CLEVITE, THE AMERICAN SPECIALIST IN BEARINGS, PISTONS, CYLINDER LINERS, VALVES AND VALVE GUIDES IS NOW PART OF THE MAHLE GROUP.

The location Cleveland/Ohio and the material graphite – the company name Clevite is based on a combination of these two terms. The roots of this tradition- rich bearing manufacturer reach back to the year 1910: at that time, the enthusiastic inventor Ernst Dann succeeded in developing a self-lubricating bearing. The basis of this invention was a bronze strip with honeycombed recesses in which graphite was embedded at the inside. A small company with four employees was founded at once and developed in 1919 into the appropriately named Cleveland Graphite Bronze Company.

Soon, the expanding company developed new products: for instance, the first thin-walled steel supported insert-type bearing for easier repair of crankshaft bearings. Or the further development of the Babitt coating (named after its inventor), the Micro-Babitt bearing that achieves 70 % increase in strength thanks to a reduced alloy layer. A further step in the evolution of bearings was the first TriMetal bearing in 1944 – a steel backed, galvanized lead-copper cast bearing with a very thin layer of Babitt (Micro-Babitt) alloy. This design was improved again in 1948, thanks to a patented nickel barrier layer that prevented a chemical reaction between the lead-copper alloy and the Babitt.

In the mid-50s, now already under the name Clevite, the company issued a license to Vandervell Products Ltd. in Great Britain for the production of the material for bearing components in lead-copper alloy. About 35 years later, Clevite and Vandervell Products Ltd. amalgamated with the Glacier Bearing Co. – and since March 2007, Clevite is an aftermarket brand of our company. MAHLE now supplies the complete Clevite engine components programme of pistons, cylinder liners, bearings and valve drive components to repair shops for passenger cars, commercial vehicles and high-performance engines of international manufacturers such as Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Caterpillar, Cummins, Detroit Diesel or John Deere.

Thanks to the innovative lead-copper casting technology, Clevite is also established in worldwide motor racing. For example, TriMetal bearings are used in the NASCAR, NHRA, Formula 1 and Indy Car – but also in “Tractor Pulling”, the “Monster Trucks” and in amateur motor racing.

The traditionally innovative and expansive company has been part of the MAHLE group since 2007. This integration has led to various synergetic effects. The brand Clevite benefits in particular from the sales structure of the parent group and is therefore now also available to a global customer base: Clevite is specialised in American applications. The supply and invoicing to markets outside America is handled exclusively from the USA since January 2008. The regionally responsible vendors or sales offices will still be your contacts for the sale of products.

A TOP RANGE OF BEARINGS
The Clevite product range: a multitude of bearing types for different applications.

P-SERIES – This is divided into standard bearings (larger production volume) and high performance bearings. The latter are known for optimum concentric running and generally have continuous lubrication grooves, which significantly improve the lubrication layer between bearing and shaft. Connecting rod bearings of the P-Series are used in particular to reduce the risk of connecting-rod bearing seizure at high engine speeds, to reach higher concentricity and achieve a small bearing clearance.

H-SERIES – These bearings, also known as NASCAR bearings, are especially designed for all kinds of racing engines and are especially suited for crankshafts with large bearing diameters, in engines that operate at medium and high engine speeds.

K-SERIES – The TriArmor™ engine bearings are a further development of the H-Series, however, are coated with a protective molybdenum disulfide layer and offer therefore both additional protection (so-called emergency running properties) and reduced friction, especially during engine start-up.

V-SERIES – These are based on the former Vandervell bearings, which differ from the other TriMetal bearings of the Clevite product range in a lead-indium coating. The engine bearings of the V-Series with lead-indium coating are recommended when good load-bearing capacity is preferred while wear resistance is slightly reduced.

M-SERIES – The Clevite Micro bearings are special purpose bearings. A thin Babitt layer (Babitt = white metal, a tin-antimony-copper alloy) on the hardened steel back provides high load-bearing capacity. The bearings are especially suitable for engines in which severe crankshaft deflections cause edge loading of the bearings.