Abstract: An improved tilting pad journal bearing for supporting a rotatable shaft and having a plurality of pads hydrostatically supported within a carrier ring by an oil film that is hydrodynamically generated. The improvement includes a bearing pad having a hydrostatic cavity in the outer face of the pad and positioned so that the radial center line of the cavity is in the range of 0.degree. to 12.degree. downstream of the pad radial center line, with reference to the direction of the rotation of the shaft. An improved pad cam for each adjacent bearing pad is also shown. The pad cam is mounted to the carrier ring and has a pair of inclined faces which converge towards each other as the radially innermost portion of the pad cam is approached. Correspondingly, the opposed ends of each pad are generally arcuate to provide pad end surfaces that confront the inclined pad cam surfaces.