Fatigue Life of Tapered Roller Bearings

This paper develops a general fatigue expression, together with a series of formulas covering contact stresses. The general equation is applied to the individual parts of the bearing and mathematical expressions for the radial and thrust capacities are developed for all operating conditions. Using the equation covering the radial capacity of a rotating cone as a basis, equivalent loading formulas are developed to cover other operating conditions. The use and limitations of the various formulas are discussed, together with the effect of materials, surface finishes, and manufacturing tolerances on bearing life.