LRB radial spherical plain bearings requiring maintenance(steel-on-steel) generally have hardened sliding contact surface on both rings. The surfaces are treated with molybdenum disulphide and phosphated. It has characteristics of wear-resistance and wear-corrosion. Bearings with this sliding contact surface combination require regular relubrication. The high strength of the sliding contact surfaces makes these bearings especially suitable for bearing arrangements where heavy loads of alternating direction, shock loads or heavy static loads have to be accommodated.
LRB maintenance-free spherical plain bearings sliding contact surfaces have four groups:steel-on-PTFE composite material ,steel-on-PTFE fabric , steel-on-copper alloy and steel-on-PTFE plastic. Dynamic load support capability of steel-on-PTFE fabric spherical plain bearings is higher than that of steel-on-PTFE composite material. They have very low friction and can be operated without maintenance. They are used for applications where long bearing lives are required without maintenance, or where operating conditions,such as inadequate lubrication or the absence of lubrication make the use of steel-on-steel bearing inadvisable.