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  Journal bearings rely on fluid films(usually oil) to support rotating shafts. Ball bearings provide the same support of shafts through mechanical means. Both bearings are used to counter radial and axial loads. Journal Bearings The portion of the shaft supported by the bearing is called the journal and is usually hardened for wear-resistance. Bearing pad material is usually a softer material such as tin- and lead-based babbitt, bronze, copper-lead, sintered powdered metal, carbon, PTFE, etc. As the shaft rotates in the bearing clearance it tends to want to climb up the bearing wall, creating a region of high pressure in the oil film which supports the shaft journal. As the load on the shaft varies, so too does this region of high-pressure, making journal bearings quite tolerant of overloads and shock loads. Journal bearings are affected by the misalignment between bearing and shaft as its presence tends to hamper the formation of the fluid film. Ball Bearings A typical ball or ro...