Bearing Setting With tapered roller bearings, the term “setting” simply in-dicates the specific amount of end-play (axial clearance) or pre-load (axial interference) within a mounted bearing. The flexibility to easily adjust and optimize setting at the time of assembly is an inherent advantage of tapered roller bearings.For a bearing assembly that takes both weight and side-to-side thrust like a wheel bearing, tapered roller is better with all other things being equal. In places where the thrust load is taken up by a different bearing than the one that carries the weight (for example, some types of solid rear axles).

Tapered roller bearings can be set at initial machine assembly to any desired axial or radial clearance. This unique feature enables a designer to control bearings to meet anticipated application operating conditions, and thereby provide optimum bearing and system performance.