The bearing race is usually made of 52100 steel (bearing grade chromium steel), which is valued for its mechanical strength, high hardness and excellent wear resistance of bearing parts. The hardness is usually Rockwell C 58 to 62.

Hartford's bearing parts, especially the bearing races, are usually made of forged blanks or pipes/tubes. Then machine and grind the parts to the exact inner diameter, outer diameter and width. The bearing race must withstand the high load imposed by the rolling element. This load is theoretically a point in the ball bearing and a line in the roller bearing.