Turbo Tech: Turbo Bearings

Turbo Bearings

We like turbos at MotoIQ.  Why?  In the phrase made famous by Tim Allen, "more power!"  In order for a turbo to cram air into an engine, it has a pair of wheels and a shaft spinning at incredible speeds.  Depending on the size of the turbo, they can spin anywhere from 100,000 rpm (big turbos) to 300,000 rpm (small turbos).  300,000 rpm equals 5000 revs a second.  Put another way, if you rolled a compressor wheel on the ground, it would go about six football fields a second.  That's about 1.7 times the speed of sound.  Wrap your head around that!  The rotating assembly consisting of the shaft, turbine wheel, and compressor wheel encounter axial and radial loads that want to push the wheels into the housings and rub parts together.  To keep the rotating assembly supported and freely spinning, turbos currently either use a journal or ball bearing system.  There are variations on each theme, but we're going to go over the most common designs.  First, we need to discuss the loads they encounter.

berrings1 berrings2

Check out the rest of the article at Moto IQ

Related Articles

BFGoodrich Tires Launch All-Terrain T/A KO3 BFGoodrich Tires Launch All-Terrain T/A KO3
BFGoodrich Tires invented and revolutionized the all-terrain tire, and now they're doing it again by setting the bar higher with the BFGoodrich All-...
May 2024 Event Calendar May 2024 Event Calendar
May 4 - Driven Calgary https://www.drivenshow.ca/calgary/ U of C Olympic Oval288 Collegiate Blvd NWCalgary, AB T2N 1N4 May 05 - Tuner Evo...
Holley's Sniper 2 EFI Platform Goes Bluetooth Holley's Sniper 2 EFI Platform Goes Bluetooth
In a bold move that signals a shift in how classic car enthusiasts interact with their vehicles, Holley Performance Brands has rolled out a...
Wildwood Releases Single Pedal Assemblies for Tandem Master Cylinders Wildwood Releases Single Pedal Assemblies for Tandem Master Cylinders
Wilwood Disc Brakes has introduced new pedal assembly bases designed specifically for their Tandem Master Cylinder series, suitable for both floor and...
All Weather vs All Season Tires: Toyo Celsius II Unboxed All Weather vs All Season Tires: Toyo Celsius II Unboxed
All Season tires are great for your everyday drivers, but when it comes to snow and ice, the term "all season" can be a little generous. Enter the "...
PASMAG's 25th Anniversary: Celebrating with Expanded Tuning365 Tour @ Formula Drift Events and PAS365 Rally Series PASMAG's 25th Anniversary: Celebrating with Expanded Tuning365 Tour @ Formula Drift Events and PAS365 Rally Series
As part of our 25th anniversary celebration, PASMAG is thrilled to announce the first details of an expanded lineup of events in 2024. This milestone...