Department of Transportation

Federal Aviation Administration TSO-C149

Aircraft Certification Service
Washington, DC
Date: 4/24/98

Technical Standard Order

Subject: TSO-C149, AIRCRAFT BEARINGS

1. PURPOSE. This technical standard order (TSO) prescribes property test requirements to
obtain the minimum performance of aircraft bearings to be identified with the applicable TSO
marking.

2. APPLICABILITY. The standards of this TSO apply to the types of bearings described in
appendix 1, Aircraft Bearing Property Test Requirements, intended for rotation and/or
oscillatory applications in the manufacture and maintenance of aircraft products. The standards
of this TSO are also adaptable to manufacturer’s catalog bearings and bearings of proprietary
designs. This TSO shall not be used for standard parts or parts known to be used in critical
applications.

3. REQUIREMENTS. Aircraft bearings that are to be identified with this TSO and that are
manufactured on or after the date of this TSO must meet the minimum performance standards
specified in the manufacturer’s part drawing(s) and applicable part specification(s) submitted
with the bearing manufacturer’s application for TSO authorization.

a. Test Requirements. The required performance shall be demonstrated by

accomplishing the tests specified for each property in the part drawing(s) and applicable part
specification(s), in accordance with the test procedures specified in appendix 1.

b. Deviations. Alternative test procedures or analytical data that produce an equivalent

level of safety may be used if specified at the time of TSO application and approved in
accordance with 14 CFR §21.609.

4. MARKING.

a. In addition to the marking specified in 14 CFR §21.607(d), the bearing type, the
lubrication date (if applicable), and the manufacturer’s inspection lot number shall be
permanently and legibly marked on each package or container.

b. Each individual bearing that is manufactured under this TSO must be permanently and
legibly marked with at least the name or symbol of the manufacturer, the manufacturer’s part

DISTRIBUTION: ZVS-326; A-W(IR)-3; A-X(FS)-3; A-X(CD)-4; A-FFS-1,2,7,8(LTD);

A-FAC-0(MAX); AVN-1 (2 cys)
TSO-C149 4/24/98

number, and TSO number. When this is not practical, marking may be accomplished in a
manner acceptable by the Administrator.

5. DATA REQUIREMENTS.

a. In accordance with 14 CFR §21.605(a) the following data must be furnished to the
Aircraft Certification Office (ACO) manager having purview of the manufacturer’s facility with
each TSO application:

(1) Part drawing(s) and applicable specifications necessary to define the design
and minimum performance for each bearing part number.

(2) Manufacturer’s TSO qualification test report in accordance with the test
procedures specified in appendix 1.

(3) Inspection lot number(s) of qualification parts.

b. In addition to the data required by paragraph 5.a., the following data must be available
for review by the ACO manager having purview of the manufacturer’s facility:

(1) Copies of all standards/specifications used in the manufacturer’s application

for TSO authorization.

(2) Inspection lot number and quantity for each production lot of bearings.

(3) Acceptance inspection test results for each lot of bearings.

c. Data and information that must accompany aircraft bearings manufactured under this
TSO:

(1) Inspection lot number(s) and quantity of parts shipped.

(2) Date of lubrication (if applicable) or date of manufacturer.

(3) A note with the following statement: “The parts contained in this shipment
have been manufactured and inspected in accordance with TSO-C149. The conditions and tests
required for TSO approval of this article are minimum performance standards. Aircraft bearings
approved under this TSO are not necessarily interchangeable with other aircraft bearings
approved under this TSO. Bearings of similar dimensional properties may have widely varying
performance properties. Substitution of bearings may only be done if approved by the
Administrator.”

6. INSPECTION LOT OF BEARINGS. An inspection lot consists of assembled bearings of a

particular part number, assembled at the same time and processed through all final assembly
operations as a single group, and subsequently submitted for final inspection at one time.

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7. AVAILABILITY OF REFERENCE DOCUMENTS.

a. Military documents may be purchased from: DoDSSP, Customer Service

Subscription Service Desk, 700 Robins Avenue, Building 4D, Philadelphia, PA 19111-5094.

b. American National Standards Institute/American Bearing Manufacturers Association

(ANSI/ABMA) documents may be purchased from, ABMA, 1200 19th Street NW, Washington,
DC 20036.

c. American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) documents may be purchased
from: ASTM, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959.

d. Federal Aviation Regulations Part 21, Subpart O, may be purchased from:

Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325.

e. Advisory Circular 20-110 (current revision), “Index of Aviation Technical Standard

Orders,” may be obtained from: U.S. Department of Transportation, Subsequent Distribution
Office, Ardmore East Business Center, 3341 Q 75th Avenue, Landover, MD 20785.

/S/ Abbas A. Rizvi

Acting Manager, Aircraft Engineering Division
Aircraft Certification Service

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Appendix 1
APPENDIX 1, AIRCRAFT BEARING PROPERTY TEST REQUIREMENTS

Table 1 - Aircraft Bearing Property Test Requirements, Rotational Motion

Design Properties Performance
Properties
Materials Hardness Dimensions Radial Radial Static Radial Dynamic
Bearing Internal Radial Load
Runout Load Rating
Type Clearance Rating
Ball X X X X X X X
Miniature/Inst. Ball X X X X X X X
Roller X X X X X X X

Needle Roller X X X X X X X

Applicable Drawing or ASTM E18 ANSI/ABMA, Standard 4 ANSI/ABMA, Standard 9

Specification ANSI/ABMA, Standard 11
Documents ANSI/ABMA, Standard 12.1
ANSI/ABMA, Standard 12.1
ANSI/ABMA, Standard 12.2 ANSI/ABMA, Standard 12.2

Table 2 - Aircraft Bearing Property Test Requirements,

Slow Rotational and Oscillatory Motion
Design Properties
Bearing Materials Hardness Dimension Surface Lubrication Radial Axial Internal Applicable
s Treatment Internal Clearance Documents
Type Clearance
Ball X X X X X X X MIL-B-7949
Rod ends with integral X X X X X X X MIL-B-6039
ball bearing
Roller X X X X X X X MIL-B-8914
Rod ends with integral X X X X X X X MIL-B-8952
roller bearing
Needle Roller X X X X X X X MIL-B-3990

Needle track rollers, X X X X X X X MIL-B-3990

Stud type
Needle track rollers, X X X X X X X MIL-B-3990
yoke type
Spherical plain, X X X X X MIL-B-8976
lubricated
Rod ends with integral X X X X X *MIL-B-81935
spherical plain bearings, and
lubricated *MIL-B-8976
Spherical plain bearings, X X X X MIL-B-81820
self- lubricated
Rod ends with integral X X X X MIL-B-81935
spherical plain bearings,
self-lubricated
Journal bearings, X X X X MIL-B-81934
straight and flanged,
self-lubricated
*MIL-B-81935 is applicable to testing; MIL-B-8976 is referenced for product features.

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TSO-C149 4/24/98
Appendix 1
APPENDIX 1, AIRCRAFT BEARING PROPERTY TEST REQUIREMENTS (continued)

Table 2 (continued)
Design Performance Properties
Properties
Bearing Radial Axial No-Load Static Radial Static Axial Dynamic Ultimate Applicable
Runout Runout Breakaway Limit Load Limit Load Radial Load Static Radial Documents
Type Torque Rating Limit Load
Ball X X X X X X X MIL-B-7949
Rod ends with X X X X MIL-B-6039
integral ball bearing
Roller X X X X MIL-B-8914
Rod ends with X X X X MIL-B-8952
integral roller bearing
Needle Roller X X MIL-B-3990

Needle track rollers, X X MIL-B-3990

Stud type
Needle track rollers, X X MIL-B-3990
yoke type
Spherical plain, X X X X X MIL-B-8976
lubricated
Rod ends with X X X X X *MIL-B-81935
integral spherical and
plain bearings, *MIL-B-8976
lubricated
Spherical plain X X X X X MIL-B-81820
bearings, self-
lubricated
Rod ends with X X X X X MIL-B-81935
integral spherical
plain bearings, self-
lubricated
Journal bearings, X X X X MIL-B-81934
straight and flanged,
self-lubricated
*MIL-B-81935 is applicable to testing; MIL-B-8976 is referenced for product features.

AIRCRAFT BEARING PROPERTY TEST REQUIREMENTS

1. BEARING PROPERTIES. Tables 1 and 2 specify bearing property test requirements for
each bearing type, as defined on the manufacturers drawing(s) and/or specification(s). The
specific material and specific design property values, such as, hardness or dimensions, form the
basis of the bearing design; the specific values for performance properties, such as, static radial
load rating or ultimate static radial load limit form the basis of the bearing “minimum
performance.”

2. BEARING SERIES TEST SAMPLE. A bearing series (model) of a particular design and
type, with a range defined in the bearing manufacturer’s application for TSO authorization, may
be qualified by submitting test data for a sample that is most representative of the design
encompassed by the series.

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4/24/98 TSO-C149
Appendix 1
APPENDIX 1, AIRCRAFT BEARING PROPERTY TEST REQUIREMENTS (continued)

Applicable Documents. The revision of the documents (or successor documents) listed below
in effect on the date of TSO application must be acceptable to the administrator and used to
establish the procedures for test and evaluation of aircraft bearings, as indicated in the part
drawing and procurement or product specification(s). All additional specifications governing
test and evaluation of a bearing covered by this TSO must be specified at the time of application
for TSO authorization.

MIL-B-3990 Military Specification, Bearings, Roller, Needle, Airframe, Anti-friction, Inch

MIL-B-6039 Military Specification, Bearing, Double Row, Ball Sealed, Rod End, Anti-
friction, Self-Aligning

MIL-B-7949 Military Specification, Bearings, Ball, Airframe, Anti-friction

MIL-B-8914 Military Specification, Bearing, Roller, Self-Aligning, Airframe, Anti-friction

MIL-B-8952 Military Specification, Bearing, Roller, Rod End, Anti-friction, Self-Aligning

MIL-B-8976 Military Specification, Bearing, Plain, Self-Aligning, All-Metal

MIL-B-81820 Military Specification, Bearings, Plain, Self-Aligning, Self-Lubricating, Low

Speed Oscillation, General Specification For

MIL-B-81934 Military Specification, Bearings, Plain, Sleeve, Plain and Flanged, Self-
Lubricated

MIL-B-81935 Military Specification, Bearings, Plain, Rod End, Self-Aligning, Self-

Lubricating, Low Speed Oscillation, General Specification For

ANSI/ABMA Standard 4, Tolerance Definitions and Gauging Practices for Ball and Roller
Bearings

ANSI/ABMA Standard 9, Load Ratings and Fatigue Life for Ball Bearings

ANSI/ABMA Standard 11, Load Ratings and Fatigue Life for Roller Bearings

ANSI/ABMA Standard 12.1, Instrument Ball Bearings, Metric Design

ANSI/ABMA Standard 12.2, Instrument Ball Bearings, Inch Design

ASTM E 18 Standard Test Methods for Rockwell Hardness and Rockwell Superficial
Hardness of Metallic Materials

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