Bearings from King - strong also thanks to smart coating
November 30, 2023
King Engine Bearings is one of the big names among the manufacturers of high-quality plain bearings. At first sight, it is a relatively simple product, but in practice, a lot is involved in developing a plain bearing. The developers at King Engine Bearings and the performance specialists at King Racing are always looking for a bearing with the best properties for the right application.
In this blog, a look at Wilmink Engine Parts' range and one of the secrets behind King's bearings: a sophisticated bearing coating to offer the best resistance to the increasingly heavy load on the bearings in modern engines, especially in engines equipped with a start/stop system to save fuel.
Typical King - bearings with ultra-fine polymer coating
| Engines in the 'Performance' category, like Heavy Duty machines and aircraft engines, naturally demand top quality. At King, they have been studying this since 1960. You can also see this development in the range of aftermarket bearings. Modern engines, with small displacement but high power, demand a lot from the bearing material used. Bearings are narrower and work with a thinner oil film. One of King's innovations in this field is a coating based on a 'nanocomposite polymer'. A state-of-the-art polymer coating is known as K-340. | |
This coating is designed for use on relatively hard materials such as bronze, aluminum alloys, sputter bearings, and King silver-based bearings. These are the so-called bi-metal bearings, which are steel backings with the bearing material on top. The polymer coating of only 5-10 microns thickness is applied to the bi-metal bearing with a steel backing and a reinforced aluminum alloy. This is an integral part of the manufacturing process at King bearings.
Especially for application in racing engines, King Racing has developed the XP bearings, a tri-metal bearing equipped with the patented pMaxKotetm polymer that is resistant to the heaviest loads. The King Racing department doesn't discuss 'The Science of Speed' for nothing. Thanks to their years of experience and knowledge, they can certainly call their bearings 'the bearings of the future'! King Racing's bearings are also used in Koenigsegg engines for a reason.
Another golden idea from King: silver! Or SV material
Sputter bearings are often used for highly loaded engines. However, manufacturing a sputter bearing is an expensive process. Therefore, only one-half of the bearing is usually made as a sputter bearing in this way. King has developed a bearing with a Silver-based top layer as an alternative. These SV bearings have the same, if not better, properties as sputter bearings, which are used in both bearing halves.
Advice from Wilmink
Feel free to ask Wilmink's specialist for advice when ordering King bearings. Because not infrequently, other factors within the engine also play a role in a bearing problem. Think of a malfunctioning air filter or the (too) long prescribed oil intervals.
Below is a selection from the wide King bearing range available at Wilmink Engine Parts:
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| Connecting rod bearing | Main bearing | |
For all King bearings, please visit our webshop or contact our specialists at sales@wilminkgroup.com.