Spherical roller bearings
4,030 dimension rows · 4,030 model records · FAG, KOYO, SKF
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Spherical roller bearings: types, dimensions & brand filters
Self-aligning roller designs support substantial radial load and, depending on design, axial load.
On this page9 sections ⌄
What is this bearing type?
Spherical roller bearings combine roller load capacity with a self-aligning raceway arrangement. They support substantial radial load and axial load in either direction, subject to the limits of the actual design.
| Part or design | What it does | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Rollers and spherical raceway | Accommodate limited misalignment while carrying load. | The permitted angle is model- and installation-specific. |
| Cylindrical or tapered bore | Determines the shaft seat and mounting method. | Retain taper and sleeve information. |
| Clearance and cage | Affect the selected and mounted condition. | Do not drop clearance or cage suffixes from a comparison. |
On a small screen, scroll the table horizontally to read all three columns.
Variants that change the answer
Tapered-bore bearings may use adapter or withdrawal sleeves. Mounting on a taper changes the fit and internal clearance, so a bore-size match alone is insufficient. Special vibration or temperature variants remain separate specifications.
What the family name cannot tell you
Do not assign one manufacturer’s temperature limit, grease or misalignment figure to this entire family. Self-alignment is not permission to ignore housing support or shaft deflection.
Identify the exact part before comparing
- Identify bore form, sleeve if fitted and complete clearance designation.
- Compare radial and axial duty with the exact source ratings.
- Use the applicable mounting procedure to verify the installed clearance rather than guessing from the unmounted class.
Inspect real catalogue records below →Self-aligning ball designs →Mounting accessories →Clearance reference →
Technical reference basis: NSK: Spherical Roller Bearings. Explanation and lookup workflow: BearingScope. Manufacturer-specific limits remain attached to the exact product record.
Spherical roller bearings: alignment, tapered bores, clearance and variants
Separate three questions: what load the bearing carries, how it accommodates misalignment, and how it mounts on the shaft. A self-aligning design does not remove the need to control fit, clearance and axial location.
Why spherical roller bearings self-align
The common radial spherical roller bearing uses two roller rows and a spherical outer-ring raceway. It supports substantial radial duty and can carry axial force in both directions within the exact design's limits. Raceway geometry permits alignment adjustment between the inner assembly and outer ring.
Self-alignment is not unlimited angular freedom, a substitute for correct housing seats or a universal cure for vibration. The allowed misalignment depends on the bearing, seals, arrangement and operating conditions.
| Name | Rolling or sliding contact? | Important distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Spherical roller bearing | Rollers running on raceways | Commonly a radial two-row self-aligning design. |
| Self-aligning ball bearing | Balls running on raceways | Not the same construction or rating as spherical rollers. |
| Spherical plain bearing | Sliding spherical surfaces | No roller set; lubrication and motion limits differ. |
| Spherical roller thrust bearing | Rollers in a thrust arrangement | Primarily axial duty; not this radial family's mounting envelope. |
On a small screen, scroll the table horizontally.
Cylindrical bore, tapered bore and adapter sleeve
A cylindrical bore fits its specified shaft seat. A tapered bore mounts on a matching tapered shaft or the correct adapter/withdrawal sleeve system. With a sleeve, the bearing bore dimension and the final shaft-seat diameter are not automatically the same.
In the cited NSK designation notes, K denotes a 1:12 bore taper and K30 a 1:30 bore taper. These describe the mounting hole, not tapered rollers. Keep the sleeve, locknut and retention components attached to the assembly specification.
| Record | Confirmed example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| NSK 24032CAMK30E4 | 160×240×80 mm | Bearing d×D×B, not a universal sleeved shaft size. |
| K30 in that NSK record | Tapered bore 1:30 | Mount only on the documented taper/sleeve arrangement. |
| E4 in NSK spherical roller guidance | Outer-ring lubrication groove and holes | Keep the brand scope; do not copy the suffix meaning to every manufacturer. |
On a small screen, scroll the table horizontally.
Unmounted clearance, clearance reduction and residual clearance
Driving a tapered-bore bearing farther up its seat expands the inner ring and reduces radial internal clearance. The measured clearance reduction helps establish mounting interference; the residual clearance is what remains after mounting. Neither is the same as the original catalogue clearance group.
Use the installed brand's applicable mounting table, bore range and clearance class. A C3 designation is not a stand-alone instruction for how far to tighten the nut. NSK's maintenance guidance warns that using another bearing's table can produce an incorrect fit.
- Identify the exact bearing, cylindrical or tapered bore, clearance class and mounting arrangement.
- Record unmounted clearance with the manufacturer's stated measurement and roller-seating procedure.
- During the permitted incremental drive-up procedure, remeasure the reduction and compare with the correct target range.
- Verify residual clearance and retention before service; distinguish cold installed clearance from operating clearance.
This section explains the method but does not publish a universal micrometre table, drive-up distance or nut angle. Hollow shafts and special assemblies need their own applicable instructions.
Open, sealed, split and housed are separate descriptions
Schaeffler's sealed spherical roller reference uses specifically selected sleeves and housing combinations. Timken's SNT description concerns split housings. Read which component is split and which component is sealed before comparing records.
| Description | What it changes | What it does not prove |
|---|---|---|
| Open or sealed bearing | Internal sealing and lubrication provisions | Every open model has a dimension-identical sealed alternative. |
| Split spherical roller bearing | A purpose-designed split bearing assembly for service access | A normal ring may be cut or separated. |
| Split housing | The housing separates to aid installation/service | The bearing inside is itself split. |
| Solid-block housed unit | A bearing, housing, locking and sealing system | The unit dimensions equal the bare bearing's d×D×B. |
On a small screen, scroll the table horizontally.
Spherical versus cylindrical, tapered or ball designs
Typical manufacturer applications include heavy industrial gearboxes, conveyors, crushers, paper machinery and selected vibrating equipment. In vibrating service, the cage, load, lubrication and exact variant matter; an ordinary bearing is not automatically a screen-specific design.
| Compare with | Difference that changes the selection | Required evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Cylindrical roller | Rib arrangement and axial displacement versus self-aligning raceway geometry | Locating/free support design, misalignment and actual ratings. |
| Opposed tapered rollers | Adjustment of the opposed set versus an integrated self-aligning radial design | Permitted misalignment, setting, complete width and support spacing. |
| Ball bearing | Ball versus roller contact and the exact family architecture | Load, speed, precision, friction and available space—not family labels alone. |
On a small screen, scroll the table horizontally.
Lubrication paths, heat and damage checks
Confirm whether grease or oil reaches the loaded raceways through the intended ports and grooves. A groove in a bearing is not evidence that the housing delivers lubricant to it. Preserve the lubricant, replenishment interval, speed and temperature conditions from the exact service instructions.
- Record the symptom: temperature change, vibration, noise, leakage or looseness, with the operating load and speed.
- Check supply/return paths, grease quantity or oil level, seal condition and contamination evidence.
- Check the installed fit, residual clearance, alignment and axial locating arrangement.
- Inspect damage with the machine safely isolated. Do not identify the cause from noise alone or overwrite symptoms with a different grease.
This is an investigation checklist, not a diagnosis or universal grease recommendation. Failure analysis requires the actual surfaces, operating history and measurements.
Keep bore form, cage and clearance in the model identity
Search the full designation, then compare d, D and B along with bore form, cage, clearance, seal and lubrication provisions. A label such as CA, CC, E or Explorer needs its own manufacturer's interpretation; it is not a cross-brand performance scale.
- Identify the radial spherical family before choosing a dimension candidate.
- Retain every suffix and whether the supply is a bare bearing or a housed assembly.
- Check the permitted load directions, speed conditions and installation requirements.
- Keep missing limits visible as unknown instead of substituting values from a neighbouring size.
Questions to settle before selecting a model
Are spherical roller bearings always two row?
The common radial family discussed here is two row. A one-row or unusual barrel-roller designation needs its own identification; do not assume it has the same bidirectional axial capacity.
Is self-aligning the same as a loose fit?
No. Self-alignment comes from raceway geometry. Shaft/housing fits and internal clearance must still meet the installation requirements.
Does a tapered bore make it a tapered roller bearing?
No. The bore taper is a mounting feature. Spherical and tapered roller families use different roller/raceway geometry.
Can I use any bearing sleeve with the right diameter?
No. Bore taper, length, retention, clearance reduction, seals and abutments must match the documented assembly.
Reviewed 2026-10-01. Technical basis: NSK Spherical Roller Bearings; NSK 24032CAMK30E4 technical record; NSK Bearing Maintenance Guide: Tapered Bore Mounting; NSK Bearing Mounting; Schaeffler Sealed Spherical Roller Bearings TPI 218; Schaeffler Split Spherical Roller Bearings; Timken SNT Split Block Mounted Spherical Bearings. Original BearingScope explanation and checklists. General guidance is not a model-specific installation instruction or replacement approval.
Application starting points
Where this family is used
Heavy industrial drives, crushers and process machinery.
Read equipment selection guides →Do not skip
Selection and interchange checks
Check cylindrical versus tapered bore, clearance reduction during mounting, permissible misalignment and cage.
Full verification checklist →Database-backed results
9,021 recordsSpherical roller bearings — actual products
First 12 records. Open all results to filter brands and technical attributes. These are search candidates, not approved replacements.
| Brand / complete designation | Type | d×D×B (mm) | Closure | Original precision | Clearance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSK21304CDE4 | Spherical roller bearing | 20×52×15 | Not reported | Not reported | CN |
| NSK21304CDKE4 | Spherical roller bearing | 20×52×15 | Not reported | Not reported | CN |
| FAG21304-E1-XL-TVPB | Spherical Roller Bearing | 20×52×15 | Not reported | Not reported | CN (Group N) — Normal internal clearance |
| FAG21304-E1-XL-TVPB-C3 | Spherical Roller Bearing | 20×52×15 | Not reported | Not reported | C3 (Group 3) — Internal clearance larger than CN |
| SKF21305 CC | Spherical roller bearing | 25×62×17 | Without | Normal | CN |
| SKF21305 CC/C3 | Spherical roller bearing | 25×62×17 | Without | Not reported | C3 |
| NSK21305CDE4 | Spherical roller bearing | 25×62×17 | Not reported | Not reported | CN |
| NSK21305CDKE4 | Spherical roller bearing | 25×62×17 | Not reported | Not reported | CN |
| FAG21305-E1-XL-TVPB | Spherical Roller Bearing | 25×62×17 | Not reported | Not reported | CN (Group N) — Normal internal clearance |
| FAG21305-E1-XL-TVPB-C3 | Spherical Roller Bearing | 25×62×17 | Not reported | Not reported | C3 (Group 3) — Internal clearance larger than CN |
| TIMKEN21305EJW33 | Spherical roller bearing | 25×62×17 | Open | Not reported | Not reported |
| TIMKEN21305EJW33C2 | Spherical roller bearing | 25×62×17 | Open | Not reported | Not reported |
— = not recorded. Width conventions differ for tapered assemblies, thrust bearings and mounted units. Always inspect the dimensional drawing.
Filter all 9,021 records →All recorded subtypes in this family
Original catalogue descriptions are preserved in the records. Identical display names, including singular/plural variants, share one combined entry. Selecting a subtype opens its brand and technical filters.
Single row spherical roller bearing3Skf cooper split spherical roller bearing, sealed38Skf food line spherical roller bearing13Spherical roller bearings7,624Spherical roller bearing for continuous casters, with relubrication features36Spherical roller bearing for low-speed applications, with relubrication features53Spherical roller bearing for vibratory applications1Spherical roller bearing for vibratory applications, with relubrication features37Spherical roller bearing for wind turbine main shafts10Spherical roller bearing with integral sealing54Spherical roller bearing with integral sealing and relubrication features153Spherical roller bearing with locating slots and relubrication features12Spherical roller bearing with relubrication features985Spherical roller bearing with snap ring groove and relubrication features2
No subtype matches this text.
Look up real bearing dimensions
Choose a bearing structure, then enter the dimensions you know. You can leave unknown dimensions blank. The chart contains 29,253 catalogue records whose bore, outside diameter and width or height symbols have been checked against retained manufacturer properties. It is not a complete ISO standard or an interchange list.
Changing units converts entered values; it does not reinterpret 12.7 mm as 12.7 inches. Inch fractions such as 1/2 are accepted. A blank field means unknown, not zero.
Showing the first 24 of 4,030 Spherical roller bearings records. Filters apply immediately.
| Brand / complete designation | Original construction | Bore d | Outside D | Width / height | Recorded closure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FAG21304-E1-XL-TVPB | Spherical Roller Bearing | 20 mm | 52 mm | 15 mm (B) | Not reported |
| FAG21304-E1-XL-TVPB-C3 | Spherical Roller Bearing | 20 mm | 52 mm | 15 mm (B) | Not reported |
| SKF22205/20 E | Spherical roller bearing with relubrication features | 20 mm | 52 mm | 18 mm (B) | Without |
| SKF22205 E | Spherical roller bearing with relubrication features | 25 mm | 52 mm | 18 mm (B) | Without |
| FAG22205-E1-XL | Spherical Roller Bearing | 25 mm | 52 mm | 18 mm (B) | Not reported |
| FAG22205-E1-XL-C2 | Spherical Roller Bearing | 25 mm | 52 mm | 18 mm (B) | Not reported |
| FAG22205-E1-XL-C3 | Spherical Roller Bearing | 25 mm | 52 mm | 18 mm (B) | Not reported |
| FAG22205-E1-XL-C4 | Spherical Roller Bearing | 25 mm | 52 mm | 18 mm (B) | Not reported |
| FAG22205-E1-XL-H40-C3 | Spherical Roller Bearing | 25 mm | 52 mm | 18 mm (B) | Not reported |
| FAG22205-E1-XL-J30PC | Spherical Roller Bearing | 25 mm | 52 mm | 18 mm (B) | Not reported |
| FAG22205-E1-XL-K | Spherical Roller Bearing | 25 mm | 52 mm | 18 mm (B) | Not reported |
| FAG22205-E1-XL-K-C3 | Spherical Roller Bearing | 25 mm | 52 mm | 18 mm (B) | Not reported |
| KOYO22205RZ | Spherical roller bearing | 25 mm | 52 mm | 18 mm (B) | Not reported |
| KOYO22205RZK+H305X | Spherical roller bearing | 25 mm | 52 mm | 18 mm (B) | Not reported |
| SKFBS2-2205-2RS/GFP9VA944 | SKF Food line spherical roller bearing | 25 mm | 52 mm | 23 mm (B) | Seal on both sides |
| SKFBS2-2205-2RS/VT143 | Spherical roller bearing with integral sealing and relubrication features | 25 mm | 52 mm | 23 mm (B) | Seal on both sides |
| FAGWS22205-E1-XL-2RSR | Spherical Roller Bearing | 25 mm | 52 mm | 23 mm (B) | 2RSR — Seals on both sides, normal temperature |
| FAGWS22205-E1-XL-2RSR-L055-C3 | Spherical Roller Bearing | 25 mm | 52 mm | 23 mm (B) | 2RSR — Seals on both sides, normal temperature |
| FAGWS22205-E1-XL-K-2RSR | Spherical Roller Bearing | 25 mm | 52 mm | 23 mm (B) | 2RSR — Seals on both sides, normal temperature |
| SKF21305 CC | Spherical roller bearing | 25 mm | 62 mm | 17 mm (B) | Without |
| FAG21305-E1-XL-TVPB | Spherical Roller Bearing | 25 mm | 62 mm | 17 mm (B) | Not reported |
| FAG21305-E1-XL-TVPB-C3 | Spherical Roller Bearing | 25 mm | 62 mm | 17 mm (B) | Not reported |
| SKF22206 E | Spherical roller bearing with relubrication features | 30 mm | 62 mm | 20 mm (B) | Without |
| FAG22206-E1-XL | Spherical Roller Bearing | 30 mm | 62 mm | 20 mm (B) | Not reported |
Page 1
Read the width symbol: B, T and H are not interchangeable labels. For a tapered pair use assembly T, not the cone width. Needle designs without an inner ring may use roller-set bore Fw instead of d and are outside this d/D chart. Matched sets, housings and loose cups/cones are also excluded. Open the full product to check drawings, ratings, seals, clearance and precision.
Snapshot 2026-10-02. Every row keeps its actual product link and source-reported units; missing or ambiguous geometry is withheld. Equal nominal size alone does not approve replacement. Inch display is a conversion, rounded to six decimals, not an inch-series classification.
Bearing size charts: PDF downloads
Download searchable English tables with the brand, complete designation, source-labelled dimensions in millimetres and links to the matching model records. Choose a family or a series; the charts preserve construction differences instead of treating every size as interchangeable.
Scope: original BearingScope reference tables from our verified catalogue snapshots. These are not manufacturer manuals, CAD, full technical datasheets or a complete list of all bearing sizes. Equal dimensions do not establish interchangeability. No load ratings, tolerances or vehicle fitment are inferred.
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Reference basis & data limits
Manufacturer terminology is retained in the product records. Technical reference basis: JTEKT Basic Bearing Knowledge (boundary dimensions, tolerance classes and lubrication); NSK Bearing ABCs (lubrication, designations and clearance); NTN technical FAQs (closure codes and component interchange); SKF rolling-bearing selection and maintenance references.
Selection workflows and catalogue grouping are BearingScope editorial aids. Verify the current drawing and application requirements before using a candidate. Missing database information is not converted into an assumed match.