Introduction
Thrust ball bearings are designed to accommodate axial loads only and cannot support radial loads. They may be installed individually, or in pairs. Thrust ball bearings are ill suited to high speed applications due to the heavy loading that occurs at the outer edges of the races. A common application of thrust ball bearings is the clutch release in an automobile.
An interactive 3D model of a ball thrust bearing.
Additional Resources
https://itstillruns.com/types-wheel-bearings-7160664.html
https://monroeengineering.com/blog/what-are-thrust-bearings-and-how-do-they-work
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/materials-science/thrust-bearing