Thrust ball bearings consist of steel balls held within an annular structure and are suitable for low-thrust applications involving light axial loads. Designed to accommodate unidirectional or bidirectional axial (thrust) loads, these bearings are available in both ISO metric and inch series. They comprise two hardened and ground thrust washers—featuring matching raceway grooves on one side—and an integral brass cage that houses precision steel balls. For certain low-speed applications, a full-complement design (omitting the cage) may be used to enhance thrust load-carrying capacity. Thrust ball bearings are not suitable for high-speed operation; at high speeds, sliding between the steel balls and the raceways can occur, potentially leading to smearing.