High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! A plain bearing, also known as a plane bearing, is the simplest type of bearing comprising of just a bearing surface and no rolling elements, therefore the journal (i.e., the part of the shaft in contact with the bearing) slides over the bearing surface. The simplest example of a plain bearing is a shaft rotating in a hole. A simple linear bearing can be a pair of flat surfaces designed to allow motion, e.g., a drawer and the slides it rests on. Plain bearings, in general, are the least expensive type of bearing. They are also compact, light weight, and have a high load-carrying capacity.