Spherical bearing for precise shifting of gear under high stress in MG Rover

Maintenance-free and long-life igubal spherical bearings in the Rover gear shift

This gear lever easily engages the gears of an MG Rover with IB5 gearbox. The car manufacturer equips the gear lever with a rubber bearing as standard. But it wears out over time and becomes porous. This gives the gearbox too much play, and the gears can no longer be easily engaged. With the use of igubal spherical bearings, these problems have become a thing of the past. The bearings can withstand heavy loads and even under permanent stress they do not lose any of their precision.

What was needed: igubal spherical bearings
Requirements: High load due to numerous switching operations over the years, long service life, and lasting precision of the bearing
Industry: Automotive
Success for the customer: The bearing fitted perfectly into the available installation space; at a fraction of the cost. The customer receives a heavy-duty spherical plain bearing that operates with high precision and without maintenance over ta long period. The carmaker expects the bearings themselves to last the lifetime of the cars

Problem

The gear shift lever of a rover from MG is fitted with a rubber bearing as standard, with the aid of which the gear shift movements are made possible. However, since countless gear changes place a heavy load on bearings, the rubber bearing gives way over time. The bearing will slowly wear out and became porous. This is clearly noticeable during driving. The gearbox has too much play, and it becomes more difficult to engage the gears. It is therefore all the more annoying for customers that no identical replacement is available for sale. A completely new gear shift lever means high costs, and the service life of the new rubber bearing is also limited.
The car manufacturer therefore looked for a product alternative that would also work precisely and resiliently over the long term.

Solution

Looking for a better solution, the carmaker received a small selection of bearing products from us. One of them - an igubal spherical bearing - quickly proved to be the ideal solution for this application, exhibiting several advantages over the old component. In addition to the accuracy of fit in the application, which required no further installation space adjustment, it eliminated any play in the gearshift at a fraction of the cost. igubal spherical bearings can withstand heavy loads and do not lose any of their precision, even under permanent stress. They are also maintenance-free and self-adjusting, so they require no further work and the carmaker expects the components to last the lifetime of the cars.

Overview of igubal® spherical bearing technology