bearing lock collars

Mike Aylward

Well-known Member
A discussion on here about bearings caused me to remember a "discussion" I had with a friend of mine some years ago. We were talking about lock collars for bearings and which way the collar should be locked in relationship to the shaft travel. For context, let's say the shaft you are looking at turns clockwise. As you look at the lock collar and bearing, which way would you tighten it? We all have our opinions. Let's hear what the jury says...... Mike
 
I am thinking I have read instructions that tell you differently also depending on application. Like a bearing mfg. may state one way and the service instructions from the equipment mfg state the other ? So that really makes it tough to call.
 
Guess I'll be the odd guy out. The load should always be trying to 'tighten' the locking action of the collar. Opposite of shaft rotation.

Allan
 
You and me both. It only makes sense to me that you'd want the force of the rotation of the shaft turning in to the collar so it was forcing it back to the tight position.
 
it would be locked in direction of shaft rotation. if you think of the collar locked to the shaft it is pulling the inner race of the brg. in the same direction . the opposite way would be more chance of the collar loosening.
 
The theory is that the lock collar is supposed to become one with the shaft when you tighten the set screw, so it's constantly turning the eccentric tighter against the bearing. The bearing won't turn itself tighter into the collar that's locked to the shaft.

The better way is to forget that type bearing all together, and just buy the type that has a longer collar right on the bearing with set screws. You have to go to a bearing house to get them, but they're much simpler to install.

Donovan from Wisconsin
 

If one thinks about relationship of locking collar to shaft then collar has the most contact with shaft 180° opposite of the brg highest locking surface(hump) which means turning of shaft would try to turn locking collar in direction of shaft rotation.
 
They are simple to install but the set screws raise a dimple on the shaft that will make it
difficult to remove the bearing.
 
I already knew the answer to this question but wanted to post it and ended up getting the very same "arguments" my friend and I had. He maintained you tightened the collars counter to the direction of rotation and I said in the direction of rotation for the reasons stated. After all these years it seems some things never change..:) Mike
 
The shaft turns the collar, the collar turns the bearing. An old machinery dealer said they were having problems with locking collars loosening up on New Idea pickers. He said the factory was tightening them counter to rotation and the torque from the shaft was loosening the collars.
 
(quoted from post at 09:22:43 06/20/16) it would be locked in direction of shaft rotation. if you think of the collar locked to the shaft it is pulling the inner race of the brg. in the same direction . the opposite way would be more chance of the collar loosening.
hat he says is correct.
Collar is pulling the bearing
 
"I said in the direction of rotation for the reasons stated. After all these years it seems some things never change..:) Mike "


Yes, the locking collar myth will hang on forever, right along with the myth that 1 wire alternators drain your battery and some ignition coils have an internal resistor.
 
I try either way to remove and if it does not move I try the opposite way and then if no move I torch it off and install it by guess. I bet most of you do likewise
 
Had this discussion many times over the years. But the most interesting and frustrating one I ever had was with a IH area rep. Called them the Block man in those days. Worked a desk in sales dept at dist office but got promoted. Had a shaft on a corn head that was wobbling due to spacers that were too large inside diameter for the shaft and cocking . Any way, pulled it apart and the customer insists a "company man" check it out. When I got the self aligning bearings off he noticed the inside race was eccentric. Immediately he said that is the problem, the bearing is faulty. I told him, that is the way a locking bearing is made. He got on his high horse a bit and had the parts man get a couple new bearings out. When they looked exactly the same with inside race being eccentric, I think he still didn't believe us. At any rate , I was able to get the shaft running true and I bet he had some discussion with his supervisor. Never heard anymore about it.
 
That would loosen the grip.
Tighten it in the direction of rotation. The collar ahead of the cam will cause the collar to tighten as it is the piece the setscrew is in gripping the shaft. The collar is being pulled by the shaft and in turn is pulling the cam/inner race therefor tightening the cam action as the shaft rotates.
 
What you need to picture is the bearing offering resistance. We know that's the opposite of why we use bearings, but with the shaft, bearing, and locking collar all turning together, the part fighting that rotation is the bearing. Imagine a bearing starting to seize up. If the collar had been locked opposite of rotation, the bearing could pull loose. With the collar locked with the rotation, the resistance offered by the bearing is trying to tighten the lock.

Of course in the real world, where rust, dirt, worn parts, stripped out set screws, beat up shafts, inaccessible locations, lack of proper tools, etc. is the norm, we only hope it's safe to use the flame wrench to remove an old bearing, and that we have a new one in the tool box. Those are the things that matter!!!!
 
O.K. To really throw another application in to the pot to boil, how about on a combine shaker shaft where the shaft will turn in the bearing both ways as it goes back and forth????????? In sixty five years of farming and working on machinery I don't ever recall a problem with a locking collar working loose. Like others have said it usually takes the torch to get them off after the bearing fails. Their are a lot bigger inconveniences in life than this.
 
Righty tighty lefty loosy. That way I know which way to loosen them when necessary. Never have had any problems with them coming loose. Now that it showed up on here I likely will tho.
 
Not arguing or saying for a minute that I'm right and bearing manufacturers are wrong,but let me throw out a little devils advocate question. What happens when you put a right handed nut on a shaft that's turning clockwise? It loosens right up if you don't use a locknut. That was always my theory of what would happen with a lock collar.
 
Ya,I understand now. Nobody ever pointed out before that it's the collar with the set screw that's pulling the bearing.

Like I said in another reply,I was likening it to a nut on a threaded shaft,which will spin loose in a hurry.
 
If the shaft turns tighten the collar in the direction of rotation, if the shaft is stationary tighten opposite the direction of rotation.
 
I'm not doubting that it could happen, just hasn't with me yet. But then I never thought of that as a potential problem either. Now that you forced me to think about it I'll probly start having issues.
 
I have three to install on a Versatile swather tomorrow. Now I know how to do it right, thanks all. after the set screw strips, I just use the dremel to remove the collars, did that today.

Dick ND
 
"In sixty five years of farming and working on machinery I don't ever recall a problem with a locking collar working loose."

I'm gonna go out on a limb, here, and venture to guess you've never owned or worked on a Versatile 103 swather!
 

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