The influence of the roughness parameter (C) and the roughness patterns (longitudinal, transverse and isotropic) on the steady state and dynamic characteristics of hydrodynamic journal bearings with rough surfaces has been studied using the model of Christensen and Tonder. Reynolds-type equations have been solved using the stochastic finite method. It is seen that the transverse roughness tends to increase significantly load carrying capacity and stability with roughness values, whereas in the case of other roughness patterns the effect as seen to be very small.