---
title: White Paper - 5 Common Misconceptions About Bearing Preload 
description: Proper bearing preload is essential for improving stiffness, accuracy, noise reduction, and bearing life, yet it remains one of the most misunderstood aspects of bearing design.
---

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# Featured Resource

## 5 Common Misconceptions About Bearing Preload

Proper bearing preload is essential for improving stiffness, accuracy, noise reduction, and bearing life, yet it remains one of the most misunderstood aspects of bearing design. This whitepaper addresses five common misconceptions that often lead engineers to apply preload incorrectly or avoid it altogether, resulting in excess heat, vibration, and premature failure. The paper also explains why spring‑based preload solutions, particularly single‑turn wave springs, offer a more forgiving and consistent alternative to rigid preload methods by accommodating tolerance variation, thermal expansion, and real‑world operating conditions, helping engineers achieve stable, repeatable performance and longer system life.

Takeaways:

- Uncover the most common assumptions about bearing preload and why they often lead to hidden performance issues.
- Learn when preload truly matters and how real‑world conditions can change its impact once equipment is in operation.
- See how spring‑based preload approaches can simplify design decisions while improving long‑term reliability.

![2026_ME_Whitepaper_BearingPreload](https://resources.asme.org/hs-fs/hubfs/2026_ME_Whitepaper_BearingPreload.jpg?width=282&height=165&name=2026_ME_Whitepaper_BearingPreload.jpg)

 

**Company Profile**

 Smalley delivers high‑quality wave springs and spiral retaining rings backed by more than a century of engineering excellence. Our components support applications across nearly every manufacturing industry, including medical, automotive, and aerospace. As the inventor of the edgewound Crest‑to‑Crest® wave spring and Spirolox® retaining ring, Smalley products have been trusted for their performance, space-efficiency, and ability to optimize designs in over 25,000 applications.

 

*Brought to you by:*

[![Smalley_Logo-Engineer-Choice-Transparent (1)](https://resources.asme.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Smalley_Logo-Engineer-Choice-Transparent%20(1).png?width=470&height=171&name=Smalley_Logo-Engineer-Choice-Transparent%20(1).png)](https://expert.smalley.com/l/104962/2026-03-13/5xy8k6)

 

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