A bearing assembly for a turbocharger, comprising:
- a tubular body through which extends a turbine shaft through which a turbine wheel and a compressor impeller are coupled together;
- a turbine wheel-side ball bearing comprising an outer race fitted to one of two axial end portions of the tubular body (5), an inner race provided inside of the outer race and fitted to an outer periphery of the turbine shaft, and a plurality of balls disposed between the outer race and the inner race;
- a compressor impeller-side ball bearing comprising an outer race fitted to the other of the two axial end portions of the tubular body, an inner race provided inside of the outer race of the compressor impeller-side ball bearing and fitted to the outer periphery of the turbine shaft, and a plurality of balls disposed between the outer race and the inner race, of the compressor impeller-side ball bearing;
- an outer race spacer disposed between the outer race of the turbine wheel-side ball bearing and the outer race of the compressor impeller-side ball bearing, and keeping the outer race of the turbine wheel-side ball bearing and the outer race of the compressor impeller-side ball bearing axially spaced apart from each other;
- and
- a bearing housing in which is mounted the tubular body such that an oil film capable of radially supporting the tubular body forms along an outer periphery of the tubular body,
- wherein the bearing housing includes a turbine wheel-side opposed wall opposed to an axially outer side of the outer race of the turbine wheel-side ball bearing, and a compressor impeller-side opposed wall opposed to an axially outer side of the compressor impeller-side ball bearing, and
- wherein the tubular body has two axial end surfaces, and the outer race of the turbine wheel-side ball bearing and the outer race of the compressor impeller-side ball bearing each have an axial end surface located at a same axial position as, or at a position axially outwardly displaced from, a corresponding one of the two axial end surfaces of the tubular body, such that oil films capable of axially supporting the outer races form between the respective outer races and the corresponding opposed walls.