Terminology -- Bearing/Bushing

One often sees the word 'bushing' used for what is in fact a 'bearing' -- a 'sleeve bearing'. It's an accepted usage, but it's a poor one that ought to be avoided.

The word 'bushing' is best reserved for items that merely take up the space between two different diameters. The following photograph gives a good illustration.

At the very left is one end of a coated fuser roller from a Lexmark T640. Next to it is the bushing that goes on the end of the roller for thermal isolation. Next to the bushing is the ball bearing that fits over the bushing.

The remaining two items are both bearings -- sleeve bearings.

Think of it this way, if a thing serves to bear the load of a rotating component, then it's a bearing. Bushings are just filler.

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