Modern industrial machinery is making increasing use of tapered roller bearings for shaft support systems. Tapered roller bearings combine the high radial load capacity of cylindrical roller bearings with the ability of ball bearings to accommodate thrust loading. This is accomplished, however, at the expense of increased geometric and kinematic complexity, with resultant stringent demands on manufacturing tolerance control. With industrial machinery being operated at ever increasing speeds to improve productivity and while manufacturing costs are increasing at a comparable rate, a balance must be effected between performance and geometry control in order to produce cost effective bearings.