Rod End Bearings in Aircraft
Believe it or not, building an aircraft is a complicated process. It is one thing to design the aircraft on paper or more likely, on the computer, but it is another thing to piece it together. Specialized tools and hardware are required to fix the various aircraft components in place and allow for any mechanical movement to occur. Bearings are small pieces of hardware that house linear or rotational movement. As the name suggests, bearings bear weight within a piece of machinery, and are particularly useful in reducing the amount of friction within a machine. The moving parts have a smaller surface area than two rigid components moving past one another. By decreasing the amount of friction inside a machine, you are effectively increasing the lifespan of the machine. Bearings are widely used across the aviation, marine, and defense industries. There are numerous types of bearings including the popular rod end bearing.
Often referred to as the help joint or rose joint, the rod end bearing is a mechanical joint used on the end of control rods in both the automotive and aviation industries. Bearing some resemblance to a rose, rod end bearings consist of a shaft, head, and a ball bearing between the head and the inner ring. An opening is centered in the middle of the joint through which a bolt or other attaching hardware can be linked. Due to the high stress situations in which they are used, rod end bearings need to be made out of a corrosion resistant, strong metal such as steel or stainless steel.
Aluminum is a popular material used in aircraft as it is lightweight and durable.
Rod end bearings can be categorized into male and female bearings. Male bearings are threaded on the exterior, whereas female rod end bearings are characterized by interior threading. Female rod bearings are able to handle unique applications that aren’t possible with male rod end bearings. Helicopters require the use of female rod end bearings to adjust the direction of a propeller blade. In fact, mechanics can use a female rod end bearing to fine tune or make precise adjustments to various instruments. Special attention should be taken to ensure the bearing is correctly aligned to the component before fittings as damage could be caused through friction or wear and tear.
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