Thrust bearing characteristics are examined in the motion generated by the accelerating slider. The selected case is the situation where the fluid within the lubricating film initially is at rest and at time zero the infinitely long slider assumes a velocity which is a function of time. Numerical solutions to the governing differential equations are obtained for the case of constant but arbitrary acceleration and for the case of acceleration proportional to time. The corresponding previously published analytical solutions are compared with those numerical results.Presented as an American Society of Lubrication Engineers paper at the ASLE/ASME Lubrication Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, October 3–5, 1977