Thrust washers are used as a bearing surface for rotary applications. They are usually made of steel, bronze, plastic, or other materials with low friction coefficients. Thrust washers, sometimes called rotary thrust washers, are washers designed to prevent movement along the axis of a shaft.

Thrust washers can be found in almost every appliance, machine, transportation conveyance, power tool, and recreational device that has moving parts, axles, bolts, pins, bearings, and rotating components. In their simplest form, thrust washers are long-wearing flat bearings in the shape of a washer that transmit and resolve axial forces in rotating mechanisms to keep components aligned along a shaft. Thrust washers are an economical alternative to rolling thrust bearings whenever forces velocities are moderate.

Thrust washers are made from many different materials, and are selected for the best combination of performance, maintenance and price. Most hardened steel shafting applications will use an Oilite type of washer which is a very porous bronze material that can contain more than 30% oil by volume. As such, Oilite is self-lubricating.