Rudder Bearings


SXL Rudder Bearings

SXL workboat install from Jim Bright

Thordon SXL self-lubricating rudder bearings eliminate grease for all rudder bearing applications above and below the waterline. Reliability, long wear life and superior customer service have made Thordon the first choice in pollution free rudder bearing applications for over 25 years with an impressive reference list of over 4000 vessels.

With a worldwide distribution network Thordon rudder bearings can be delivered fast to any ship repair facility in the world.

Thordon SXL rudder bearings offer low friction, operating pressures up to 12 N/mm2 (1740 psi) and the complete elimination of grease and greasing systems removing any risk of pollution. Thordon SXL can also withstand high shock loads and edge loading.

In addition to SXL pintle, stock and carrier disc bearings, SXL TRAXL or ThorPlas, can be specified grease free in steering and linkage applications, as well as fin stabilizers. In workboat applications, ThorPlas is recommended for the more highly loaded bushings in the tiller arm and "jockey-bar" linkages. Both products operate grease free saving you time, money and the risk of pollution.

Thordon self lubricating rudder stock seals provide exceptional wear life, completing the rudder bearing package.





Design

Bearing Size Icon

The final (fully finished) sizing of a Thordon elastomer or ThorPlas bearing can be determined by using the Thordon Bearing Sizing Calculation Program.

You cannot run the Thordon Bearing Sizing Calculation Program without a User Registration Number. Once you have a User Registration Number you can download the Program below and enter it when prompted.

Click here to Request a Bearing Sizing Program User Registration Number

If you have a Bearing Sizing Program User Registration Number, you can download the program here



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Our Newsletter

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  • News-Thumbnails-320x160_NWWB21

    Thordon Workboat NewsWorks 2021

    Thordon’s web-based newsletter specifically developed for marine users of oil-free and grease-free bearings in the workboat sector. This newsletter includes feature articles that highlight our successes in the Workboat industry with TG100 shaft seals, RiverTough tailshaft bearings, and other pollution-free Thordon products on the US Inland Waterways, Latin America and around the world.
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Recent Marine News

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  • TG100 installed on Rio Yelcho

    Thordon Bearings Supplies its First TG100 Seal in Chile

    Jan 23, 2024
    Leading water-lubricated bearings and seals innovator Thordon Bearings has completed the installation of its award-winning TG100 tailshaft seals on a twin-screw passenger vessel. The retrofit took place during a scheduled drydocking at a Chilean yard in October 2023. It is the Canadian company’s first TG100 reference aboard a Chilean operated vessel.
    Learn More
  • ThordonNews-July623-thumb

    Thordon Optimizes the Articulating Rudder with a New Bearing Seal Combo to Keep Vessels out of Drydock

    Jul 10, 2023
    When a 9,280hp workboat returned to service following extensive repairs at the James Marine Paducah River Service yard in Kentucky, U.S.A., it marked the first application of Thordon’s new seal-embedded bearing to an articulating rudder. Articulating rudders are unlike conventional rudders and can be more costly to repair when things go wrong. They are more susceptible to wear and tear, due to the higher operating pressures and abrasives, and as a result, require a more robust bearing and seal solution.
    Learn More