Many of us have been there; the bearings had the correct preload. You know it, you were there, and you personally saw the measurements. Now, the testing is done and the preload is gone. Not a little gone, not sort of gone - gone, gone. Finger pointing ensues. Suppliers are dragged in by their wrinkly Polo collars. You know the drill. Losing preload in a tapered roller bearing (TRB) system over the life of your application can be a troublesome problem, particularly for gear sets that are prone to noise or severe applications that rely on a very rigid and stable system.

Following is a presentation of a gear design based upon a theoretically perfect gear technology, for which an overview is offered for consideration. What follows is a report on the design's testing and subsequent manufacture of a hypoid gear pair for a 1999 Ford Mustang.

A reader asks: I've determined that a stainless steel bearing is the best option for my application. I'm being asked to specify the grade of stainless steel in my product design. I'm not sure which grade to select and specify. Can you help?

What are the applications for net-forged gears. Are they used outside automotive differentials?

The scene is serene and picturesque. Sunshine reflects off the light chop of the Ohio River, as a barge winds its way into view. While those driving along Louisville’s River Road may be inclined to reach for a camera to capture this idyllic scene, the mood at Nugent Sand Company is anything but tranquil.

"Well begun is half done," a quote that most reference materials attribute to Aristotle, certainly applies when selecting mechanical power transmission products. A selection process that is well thought out at the start can ensure that the product selected will be properly sized and appropriate to the application at hand.

It's not a show title that rolls off the tongue, but the Industrial Automation North America and MDA NA @IMTS 2014 show nevertheless may well be one to remember.

What are the best methods to adjust tapered roller bearings?

The 8th International CTI Symposium on Automotive Transmissions, HEV and EV Drives took place in Rochester, Michigan from May 12-15. The event kicked off with its popular introductory seminar "Basics and Practice of Automotive Transmissions."

At the recently held annual meeting of the Bearing Specialists Association, there was a lot of talk about online sales channels and how Internet retailers are changing the way industrial products are researched, sourced and purchased.