Thrust bearings are a specialized type of bearing designed to handle axial stresses while allowing rotary motion between two different moving parts. Thrust, in this case, actually refers to the axial loads under which such bearings are designed to operate. Some of the different types of thrust bearing include ball, roller, fluid and magnetic. In automotive applications, ball and roller thrust bearings are typically used in wheel hubs, while manual transmissions can utilize what is commonly known as a throw-out bearing as part of the clutch mechanism.
