchange part numbers.
- Schaeffler INA: Broad metric range, including KR/KRV stud types, NATR/NATV/NUTR yoke types and LR profiled guide-rail rollers.
- IKO: Japanese maker with an extensive metric and inch cam follower and roller follower catalogue, including miniature sizes.
- THK: Supplies metric cam followers and roller followers that pair well with its own linear guide systems.
- SKF: Metric stud-type and yoke-type track runner bearings with sealed and full-complement options.
- RBC Bearings: US maker of the Roller Camrol range of inch cam followers, aimed at heavy-duty industrial and aerospace use.
- Osborn: Load Runners range for heavy-duty and conveyor track roller applications.
What to avoid
- Unbranded cam followers sold without published dynamic and static load ratings or with no suffix code explaining sealing and roller type.
- Cylindrical-OD rollers on tracks that are not precisely aligned, because the edge loading spalls the track.
- Caged followers in heavy shock-load or slow oscillating service, where full-complement types last longer.
- Mixing inch and metric studs of similar size, or forcing a stud into an undersized or oversized housing hole.
- Running a cam follower on an unhardened mild-steel track at its full catalogue load rating.
Questions
What is the difference between a cam follower and a track roller?
A cam follower has an integral threaded stud and mounts through a single hole. A track roller (yoke type) has a bore and is mounted on a separate pin, usually supported on both sides, so it can carry more load.
Do I need a crowned or a cylindrical outer ring?
Use crowned for most tracks, because it tolerates misalignment. Use cylindrical only when the track is flat, parallel and well aligned and you need the maximum contact area.