Turbos Explained: Ball Bearing Turbos VS Journal Bearing Turbos

When it comes to putting together a car or truck build, there are lots of different ways to skin a cat. Just because one theory might be more popular than another isn’t always to say that it’s better. In fact, there are a lot of different factors that might make one thing more popular than anything else. One of those factors could be the good old fashion rumor mill filled with watercooler talk or even a smart marketing plan to sell a product by making it seem superior.

When it comes to turbochargers, this fact might be in play. It depends on who you ask but, depending on the application, there are a couple of different turbocharger setups to choose from. On one hand, we have the ball bearing turbo and on the other, journal bearing turbochargers make their presence felt. Getting to the bottom of it might require a bit of research but many who are picking out a turbocharger should likely look into this idea to see which unit is best for the application in question.

This time, Mitchell Stapleton a.k.a. Stapleton42 on YouTube gives us the inside scoop with a little bit of help from Robert at Forced Performance. As it turns out, just like with lots of other things in the automotive world, turbochargers can have their fair share of myths backing them. In some cases, a specific feature might be necessary but in others, you can completely just go with the basic setup and be completely fine. Where it becomes appropriate to spend the extra money is all going to depend on who you ask and if they have any stake in selling you that extra piece.

As they say, knowledge is power, and down in the video below, we get to learn all about and how exactly one would go about picking out their turbo which truly puts the ball in your court as an informed buyer.