Bearings

Hangar door bearings rarely fail from load. They fail from contamination and missed lubrication. We stock tapered roller bearings sized to match 9 in. through 24 in. caster wheels, flange block and pillow block bearings in 1-1/4 in., mast guide bearings for heavy-load bifold doors, and cam followers.

Matching a tapered roller bearing to your caster

Our caster bearings are sized to the wheel they sit in, so the caster diameter is the only number you need. Tapered rollers are the right design here because they carry high loads at low rotational speed, which is exactly what a hangar door caster does. Measure the caster rather than the old bearing, since a worn bearing is difficult to identify by sight.

Not sure of your caster size? See hangar door casters for how to measure it.

The other bearings we carry

Flange block and pillow block use the same bearing insert; the difference is purely how the housing mounts. If you are replacing one, the mounting surface tells you which you need. Mast guide bearings use a thick hardened outer ring and single row construction to handle the concentrated load a bifold door puts on the mast.

Why bearings fail early

Published load ratings assume a clean, dry environment. Once grit, grain dust, or salt air gets past the seal, it mixes with the grease and turns into a grinding compound that pits the races. A cam follower usually announces itself before it fails outright: you hear it first, and the door starts binding at the same point in its travel every cycle. Shortening the re-lubrication interval does more for bearing life in a dirty environment than moving to a heavier-rated bearing.

Hangar door bearings: common questions