Among similarly sized bearings, which type can accommodate the greatest radial load?

Cylindrical roller bearings are designed specifically to handle higher radial loads compared to other types of bearings of similar size. This capability comes from their unique construction, which features rollers rather than balls as in ball bearings. The cylindrical shape of the rollers provides a larger contact area with the raceways, enabling them to distribute the load more evenly.

Additionally, the cylindrical roller design allows for an increased number of rollers in the same bearing envelope, further enhancing their load-carrying capacity. This makes cylindrical roller bearings particularly suitable for applications where high radial loads are prevalent, such as in heavy machinery and industrial equipment.

In contrast, while ball bearings and tapered roller bearings have their own advantages—such as reduced friction in ball bearings and the ability to handle axial load in tapered roller bearings—they do not provide the same radial load capacity as cylindrical roller bearings. Needle bearings, on the other hand, are effective in applications with limited radial space and can handle moderate radial loads, but they cannot compete with the load capacity of cylindrical roller bearings.