SKF - Spherical Plain Bearings and Rod Ends

SKF spherical plain 

bearings and rod ends

® SKF is a registered trademark of the SKF Group. 

© SKF Group 2011 

The contents of this catalogue are the copyright 

of the publisher and may not be reproduced (even 

extracts) unless prior written permission is granted. 

Every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy 

of the information contained in this catalogue but 

no liability can be accepted for any loss or damage 

whether direct, indirect or consequential arising out 

of the use of the information contained herein. 

PUB BU/P1 06116/1 EN · September 2011 

This publication supersedes publication 4407/II E.

Principles of selection and application ......................... 25 

1 

Radial spherical plain bearings requiring maintenance .. 99 

2 

Maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings ......... 125 

3 

Angular contact spherical plain bearings ...................... 151 

4 

Thrust spherical plain bearings ................................... 159 

5 

Rod ends requiring maintenance ................................. 167 

6 

Maintenance-free rod ends ......................................... 189 

7 

Other SKF plain bearings and special solutions ............ 207 

8 

Product index ............................................................. 213 

9 

1

Contents 

Foreword ................................................................................................................ 5 

Unit conversions...................................................................................................... 7 

SKF – the knowledge engineering company................................................................ 8 

General product information .................................................................................... 13 

1 Principles of selection and application ................................................................... 25 

Selection of bearing type ........................................................................................................... 27 

Selection of bearing size ............................................................................................................ 38 

Friction ........................................................................................................................................ 69 

Design of bearing arrangements .............................................................................................. 70 

Lubrication ................................................................................................................................. 84 

Relubrication .............................................................................................................................. 90 

Mounting .................................................................................................................................... 92 

Dismounting ............................................................................................................................... 96 

2 Radial spherical plain bearings requiring maintenance ........................................... 99 

Product tables 

2.1 Radial spherical plain bearings, steel/steel, metric sizes .............................................. 104 

2.2 Radial spherical plain bearings, steel/steel, inch sizes .................................................. 110 

2.3 Radial spherical plain bearings with an extended inner ring, steel/steel, metric sizes .. 116 

2.4 Radial spherical plain bearings with an extended inner ring, steel/steel, inch sizes ... 120 

3 Maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings ................................................... 125 


3.1 Maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE sintered bronze, 

metric sizes ..................................................................................................................... 132 

3.2 Maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE fabric, metric sizes..... 134 

3.3 Maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE fabric, inch sizes ........ 140 

3.4 Maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE FRP, metric sizes ....... 144 

4 Angular contact spherical plain bearings................................................................ 151 


4.1 Maintenance-free angular contact spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE FRP ............ 156 

5 Thrust spherical plain bearings............................................................................. 159 


5.1 Maintenance-free thrust spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE FRP ............................ 164 

2

6 Rod ends requiring maintenance........................................................................... 167 


6.1 Rod ends with a female thread, steel/steel.................................................................... 172 

6.2 Rod ends with a female thread, for hydraulic cylinders, steel/steel.............................. 174 

6.3 Rod ends with a male thread, steel/steel ....................................................................... 178 

6.4 Rod ends with a cylindrical section welding shank, steel/steel ..................................... 180 

6.5 Rod ends with a rectangular section welding shank, steel/steel .................................. 182 

6.6 Rod ends with a female thread, steel/bronze ................................................................ 184 

6.7 Rod ends with a male thread, steel/bronze.................................................................... 186 

7 Maintenance-free rod ends................................................................................... 189 


7.1 Maintenance-free rod ends with a female thread, steel/PTFE sintered bronze .......... 194 

7.2 Maintenance-free rod ends with a male thread, steel/PTFE sintered bronze ............. 196 

7.3 Maintenance-free rod ends with a female thread, steel/PTFE fabric .......................... 198 

7.4 Maintenance-free rod ends with a male thread, steel/PTFE fabric ............................. 200 

7.5 Maintenance-free rod ends with a female thread, steel/PTFE FRP ............................ 202 

7.6 Maintenance-free rod ends with a male thread, steel/PTFE FRP ................................ 204 

8 Other SKF products and services ........................................................................... 207 

9 Product index....................................................................................................... 213 

3

The SKF brand now stands for more than ever 

before, and means more to you as a valued 

customer. 

While SKF maintains its leadership as a highquality 

bearing manufacturer throughout the 

world, new dimensions in technical advances, 

product support and services have evolved SKF 

into a truly solutions-oriented supplier, creating 

greater value for customers. 

These solutions enable customers to improve 

productivity, not only with breakthrough 

application-specific products, but also through 

leading-edge design simulation tools and 

consultancy services, plant asset efficiency 

maintenance programmes, and the industry’s 

most advanced supply management techniques. 

The SKF brand still stands for the very best in 

rolling bearings, but it now stands for much 

more. 

SKF – the knowledge engineering company 

4

Foreword 

Many applications require bearings that are 

suitable for oscillating movements and that can 

accommodate misalignment. Rolling bearings 

only partly fulfil these requirements as they are 

generally designed for continuous rotation and 

can only accommodate limited misalignment. 

Therefore, SKF manufactures spherical plain 

bearings and rod ends to provide an economical 

solution to these challenges. 

This catalogue presents the current assortment 

of SKF spherical plain bearings and rod 

ends. 

Structure of the catalogue 

The catalogue starts with general product information, 

followed by nine main chapters, which 

are marked with numbered blue tabs in the right 

margin: 

• Chapter 1 provides design and application 

recommendations. 

• Chapters 2 to 7 describe the various bearing 

and rod end types. Each chapter contains 

descriptions of the products as well as product 

tables, listing data for selecting a bearing 

or rod end and designing the bearing 

arrangement. 

• Chapter 8 is an overview about other SKF 

products and services. 

• In chapter 9, all products presented in this 

catalogue are listed in alphabetical order by 

designation. 

About the data in this catalogue 

The data in this catalogue relate to SKF’s stateof-the-art 

technology and production capabilities 

as of beginning 2010. The data may differ 

from that shown in earlier catalogues because 

of revised methods of calculation, redesign or 

technological developments. For example, the 

following new information and product data 

have been included for radial spherical plain 

bearings: 

• Bearings in the TX series have been added 

and are available with bore diameters up to 

800 mm. 

• Bearings in the maintenance-free series are 

fitted with LS seals as standard. 

• Bearings with the sliding material FSA have 

been replaced by the FBAS design. 

• Bearings requiring maintenance are also 

available with LS seals. 

• Part of the inch assortment is also available 

with LS seals. 

SKF reserves the right to make continuing 

improvements to SKF products with respect to 

materials, design and manufacturing methods, 

as well as changes necessitated by technological 

developments. 

The units used in this catalogue are in accordance 

with ISO (International Organization for 

Standardization) standard 1000:1992, and SI 

(Système International d’Unités). Unit conversions 

are listed in the table on page 7. 

Other SKF catalogues 

The total SKF product portfolio is much broader 

than just spherical plain bearings and rod ends. 

Product information is also available via the SKF 

website at www.skf.com. The SKF Interactive 

Engineering Catalogue provides not only product 

information, but also online calculation tools, 

CAD drawings in various formats, and search 

and selection functions. 

The main printed SKF catalogues are: 

• General catalogue 

• Needle roller bearings 

• High-precision bearings 

• Y-bearings and Y-bearing units 

5

• Bearing housings 

• Slewing bearings 

• Linear motion standard range 

• SKF Maintenance and Lubrication Products 

• Centralized lubrication systems 

• Industrial shaft seals 

• SKF Power transmission products 

For additional information about SKF products 

and services, contact your local SKF representative 

or SKF Authorized Distributor. 

More advantages 

SKF aims to deliver industry-leading, high value 

products, services and knowledge-engineered 

solutions. Many of the product’s capabilities 

contribute to the overall value customers receive 

in making SKF their supplier of choice, such as: 

• simplified bearing selection 

• short delivery times 

• worldwide availability 

• commitment to product innovation 

• state-of-the-art application solutions 

• extensive engineering and technology knowledge 

in virtually every industry 

6

Unit conversions 

Quantity Unit Conversion 

Length inch 1 mm 0,03937 in 1 in 25,40 mm 

foot 1 m 3,281 ft 1 ft 0,3048 m 

yard 1 m 1,094 yd 1 yd 0,9144 m 

mile 1 km 0,6214 mile 1 mile 1,609 km 

Area square inch 1 mm 2 0,00155 sq.in 1 sq.in 645,16 mm 2 

square foot 1 m 2 10,76 sq.ft 1 sq.ft 0,0929 m 2 

Volume cubic inch 1 cm 3 0,061 cub.in 1 cub.in 16,387 cm 3 

cubic foot 1 m 3 35 cub.ft 1 cub.ft 0,02832 m 3 

imperial gallon 1 l 0,22 gallon 1 gallon 4,5461 l 

U.S. gallon 1 l 0,2642 U.S. 1 U.S. 3,7854 l 

gallon 

gallon 

Velocity, foot per second 1 m/s 3,28 ft/s 1 ft/s 0,30480 m/s 

speed mile per hour 1 km/h 0,6214 mile/h 1 mile/h 1,609 km/h 

(mph) 

(mph) 

Mass ounce 1 g 0,03527 oz 1 oz 28,350 g 

pound 1 kg 2,205 lb 1 lb 0,45359 kg 

short ton 1 tonne 1,1023 short ton 1 short ton 0,90719 tonne 

long ton 1 tonne 0,9842 long ton 1 long ton 1,0161 tonne 

Density pound per 1 g/cm 3 0,0361 lb/cub.in 1 lb/cub.in 27,680 g/cm 3 

cubic inch 

Force pound-force 1 N 0,225 lbf 1 lbf 4,4482 N 

Pressure, pounds per 1 MPa 145 psi 1 psi 6,8948 ¥ 10 3 Pa 

stress 

square inch 

Moment inch pound-force 1 Nm 8,85 in.lbf 1 in.lbf 0,113 Nm 

Power foot-pound per 1 W 0,7376 ft lbf/s 1 ft lbf/s 1,3558 W 

second 

horsepower 1 kW 1,36 HP 1 HP 0,736 kW 

Temperature degree Celsius t C = 0,555 (t F – 32) Fahrenheit t F = 1,8 t C + 32 

7

SKF – the knowledge 

engineering company 

From the company that invented the self-aligning 

ball bearing more than 100 years ago, SKF 

has evol ved into a knowledge engin eering 

company that is able to draw on five technology 

platforms to create unique solutions for its 

custom ers. These platforms include bearings, 

bearing units and seals, of course, but extend to 

other areas including: lubricants and lubrication 

sys tems, critical for long bearing life in many 

appli cations; mecha tronics that combine 

mech anical and electron ics knowledge into 

systems for more effective linear motion and 

sensorized solutions; and a full range of services, 

from design and logistics support to 

con dition monitoring and reliability systems. 

Though the scope has broadened, SKF continues 

to maintain the world’s leadership in the 

design, manufacture and marketing of rolling 

bearings, as well as complementary products 

such as radial seals. SKF also holds an increasingly 

important position in the market for linear 

motion products, high-precision aerospace 

bearings, machine tool spindles and plant maintenance 

services. 

The SKF Group is globally certified to ISO 

14001, the international standard for envi r o n- 

mental management, as well as OHSAS 18001, 

the health and safety manage ment standard. 

Individual divisions have been ap proved for 

quality certification in ac cord ance with ISO 9001 

and other customer specific requirements. 

With over 100 manufacturing sites worldwide 

and sales companies in 70 countries, SKF is a 

truly international corporation. In addition, our 

15 000 distributors and dealers around the 

world, an e-business marketplace, and a global 

distribution system, put SKF closer to customers 

to enhance their ability to quickly supply both 

products and services. In essence, SKF solutions 

are available wherever and whenever customers 

need them. Over all, the SKF brand and the corporation 

are stronger than ever. As the knowledge 

engin eering company, we stand ready to 

serve you with world-class product competencies, 

intellectual resources, and the vision to 

help you succeed. 

Seals 

Bearings 

and units 

Lubrication 

systems 

Mechatronics 

Services 

8

Evolving by-wire technology 

SKF has a unique expertise in the fast-growing by-wire technology, from fly-by-wire, 

to drive-by-wire, to work-by-wire. SKF pioneered practical fly-by-wire technology and 

is a close working partner with all aerospace industry leaders. As an example, virtually 

all aircraft of the Airbus design use SKF by-wire systems for cockpit flight control. 

© Airbus – photo: e x m company, H. Goussé 

SKF is also a leader in automotive by-wire 

technology, and has partnered with automotive 

engineers to develop two concept cars, which 

employ SKF mechatronics for steering and braking. 

Further by-wire development has led SKF 

to produce an all-electric forklift truck, which 

uses mechatronics rather than hydraulics for 

all controls. 

9

Harnessing wind power 

The growing industry of wind-generated electric 

power provides a source of clean, green electricity. 

SKF is working closely with global industry 

leaders to develop efficient and trouble-free 

turbines, providing a wide range of large, highly 

specialized bearings and condition monitoring 

systems to extend equipment life of wind farms 

located in even the most remote and inhospitable 

environments. 

Working in extreme environments 

In frigid winters, especially in northern countries, 

extreme sub-zero temperatures can cause bearings 

in railway axleboxes to seize due to lubrication 

starvation. SKF created a new family of 

synthetic lubricants formulated to retain their 

lubrication viscosity even at these extreme temperatures. 

SKF knowledge enables manufacturers 

and end user customers to overcome the 

performance issues resulting from extreme temperatures, 

whether hot or cold. For example, SKF 

products are at work in diverse environments 

such as baking ovens and instant freezing in food 

processing plants 

Developing a cleaner cleaner 

The electric motor and its bearings are the heart 

of many household appliances. SKF works closely 

with appliance manufacturers to improve their 

products’ performance, cut costs, reduce weight, 

and reduce energy consumption. A recent example 

of this cooperation is a new generation of 

vacuum cleaners with substantially more suction. 

SKF knowledge in the area of small bearing technology 

is also applied to manufacturers of power 

tools and office equipment. 

10

Maintaining a 350 km/h R&D lab 

In addition to SKF’s renowned research and 

development facilities in Europe and the United 

States, Formula One car racing provides a unique 

environment for SKF to push the limits of bearing 

technology. For over 60 years, SKF products, 

engineering and knowledge have helped make 

Scuderia Ferrari a formidable force in F1 racing. 

(The average racing Ferrari utilizes around 150 

SKF components.) Lessons learned here are 

applied to the products we provide to automakers 

and the aftermarket worldwide. 

Delivering Asset Efficiency Optimization 

Through SKF Reliability Systems, SKF provides 

a comprehensive range of asset efficiency products 

and services, from condition monitoring 

hard ware and software to maintenance strategies, 

engineering assistance and machine reliability 

programmes. To optimize efficiency and 

boost productivity, some industrial facilities opt 

for an Integrated Maintenance Solution, in which 

SKF delivers all services under one fixed-fee, 

performance-based contract. 

Planning for sustainable growth 

By their very nature, bearings make a positive 

contribution to the natural environment, enabling 

machinery to operate more efficiently, consume 

less power, and require less lubrication. 

By raising the performance bar for our own products, 

SKF is enabling a new generation of highefficiency 

products and equipment. With an eye 

to the future and the world we will leave to our 

children, the SKF Group policy on environment, 

health and safety, as well as the manufacturing 

techniques, are planned and implemented to help 

protect and preserve the earth’s limited natural 

resources. We remain committed to sustainable, 

environmentally responsible growth. 

11

General product information 

Properties............................................................................................................... 14 

Spherical plain bearings ............................................................................................................ 14 

Rod ends...................................................................................................................................... 15 

Bearing designs and features.................................................................................... 16 

Bearings and rod ends requiring maintenance......................................................................... 17 

The multi-groove system....................................................................................................... 17 

Maintenance-free, long-life sliding contact surfaces................................................................ 18 

Optional SKF design features..................................................................................................... 19 

A choice of materials .............................................................................................................. 19 

With or without seals.............................................................................................................. 19 

Wide operating temperature range........................................................................................ 19 

Multi-purpose performance ..................................................................................... 20 

Typical applications..................................................................................................................... 20 

Application examples.................................................................................................................. 20 

Suspended roof....................................................................................................................... 20 

Road roller articulation joint................................................................................................... 21 

Truck twin-axle supports........................................................................................................ 21 

Dam gates................................................................................................................................ 22 

Hydraulic and pneumatic cylinders........................................................................................ 22 

Newspaper conveyor............................................................................................................... 22 

13


Properties 

Spherical plain bearings 

Spherical plain bearings are standardized, 

ready-to-mount, mechanical components that 

enable multi-directional, self-aligning movements. 

The inner ring has a spherical convex 

outside diameter, while the outer ring has a 

correspondingly concave inside diameter 

(† fig. 1). The forces acting on the bearing may 

be static or may occur when the bearing makes 

oscillating or recurrent tilting and slewing 

movements at relatively low speeds. 

Design advantages inherent to spherical plain 

bearings include the ability to: 

• accommodate misalignment († fig. 2) 

• virtually eliminate edge stresses and 

excessive stressing of adjacent components 

(† fig. 3) 

• accommodate deformation of surrounding 

components in operation († fig. 4) 

• accommodate wide manufacturing tolerances 

and the use of cost-effective, welded assemblies 

(† fig. 5) 

Fig. 2 

Spherical plain bearings are designed to accommodate 

misalignment 

Fig. 1 

Spherical plain bearing 

14

Fig. 3 

Compared to bushings, spherical plain bearings provide 

higher reliability, as the chance of edge stresses and 

overloading are virtually non-existent 

Rod ends 

Spherical plain bearing rod ends are bearing 

units that consist of a spherical plain bearing in 

the eye-shaped head of the rod end housing 

(† fig. 6). They are used primarily on the ends 

of hydraulic or pneumatic pistons to join the 

cylinder to an associated component via an 

internal (female) thread, external (male) thread 

or a welding shank († fig. 7 on page 16). 

SKF supplies rod ends with a threaded shank 

with a right-hand thread as standard. With the 

exception of rod ends with the designation suffix 

VZ019, all rod ends are also available with a 

left-hand thread. They are identified by the 

designation prefix L. 

Fig. 4 

Shaft deflection does not have a negative influence on 

bearing service life, the shaft or housing 

Spherical plain bearings can accommodate the wide 

manufacturing tolerances found in cost-effective 

welded assemblies 

Fig. 5 

Rod end with a male thread 

Fig. 6 

15


Bearing designs and features 

SKF spherical plain bearings and rod ends are 

an excellent choice for applications that require 

total design economy. These state-of-the-art 

products are available in a wide assortment of 

designs, dimension series and sizes to meet the 

needs of a particular application. Fig. 7 shows 

the general bearing and rod end types. 

Whether the application calls for a large 

spherical plain bearing or a small rod end 

assembly, both are available from SKF and offer: 

worldwide, making them readily accessible 

whenever and wherever they are needed. 

Economic considerations and unparalleled 

design characteristics are not the only reasons 

that SKF spherical plain bearings and rod ends 

are the ultimate solution for any plain bearing 

application. Their designs, materials and manufacturing 

quality enable long service life and 

high reliability even in the most demanding 

applications. 

• long service life 

• minimal maintenance 

• high operational reliability 

SKF spherical plain bearings and rod ends, produced 

with standard dimensions, are available 

Fig. 7 

Radial spherical plain bearing Angular contact spherical plain bearing Thrust spherical plain bearing 

Rod end with a female thread Rod end with a male thread Rod end with a welding shank 

16

Bearings and rod ends 

requiring maintenance 

Bearings and rod ends requiring maintenance 

must be greased prior to being put into operation. 

With the exception of a few applications, 

they must be relubricated periodically. 

SKF steel/steel radial spherical plain bearings 

are made of bearing steel and are through-hardened. 

The high-strength sliding contact surfaces 

are phosphated and treated with a special running-in 

lubricant. These bearings are used 

primarily in applications where there are: 

• heavy static loads 

• heavy alternating loads 

• shock loads 

They are also relatively insensitive to contaminants 

and high temperatures. 

To facilitate relubrication, lubrication holes 

and grooves are provided in both the inner and 

outer rings of all steel/steel radial spherical plain 

bearings – with the exception of a few small sizes. 

SKF steel/bronze rod ends also require relubrication. 

However, requirements are less stringent 

than for steel/steel rod ends, as the emergency 

running properties of bronze are more forgiving 

than steel. 

The multi-groove system 

Standard steel/steel radial spherical plain bearings 

that must accommodate minor alignment 

movements under very heavy, constant direction 

loads are prone to lubricant starvation. To maximize 

the effects of the lubricant under these 

conditions, SKF has developed the multi-groove 

system and manufactures all metric steel/steel 

radial spherical plain bearings with an outside 

dia meter D ≥ 150 mm with the multi-groove 

system on the sliding surface of the outer ring 

as standard († fig. 8). Metric steel/steel radial 

spherical plain bearings with an outside diameter 

D < 150 mm can be supplied with the multi-groove 

system on request. These bearings 

are identified by the designation suffix ESL. 

These lubrication grooves provide the following 

benefits: 

• improved lubricant supply to the loaded zone 

• enlarged lubricant reservoir in the bearing 

• enable relubrication under load 

• extended relubrication intervals 

• space for wear particles and contaminants 

• extended grease life 

The main benefit of the multi-groove system 

is that it improves lubricant distribution in the 

heavily loaded zone to extend service life and/or 

maintenance intervals. 

Fig. 8 

Steel/steel radial spherical plain bearing with the multigroove 

system 

17


Maintenance-free, long-life 

sliding contact surfaces 

“Maintenance-free” is an industry-wide term 

used to describe plain bearings and rod ends 

with self-lubricating sliding contact surface 

combinations. The term maintenance-free 

does not imply that these bearings should not 

be inspected as part of a regularly scheduled 

maintenance program. 

These so-called maintenance-free bearings 

and rod ends offer a number of advantages for 

OEMs and end users alike. These advantages, 

which include minimal maintenance and 

reduced lubricant consumption, quickly compensate 

for the difference in the initial purchase 

price when compared to standard steel/steel 

bearing solutions. And of course, the impact that 

maintenance-free bearings have on the environment 

is an added benefit. 

To offer maintenance-free solutions for the 

greatest number of applications, SKF produces 

spherical plain bearings and rod ends with different 

sliding contact surface combinations 

(† fig 9). These combinations, which in some 

cases are size dependent, include: 

• steel/PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) sintered 

bronze 

• steel/PTFE fabric 

• steel/PTFE FRP (fibre reinforced polymer) 

Maintenance-free bearings can operate without 

grease, and therefore do not need to be relubricated. 

Depending on the sliding surfaces, grease 

can improve bearing service life or can have 

a negative effect on it. Therefore, SKF does not 

recommend the use of lubricants for bearings 

with steel/PTFE sintered bronze or steel/PTFE 

fabric sliding contact surface com binations, 

whereas initial lubrication followed by occasional 

relubrication of steel/PTFE FRP bearings can 

extend the service life of the bearing. 

Be aware that “maintenance-free” refers to 

bearing service life only, and does not refer to 

the service life of an application or general 

maintenance intervals of other machine parts in 

the application. For detailed information about 

the life of spherical plain bearings or rod ends, 

refer to the section Basic rating life starting on 

page 39. The basic rating life as a guideline value 

for the service life under certain operating 

conditions can be calculated using the information 

provided in the section Basic rating life calculation 

starting on page 51. 

Self-lubricating, dry sliding materials are not 

as stiff as steel and consequently are subject to 

greater deformation under load than steel. 

These sliding materials are also more sensitive 

than steel to alternating or shock loads. If either 

of these load conditions exists, contact the SKF 

application engineering service. 

Maintenance-free bearings and rod ends are 

designed for applications where: 

• load direction is constant and may be heavy 

• low coefficient of friction is necessary 

• relubrication is not possible or difficult 

Fig. 9 

Maintenance-free, long life sliding contact surfaces 

steel/PTFE sintered bronze steel/PTFE fabric steel/PTFE FRP 

18

Optional SKF design 

features 

A choice of materials 

For most applications, SKF spherical plain 

bearings made of standard bearing steel requiring 

maintenance are an excellent choice. However, 

for difficult operating environments, SKF 

maintenance-free stainless steel spherical plain 

bearings may be preferred. For other material 

options, e.g. surface treatments, contact the 

SKF application engineering service. 

With or without seals 

Most popular sizes of SKF spherical plain bearings 

are available either open (without seals) or 

sealed on both sides († fig. 10). Standard 

sealed bearings can increase the service life of 

a bearing and save space, while reducing inventory 

and assembly costs. Maintenance-free 

bearings without seals have to be protected 

against contaminants. 

Spherical plain bearings fitted on both sides 

with the SKF RS double lip seal are very effective, 

under normal operating conditions, at keeping 

contaminants away from the sliding contact 

surfaces. These seals also effectively retain the 

grease and therefore are appropriate for bearings 

requiring maintenance. 

Maintenance-free bearings and all bearings 

operating in highly contaminated environments 

should be fitted with the SKF LS triple-lip 

heavy-duty contact seal († page 79). They are 

reinforced with a steel insert and have three seal 

lips. These very effective seals protect the bearing 

against contaminants and enhance the 

operational reliability of the spherical plain 

bearing. 

Wide operating temperature range 

SKF spherical plain bearings and rod ends can 

operate effectively over a wide temperature 

range. The operating temperature range of open 

(without seals) steel/steel radial spherical plain 

bearings is –50 to +200 °C. 

Fig. 10 

Many sealing problems can be solved economically and in a space-saving manner using sealed bearings 

without seal 

(open design) 

double-lip seal 

(RS design) 

triple-lip heavy-duty seal 

(LS design) 

19


Multi-purpose performance 

Typical applications 

Long service life, high reliability and minimal 

maintenance are some of the features of SKF 

spherical plain bearings and rod ends. SKF’s 

wide assortment of spherical plain bearings and 

rod ends is versatile enough to be used in a 

variety of applications that encompass almost 

all sectors of industry, including: 

• agriculture 

• construction 

• forklift trucks 

• material handling 

• metals 

• mining 

• railways 

• trucks 

• wind energy 

Application examples 

Suspended roof 

SKF steel/steel radial spherical plain bearings are 

in service in an unusual and world-renowned 

application, the roof of the Olympic Stadium 

in Munich, Germany († fig. 11). The roof is 

constructed of a number of pre-stressed steel 

cables in a network. The nodal points of the network 

must be torque-free. That is where 225 

standard SKF steel/steel radial spherical plain 

bearings with bore diameters ranging from 160 

to 300 mm are located. The nodes are statically 

loaded but must enable occasional swinging 

movements of the roof construction. 

Although SKF steel/steel radial spherical plain 

bearings are typically not maintenance-free, 

these particular bearings have not been relubricated 

since the construction of the building in 

1972. 

What better proof could there be for lasting 

quality and reliability? 

Fig. 11 

Nodal points of suspended roof construction of the Olympic Stadium in Munich, Germany 

20

Road roller articulation joint 

SKF spherical plain bearings in the articulation 

joint between the front and rear rollers († fig. 

12) enable a road roller to manoeuvre. This joint 

must be able to withstand very heavy radial 

loads and high vibration levels. Due to their 

location, the bearings should be protected as 

they are exposed to a variety of contaminants 

including dust, dirt, water and hot tarmac, 

which promote premature wear and corrosion. 

SKF maintenance-free spherical plain bearings 

help to eliminate the need for relubrication, 

and reduce the total cost of ownership. 

Truck twin-axle supports 

An SKF spherical plain bearing arrangement on 

the truck twin-axle support provides even load 

distribution between the two axles for trucks 

driving on rough roads or off-highway conditions 

(† fig. 13). This bearing arrangement is 

subjected to heavy loads and, depending on the 

conditions, heavy shock loads, and frequent 

alignment movements. 

These bearings are located behind the tires 

in an area that is very difficult to access, making 

it imperative that sudden bearing damage or 

failure, requiring immediate roadside repairs, 

be avoided at all cost. A pair of SKF angular contact 

spherical plain bearings mounted in a backto-back 

arrangement can help prevent these 

emergencies. These bearings, which can withstand 

all the rigours of truck duty, are simple to 

install and easy to maintain. 

Fig. 12 

Road roller articulation joint 

Fig. 13 

Truck twin-axle supports 

21


Dam gates 

Segment gates for dams and other barrages 

are home to large-size SKF maintenance-free 

spherical plain bearings († fig. 14). The reference 

list is very long – with over 3 000 applications 

to date. 

As main bearings, they compensate for shaft 

misalignment, caused by thermal expansion 

and contraction, elastic deformation of the dam 

gates as well as changes caused by settling of 

the foundation. These bearings cope with the 

heavy radial loads caused by water pressure as 

well as axial loads that arise from the inclined 

position of the support arms. 

In addition, SKF spherical plain bearings not 

only serve as heavily loaded bearings under 

static conditions, they also operate in the frequently 

used linkage attachments of the lifting 

and plunger cylinders as well as the flaps. 

Newspaper conveyor 

Speed and flexibility are all-important when 

producing newspapers, not only in the printing 

process, but also in distribution. The conveyor 

system from the printing press to the loading 

dock is a very important component if the newspapers 

are to be delivered on time. 

The endless conveyor chain is one such system. 

It consists of a multitude of links, which 

together provide the speed and flexibility 

required. Fig. 16 shows an application where 

more than 1 000 SKF maintenance-free 

spherical plain bearings with the sliding contact 

surface combination steel/PTFE sintered bronze 

are used. The bearings have been in daily service 

without maintenance for many years. 

Hydraulic and pneumatic cylinders 

SKF steel/steel and steel/bronze rod ends are 

frequently used on hydraulic and pneumatic 

cylinders († fig. 15). Acting as the link between 

the cylinder and its attachments, they are able 

to transmit heavy mechanical loads. 

Hydraulic cylinders (e.g. to ISO 8132) are 

often fitted with steel/steel rod ends with a 

female thread that can be secured (compressible) 

on one end and a steel/steel rod end with 

a welding shank on the other. 

These types of hydraulic cylinders can be 

found in all types of construction equipment, 

agricultural machinery, lifting equipment and 

shutters, recycling depot presses as well as 

other heavily loaded manoeuvring equipment. 

In pneumatic cylinders where working pressures 

regularly reach 1 MPa, steel/bronze rod 

ends and maintenance-free rod ends are typically 

used at the end of the piston rod. At the 

opposite end, SKF rod ends with a welding 

shank are used. 

22

Fig. 14 

Dam gates 

Fig. 15 

Hydraulic and pneumatic cylinders 

Fig. 16 

Newspaper conveyor 

23

Principles for selection and 

application 

1 

Selection of bearing type.......................................................................................... 25 

Bearing terminology................................................................................................................... 27 

Bearing types.............................................................................................................................. 28 

Radial spherical plain bearings requiring maintenance........................................................ 28 

Maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings................................................................. 30 

Angular contact spherical plain bearings............................................................................... 33 

Thrust spherical plain bearings.............................................................................................. 34 

Rod ends with a threaded shank, requiring maintenance..................................................... 34 

Rod ends with a welding shank, requiring maintenance....................................................... 36 

Maintenance-free rod ends with a threaded shank.............................................................. 37 

Selection of bearing size........................................................................................... 38 

Load ratings ................................................................................................................................ 38 

Basic dynamic load rating....................................................................................................... 38 

Basic static load rating............................................................................................................ 38 

Basic rating life ........................................................................................................................... 39 

Load............................................................................................................................................. 41 

Equivalent dynamic bearing load........................................................................................... 41 

Equivalent static bearing load................................................................................................ 43 

Permissible loads for rod ends............................................................................................... 44 

Requisite bearing size................................................................................................................. 45 

Specific bearing load............................................................................................................... 46 

Mean sliding velocity............................................................................................................... 46 

Basic rating life calculation......................................................................................................... 51 

Steel/steel and steel/bronze sliding contact surface combinations, 

requiring maintenance............................................................................................................ 51 

Maintenance-free steel/PTFE sintered bronze sliding contact surface combination.......... 54 

Maintenance-free steel/PTFE fabric sliding contact surface combination.......................... 56 

Maintenance-free steel/PTFE FRP sliding contact surface combination............................. 59 

Variable load and sliding velocity............................................................................................ 61 

Calculation examples.................................................................................................................. 62 

Friction................................................................................................................... 69 

Design of bearing arrangements............................................................................... 70 

Radial location of bearings......................................................................................................... 70 

Axial location of bearings............................................................................................................ 75 

Located bearings..................................................................................................................... 75 

Non-located bearings............................................................................................................. 75 

Abutment and fillet dimensions............................................................................................. 77 

25

Location of rod ends................................................................................................................... 78 

Sealing......................................................................................................................................... 79 

Designing a bearing arrangement for easy mounting and dismounting................................. 82 

Lubrication............................................................................................................. 84 

The SKF traffic light concept....................................................................................................... 84 

Spherical plain bearings requiring maintenance...................................................................... 86 

Maintenance-free spherical plain bearings............................................................................... 88 

Steel/PTFE sintered bronze and steel/PTFE fabric sliding contact surface combinations... 88 

Steel/PTFE FRP sliding contact surface combination........................................................... 88 

Rod ends requiring maintenance............................................................................................... 89 

Maintenance-free rod ends........................................................................................................ 89 

Relubrication........................................................................................................... 90 

Mounting................................................................................................................ 92 

Spherical plain bearings............................................................................................................. 92 

Mechanical mounting.............................................................................................................. 92 

Hot mounting.......................................................................................................................... 94 


Dismounting........................................................................................................... 96 

Spherical plain bearings............................................................................................................. 96 


26

Selection of bearing type 

1 

Bearing terminology 

Fig. 1 

To better understand frequently used plain 

bearing and rod end specific terms, definitions 

are provided in fig. 1 and fig. 2. 

Spherical plain bearing 

1 Outer ring 

2 Sliding contact surfaces 

3 Seal 

4 Inner ring 

5 Lubrication hole 

6 Lubrication groove 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

Rod end 

1 Spherical plain bearing 

2 Rod end 

2a Rod end housing 

2b Rod end shank, with an external (male) 

thread. Shanks are also available with an 

internal (female) thread or with a welding 

shank. 

3 Grease fitting 

1 

Fig. 2 

2a 

3 

2 

2b 

27

Selection of bearing types 

Bearing types 

All the products listed below belong to the SKF 

standard assortment: 

• radial spherical plain bearings requiring 

maintenance 

• maintenance-free radial spherical plain 

bearings 

• angular contact spherical plain bearings 

• thrust spherical plain bearings 

• steel/steel and steel/bronze rod ends 


• maintenance-free rod ends 

If the standard assortment does not meet the 

requirements of an application, SKF can produce 

special bearings or rod ends, provided 

quantities are sufficient to enable manufacturing 

economy. 

Radial spherical plain bearings requiring maintenance 

See chapter 2 starting on page 99 

Bearing design 

Radial spherical plain bearings requiring 

maintenance 

Designation/ 

bore diameter range 

Characteristics 

Sliding contact surface combination: Steel/steel 

Suitable for heavy static or alternating loads, shock loads 

GE .. E 

d = 4 – 12 mm 

Open (without seals), can only be relubricated 

from the side 

GE .. ES 

d = 15 – 200 mm 

GEZ .. ES 

d = 0.5 – 6 in 

Open (without seals), can be relubricated via 

lubrication holes and an annular groove in 

both rings 

GE .. ES-2RS 

d = 15 – 300 mm 

GEZ .. ES-2RS 

d = 0.75 – 6 in 

With a double-lip seal on both sides, can be 

relubricated via lubrication holes and an 

annular groove in both rings 

28





Designation/ 



1 

GE .. ES-2LS 

d = 20 – 300 mm 

GEZ .. ES-2LS 

d = 1 – 6 in 

With a triple-lip heavy-duty seal on both 

sides, can be relubricated via lubrication 

holes and an annular groove in both rings 

GEH .. ES 

upon request 

GEZH ..ES 

d = 1.25 – 5.5 in 

Open (not sealed); wider inner ring and larger 

outside diameter compared to GE .. ES and 

GEZ .. ES series, to enable higher load ratings 

and larger tilt angle; can be relubricated via 


both rings 

GEH .. ES-2RS 

d = 20 – 120 mm 

GEZH ..ES-2RS 

d = 1.25 – 5.5 in 

With a double-lip seal on both sides; wider 

inner ring and larger outside diameter compared 

to GE .. ES-2RS and GEZ .. ES-2RS 

series, to enable higher load ratings and 

larger tilt angle; can be relubricated via lubrication 

holes and an annular groove in both 

rings 

GEH .. ES-2LS 

d = 20 – 120 mm 

GEZH .. ES-2LS 

d = 1.25 – 5.5 in 

With a triple-lip heavy-duty seal on both 

sides; wider inner ring and larger outside 

diameter compared to GE .. ES-2RS and 

GEZ .. ES-2RS series, to enable higher load 

ratings and larger tilt angle; can be relubricated 

via lubrication holes and an annular 

groove in both rings 

GEM .. ES 

upon request 

GEZM .. ES 

d = 0.5 – 6 in 

GEG .. ES 

d = 16 – 200 mm 

GEG 12 ESA 

d = 12 mm 

Open (without seals); with an extended inner 

ring on both sides; can be relubricated via 


both rings. For bearing arrangements where 

a spacer sleeve is normally incorporated on 

both sides of the inner ring. 

GEG series : The inner ring width equals the 

bore diameter 

Can only be relubricated via the outer ring 

29




Designation/ 





GEM .. ES-2RS 

d = 20 – 80 mm 

GEZM .. ES-2RS 

d = 0.75 – 6 in 

With a double-lip seal and an extended inner 

ring on both sides, can be relubricated via 


both rings 

GEM .. ES-2LS 

d = 20 – 80 mm 

GEZM .. ES-2LS 

d = 1 – 6 in 

With a triple-lip heavy-duty seal and an 

extended inner ring on both sides, can be 

relubricated via lubrication holes and an 

annular groove in both rings 

Maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings 




Designation/ 



Sliding contact surface combination: Steel/PTFE sintered bronze 

Suitable for heavy, constant direction loads, where low friction is required; 

limited suitability for alternating loads, shock loads. 

GE .. C 

d = 4 – 30 mm 

GE .. CJ2 

d = 35 – 60 mm 

Open (without seals), self-lubricating sliding 

surfaces have to be externally protected 

from contaminants 

GEH .. C 

d = 10 – 25 mm 

Open (without seals), self-lubricating sliding 

surfaces have to be externally protected 

from contaminants; wider inner ring and 

larger outside diameter compared to GE .. C 

series, to enable higher load ratings and 

larger tilt angle 

30



Designation/ 


Sliding contact surface combination: Steel/PTFE fabric 

Suitable for very heavy, constant direction loads, where low friction is required; 

limited suitability for alternating loads, shock loads 


1 

GE .. TXE-2LS 

d = 20 – 90 mm 

GEZ .. TXE-2LS 

d = 1 – 3.75 in 

GE .. TXG3E-2LS 

d = 20 – 60 mm 

High performance bearing with a triple-lip 

heavy-duty seal on both sides, outer ring 

fractured at one point, self-lubricating sliding 

surfaces 

GE .. TXG3E-2LS series in stainless steel 

execution for use in corrosive environments 

GE .. TXA-2LS 

d = 100 – 300 mm 

GEZ .. TXA-2LS 

d = 4 – 6 in 

GE .. TXG3A-2LS 

d = 70 – 200 mm 


heavy-duty seal on both sides, axially split 

outer ring that is held together by one band, 

self-lubricating sliding surfaces 

GE .. TXG3A-2LS series with rings made 

of stainless steel for use in corrosive 

environments 

GE .. TXGR 

d = 12 – 17 mm 

Open (without seals), stainless steel execution 

for use in corrosive environments, 

self-lubricating sliding surfaces have to be 

externally protected from contaminants 

GEC .. TXA-2RS 

d = 320 – 400 mm 

High performance bearing with a double-lip 

seal on both sides, self-lubricating sliding 

surfaces, axially split outer ring that is held 

together by two bands 


d = 420 – 800 mm 

High performance bearing with a double-lip 

seal on both sides, self-lubricating sliding 

surfaces, axially split outer ring that is bolted 

together 

31




Designation/ 




Suitable for very heavy, constant direction loads, where low friction is required; 

limited suitability for alternating loads, shock loads 

GEH ..TXE-2LS 

d = 20 – 80 mm 

GEH ..TXG3E-2LS 

d = 20 – 50 mm 


heavy-duty seal on both sides; self-lubricating 

sliding surfaces, wider inner ring and 

larger outside diameter compared to 

GE .. TXE-2LS series, to enable higher 

load ratings and larger tilt angle 

GEH .. TXG3E-2LS series with rings made 


environments 

GEH ..TXA-2LS 

d = 90 – 120 mm 

GEH ..TXG3A-2LS 

d = 60 – 120 mm 


heavy-duty seal on both sides, self-lubricating 

sliding surfaces, wider inner ring and 

larger outside diameter compared to 

GE .. TXE-2LS series, to enable higher load 

ratings and larger tilt angle; axially split outer 

ring that is held together by one band 

GEH .. TXG3A-2LS series with rings made 


environments 

Sliding contact surface combination: Steel/PTFE FRP 

Suitable for heavy, constant direction loads, where low friction is required; 

limited suitability for alternating loads, shock loads; relatively insensitive 

to contaminants 

GEC .. FBAS 

d = 320 – 1 000 mm 

Open (without seals); axially split outer ring 

that is bolted together; self-lubricating capability; 

factory greased; lubrication holes and 

an annular groove in both rings; does not 

require relubrication, however, relubrication 

can extend bearing service life 

GEP .. FS 

d = 100 – 1 000 mm 

Open (without seals); radially split outer ring 

that is separable to facilitate mounting; selflubricating 

capability; factory greased; lubrication 

holes and an annular groove in both 

rings; does not require relubrication, however, 

relubrication can extend bearing 

service life 

Compared to GEC .. FBAS series, these 

bearings are wider and have a larger outside 

diameter for a given shaft size, resulting in a 

higher basic load rating. However, they have 

a smaller tilt angle. 

32

Angular contact spherical plain bearings 




Designation/ 



1 


Suitable for single direction axial loads or combined axial and radial loads, 

low coefficient of friction, relatively insensitive to contaminants 

GAC .. F 

d = 25 – 120 mm 

Open (without seals); self-lubricating capability; 

factory greased; does not require relubrication, 

however, relubrication can extend 

bearing service life 



very high load carrying capacity and low coefficient of friction 

GACD .. TX 

upon request 

Open (without seals), high performance 

bearing with self-lubricating sliding surface 


Suitable for heavy single direction axial loads or heavy combined 

axial and radial loads, heavy alternating loads 

GACD .. SA 

upon request 

GAZ .. SA 

upon request 

Open (without seals), multi-groove system, 

can be relubricated via lubrication holes and 

an annular groove in the outer ring 


Double direction angular contact bearing with a standard inner ring, bearing 

can be used instead of two angular contact bearings in a face-to-face 

arrangement, suitable for heavy combined radial and axial loads, heavy alternating loads 

GEZP(R) .. S 

upon request 


can be relubricated via lubrication holes and 

an annular groove in the inner ring and the 

two outer rings 

33


Thrust spherical plain bearings 




Designation/ 





low coefficient of friction, relatively insensitive to contaminants 

GX .. F 

d = 17 – 120 mm 

Open (without seals); self-lubricating capability; 

factory greased; does not require relubrication, 

however, relubrication can extend 

bearing service life 


Suitable for heavy single direction axial loads or combined axial and radial loads, 

very high load carrying capacity and low coefficient of friction 

GXD .. TX 

upon request 

Open (without seals), high performance 

bearing with self-lubricating sliding surface 


Suitable for heavy single direction axial loads or combined axial and radial loads, 

heavy alternating loads 

GXD .. SA 

upon request 


can be relubricated via lubrication 

holes and an annular groove in the housing 

washer 

Rod ends with a threaded shank, requiring maintenance 



Rod ends with a threaded shank, requiring 

maintenance 

Designation/ 





SI(L) .. E 

d = 6 – 12 mm 

SA(L) .. E 

d = 6 – 12 mm 

With an open bearing (without seals), 

no relubrication facilities, available with 

a right-hand or left-hand thread (designation 

prefix L) 

SI series 

SA series 

34



maintenance 



Designation/ 



1 

SI(L) .. ES 

d = 15 – 30 mm 

SA(L) .. ES 

d = 15 – 30 mm 

With an open bearing (without seals), can be 

lubricated via the relubrication facility in the 

rod end housing and via the pin (shaft), available 

with a right-hand or left-hand thread 

SI series 

SA series 

SI(A) series 

SA(A) series 

SI(L) .. ES-2RS 

d = 35 – 80 mm 

SA(L) .. ES-2RS 

d = 35 – 80 mm 

SI(L)A .. ES-2RS 

d = 40 – 80 mm 

SA(L)A .. ES-2RS 

d = 40 – 80 mm 

With a double-lip seal on both sides of the 

bearing, can be lubricated via the relubrication 

facility in the rod end housing and via 

the pin (shaft), available with a right-hand 

or left-hand thread 

SIA and SAA series with different fitting 

dimensions (thread, height of the housing) 


Suitable for hydraulic cylinders, the slotted shank enables the rod end to be 

secured by tightening bolts 

SI(L)J .. ES 

d = 16 – 100 mm 

SI(L)J 12 E 

d = 12 mm 

With an open bearing (without seals), available 


Sizes 16 and larger can be lubricated via the 

relubrication facility in the rod end housing 

and via the pin (shaft) 

No relubrication facilities 

SI(L)R .. ES 

d = 25 – 120 mm 

With an open bearing (without seals), compact 

design, shorter female thread, can be 




SI(L)QG .. ES 

d = 16 – 200 mm 

SI(L)QG 12 ESA 

d = 12 mm 

With an open bearing (without seals), with 

an inner ring extended on both sides, can be 




Can only be relubricated via the relubrication 

facilities in the rod end housing 

35




maintenance 

Designation/ 



Sliding contact surface combination: Steel/bronze 

Lower load carrying capacity compared to steel/steel rod ends, 

but more suitable for applications where lubricant starvation 

might occur 

SI(L)KAC .. M 

d = 5 – 30 mm 

SA(L)KAC .. M 

d = 5 – 30 mm 

With an open bearing (without seals), available 


Sizes 6 and larger can be lubricated via the 

relubrication facility in the rod end shank or 

housing 

SIKAC .. M 

SAKAC .. M 

Rod ends with a welding shank, requiring maintenance 



Rod ends with a welding shank, requiring 

maintenance 

Designation/ 





SC ..ES 

d = 20 – 80 mm 

With an open bearing (without seals), can be 

lubricated via a the relubrication facility in 

the rod end housing and via the pin (shaft) 

Primarily used for welding to piston rods and 

the bases of hydraulic cylinders 

Centred by a dowel pin 

SCF ..ES 

d = 20 – 120 mm 

With an open bearing (without seals); can be 

lubricated via the the relubrication facility in 

the rod end housing and via the pin (shaft); 

high capacity design rod end compared to 

SC .. ES series, to enable heavier static loads 

Rectangular welding shank without a dowel 

pin 

36

Maintenance-free rod ends with a threaded shank 



Maintenance-free rod ends with a threaded shank 

Designation/ 



1 

Sliding contact surface combination: Steel/PTFE sintered bronze 

Suitable for heavy, constant direction loads, where low coefficient 

of friction is required; limited suitability for alternating loads, 

shock loads 

SI(L) .. C 

d = 6 – 30 mm 

SA(L) .. C 

d = 6 – 30 mm 

With an open bearing (without seals), 

available with a right-hand or left-hand 

thread 

SI .. C 

SA .. C 


Suitable for very heavy, constant direction loads, where low coefficient 


shock loads 

SI(L) .. TXE-2LS 

d = 35 – 80 mm 

SA(L) .. TXE-2LS 

d = 35 – 80 mm 

SI(L)A .. TXE-2LS 

d = 40 – 60 mm 

SA(L)A .. TXE-2LS 

d = 40 – 60 mm 

With a high performance bearing with a triple-lip 

heavy-duty seal on both sides of the 

bearing, available with a right-hand or lefthand 

thread 

SIA and SAA series with different fitting 

dimensions (thread, height of the housing) 

SI(A) .. TXE-2LS 

SA(A) .. TXE-2LS 


Suitable for heavy, constant direction loads, where low coefficient 


shock loads 

SI(L)KB .. F 

d = 5 – 22 mm 

SA(L)KB .. F 

d = 5 – 22 mm 

With an open bearing (without seals), but 

relatively insensitive to contaminants, available 


SIKB .. F 

SAKB .. F 

37

Selection of bearing size 


Load ratings 

There is no standardized method for determining 

the load ratings of spherical plain bearings 

and rod ends, nor is there any standardized definition. 

As different manufacturers define load 

ratings differently, it is not possible to compare 

the load ratings of bearings produced by one 

manufacturer with those of another. 

Dynamic bearing load 

Fig. 1 

Basic dynamic load rating 

The basic dynamic load rating C is used, together 

with other influencing factors, to determine 

the basic rating life of spherical plain bearings 

and rod ends. As a rule, it represents the maximum 

load that a spherical plain bearing or rod 

end can accommodate at room temperature 

when there is movement between the sliding 

contact surfaces († fig. 1). The maximum load 

in any application should always be considered 

in relation to the required rating life. The basic 

dynamic load ratings quoted in the product 

tables are based on the specific load factor K 

(† table 4 on page 45) and the effective 

projected sliding surface. 

Static bearing load 

Fig. 2 

Basic static load rating 

The basic static load rating C 0 represents the 

maximum permissible load that a spherical plain 

bearing or rod end can accommodate when 

there is no relative movement between the 

sliding contact surfaces († fig. 2). 

For spherical plain bearings, the basic static 

load rating represents the maximum load that 

the bearing can accommodate at room temperature 

without inadmissible deforming, fracturing 

or damaging the sliding contact surfaces. 

The basic static load ratings quoted for SKF 

spherical plain bearings are based on a specific 

38

static load factor K 0 († table 4 on page 45) 

and the effective projected sliding surface. It is 

assumed that the bearing is adequately supported. 

To fully exploit the static load rating of a 

spherical plain bearing, it is generally necessary 

to use shafts and housings made of highstrength 

materials. The basic static load rating 

must also be considered when bearings are 

dynamically loaded and subjected to additional 

heavy shock loads. The total load in these cases 

must not exceed the basic static load rating. 

For rod ends, it is the strength of the housing 

at room temperature, under a constant load 

acting in the direction of the shank axis, that is 

the determining factor. The basic static load 

rating represents a safety factor of at least 1,2 

relative to the yield strength of the material of 

the rod end housing, under the above 

conditions. 

Basic rating life 

For spherical plain bearings, a lubricant film 

that fully separates the sliding contact surfaces 

cannot be formed. Therefore, the sliding contact 

surfaces make direct contact with each other, 

resulting in a certain and unavoidable degree of 

wear. This increases the internal clearance in 

the bearing. 

Regarding the life of spherical plain bearings 

or rod ends, a distinction is made between the 

basic rating life and the service life. The basic 

rating life is a theoretical guideline value, used 

to estimate the service life. Service life depends 

on the actual operating conditions and is the 

actual life achieved by the bearing in service. 

The basic rating life is based on a large 

number of laboratory tests. The bearings were 

tested for an operating period until a specific 

increase in bearing clearance or friction 

occurred († table 1 on page 40). The basic 

rating life considers several influencing factors 

and can be expressed in operating hours or the 

number of oscillating movements († fig. 3). In 

some cases, however, it is not possible to quantify 

factors such as contamination, corrosion, 

and complex kinematic loads. Therefore, the 

basic rating life can be attained or exceeded by 

Angle of oscillation 

3 

b 

0 

2 

4 

j 

j = angle of oscillation = 2 b 

A complete oscillation is from point 0 to point 4 and = 4 b 

1 

Fig. 3 

the majority of many apparently identical spherical 

plain bearings under the same operating 

conditions. For the calculation methods of the 

different sliding contact surface combinations 

as well as calculation examples, refer to the section 

Basic rating life calculation starting on 

page 51. 

The service life cannot be calculated as it is 

too complex to determine and evaluate all the 

influencing factors. Therefore, depending on the 

application conditions, the service life may differ 

from the basic rating life. 

NOTE: By using the SKF Interactive Engineering 

Catalogue and its incorporated calculation programs, 

it is possible to perform the necessary 

calculations to select a spherical plain bearing 

with the click of a mouse. The product data necessary 

for the calculations is automatically put 

in by selecting a spher ical plain bearing or rod 

end from the product tables. It is then only necessary 

to fill in the fields for the operating data. 

The SKF Interactive Engineering Catalogue is 

available online at www.skf.com. 

1 

39


Table 1 

Failure criteria for basic rating life tests 

Sliding contact surface combination Increase in bearing clearance Coefficient of friction µ 

– mm – 

Steel/steel > 0,004 d 1) k 0,20 

Steel/bronze > 0,004 d 1) k 0,25 

Steel/PTFE 2) sintered bronze 

constant direction load 0,2 0,25 

alternating direction load 0,4 0,25 

Steel/PTFE fabric 

constant direction load 0,3 0,15 

alternating direction load 0,6 0,15 

Steel/PTFE FRP 3) design and size dependent 0,20 

1) d k = sphere diameter of the inner ring. 

2) Polytetrafluoroethylene. 

3) Fibre reinforced polymer. 

Radial load 

Fig. 4 

Axial load 

Fig. 5 

40

Combined load 

Fig. 6 

Load 

When considering load, a distinction is made 

between: 

1 

Constant direction load 

Fig. 7 

• load direction 

– radial load († fig. 4) 

– axial load († fig. 5) 

– combined (axial and radial) load († fig. 6) 

• type of load 

– dynamic load, i.e. there is relative sliding 

movement in the loaded bearing 

– static load, i.e. there is no relative movement 

in the loaded bearing 

• load conditions 

– constant load († fig. 7), i.e. the direction in 

which the load is applied does not change 

and the same part of the bearing (loaded 

zone) is always subjected to the load 

– alternating load († fig. 8), i.e. change of 

load direction so that zones at opposite 

positions in the bearing are alternately 

loaded and unloaded 

Equivalent dynamic bearing load 

The load can be inserted directly into the equation 

for the specific bearing load p († page 46) 

if the magnitude of the load is constant and if 

the load acting on: 

Alternating direction load 

Fig. 8 

• radial and angular contact spherical plain 

bearings is purely radial 

• thrust spherical plain bearings is purely axial 

• rod ends is purely radial and in the direction 

of the shank axis 

In all other cases it is necessary to calculate the 

equivalent dynamic bearing load P. If the magnitude 

of the load is not constant, use the equation 

provided in the section Variable load and 

sliding velocity († page 61). 

41


Radial spherical plain bearings 

Radial spherical plain bearings can accommodate 

a certain magnitude of axial load F a in addition 

to a simultaneously acting radial load F r 

(† fig. 6 on page 41). When the resultant load 

is constant in magnitude, the equivalent dynamic 

bearing load can be calculated using 

P = y F r 

where 

P = equivalent dynamic bearing load [kN] 

F r = radial component of the load [kN] 

y = load factor that depends on the ratio of the 

axial to the radial load F a /F r 

– for bearings requiring maintenance 

(† diagram 1) 

– for maintenance-free bearings 


Diagram 1 

Diagram 2 

Factor y for radial spherical plain bearings requiring 

Factor y for maintenance-free radial spherical plain 

maintenance 

bearings 

3 

3 

y 

y 

2,5 

2,5 

Other series 

2 

2 

1,5 

Series 

1,5 

GEP .. FS 

1 

1 0 0,05 0,1 0,15 0,2 0,25 

0 0,1 0,2 0,3 0,4 

F a 

F a 

F r F r 

Diagram 3 

Diagram 4 

Factor y for angular contact spherical plain bearings 

Factor y for thrust spherical plain bearings 

2 

2,5 

y 

y 

2,25 

1,75 

2 

1,75 

1,5 

1,5 

1,25 

1,25 

1 1 0 0,5 1 1,5 2 

0 0,1 0,2 0,3 0,4 0,5 

F a 

F r 

F r F a 

If F a /F r > 2, use a thrust spherical plain bearing instead, or 

contact the SKF application engineering service. 

If F r /F a > 0,5, use an angular contact spherical plain bearing 

instead, or contact the SKF application engineering service. 

42


When the resultant load († fig. 9) is constant 

in magnitude, then use 

Angular contact spherical plain bearing under 

combined load 

Fig. 9 

1 

P = y F r 

where 




axial to the radial load F a /F r († diagram 3) 


Thrust spherical plain bearings can accommodate 

a radial load F r in addition to an axial load 

F a († fig. 10). However, the radial load must 

not exceed 50% of the simultaneously acting 

axial load. When the resultant load is constant in 

magnitude, then use 

P = y F a 

Thrust spherical plain bearing under combined load 

Fig. 10 

where 


F a = axial component of the load [kN] 

y = load factor depending on the ratio of the 

radial to the axial load F r /F a 


Equivalent static bearing load 

If spherical plain bearings and rod ends are subjected 

to static loads, or very slight alignment 

movements, then the permissible load is not 

limited by wear, but by the strength of the sliding 

contact layer or the strength of the rod end 

housing. 

If the actual load is a combined load, then 

an equivalent static bearing load must be calculated. 

For radial and angular contact spherical 

plain bearings, it can be calculated using 

P 0 = y F r 

For thrust spherical plain bearings, it can be 

calculated using 

P 0 = y F a 

where 

P 0 = equivalent static bearing load [kN] 


F a = axial component of the load [kN] 


axial to the radial load F a /F r 

– for radial bearings requiring maintenance 


– for maintenance-free radial bearings 


– for angular contact spherical plain 

bearings († diagram 3) 

and load factor that depends on the ratio of 

the radial to the axial load F r /F a 

– for thrust spherical plain bearings 


43


Permissible loads for rod ends 

Rod ends are primarily intended for the support 

of radial loads acting in the direction of the 

shank axis. If loads act at angles to the shank 

axis († fig. 11), the maximum permissible load 

is reduced, as additional bending stresses occur 

in the shank. Under these conditions, consider 

the design and size dependent material used for 

the rod end housing († table 6 on page 170). 

The load portion acting perpendicular to the 

direction of the shank axis should never exceed 

the value of 0,1 C 0 . If heavier loads are involved, 

a larger rod end should be selected. 

The maximum permissible load for a rod 

end in the direction of the shank axis can be 

calculated using 

Rod end under combined load 

Fig. 11 

P perm = C 0 b 2 b 6 

where 

P perm = maximum permissible load [kN] 

C 0 = static load rating [kN] 

b 2 = temperature factor 

– for rod ends requiring maintenance 

(† table 5 on page 52) 

– for maintenance-free rod ends with 

the sliding contact surface 

combination 

– steel/PTFE sintered bronze 

(† diagram 16 on page 55) 

– steel/PTFE fabric 


– steel PTFE FRP 


b 6 = factor for the type of load († table 2) 

Factor b 6 for rod end load type 

Type of load Factor b 6 

Constant 

+F r 

Pulsating magnitude (single direction) 

+F r 

Alternating direction 

+F r 

-F r 

1 

0,5 

(0,35) 

0,5 

(0,35) 

Table 2 

The values in brackets apply to rod ends with a relubrication 

facility. 

44

Requisite bearing size 

To determine the requisite size of a spherical 

plain bearing or rod end, it is necessary to know 

the requisite rating life for the application. This 

depends on the type of machine, the operating 

conditions and the demands regarding operational 

reliability. The following steps can be 

used to determine requisite bearing size: 

1 Use the guideline values of the load ratio C/P 

provided in table 3 to obtain a requisite basic 

dynamic load rating C. Compare this value 

with the basic dynamic load rating of the 

bearings listed in the product tables. 

2 Use diagrams 5 to 10 on pages 46 to 50 to 

check whether the sliding contact surface 

combination of the selected bearing or rod 

end can be used under the actual load p and 

sliding velocity v conditions. The specific 

bearing load p and the sliding velocity v 

needed to perform this check can be calculated 

as explained in the following sections: 

a) If the pv diagram indicates that the basic 

rating life equation can be used, proceed 

to step 3. 

b) If the pv diagram shows that the pv range 

is exceeded, select a bearing with a higher 

load carrying capacity. 

3 Calculate the basic rating life († page 51) 

and proceed as follows: 

a) If the calculated rating life is shorter than 

the requisite rating life, a larger bearing 

or rod end should be selected and the 

calculation repeated. 

b) If the calculated rating life is larger than 

the requisite rating life, the bearing or rod 

end can be selected for the application. 

The bearing or rod end size is often determined 

by the dimensions of the associated components. 

In these cases, check the pv diagram to 

determine if the product is suitable. 

Guideline values for C/P 

Sliding contact 

surface combination 

Steel/steel 2 

Steel/bronze 2 

Steel/PTFE sintered bronze 1,6 

Steel/PTFE fabric 2 

Steel/PTFE FRP 

GAC .. F 1,25 

GX .. F 1,25 

GEP .. FS 1,6 

GEC .. FBAS 1,6 

Rod ends 1,25 

Load ratio C/P 

Table 3 

Table 4 

Specific load factors 

Sliding contact surface 

Specific load factors 

combination dyn. K stat. K 0 

– N/mm 2 

Steel/steel 

Metric bearings 100 500 

Inch bearings 100 300 

Steel/bronze 50 80 

Steel/ PTFE sintered bronze 100 250 

Steel/PTFE fabric 

Metric bearings 300 500 

Inch bearings 150 300 

Steel/PTFE FRP 

GAC .. F 50 80 

GX .. F 50 80 

GEP .. FS 80 120 

GEC .. FBAS 80 120 

Rod ends 50 80 

1 

45


Specific bearing load 

The magnitude of the specific bearing load can 

be calculated using 

P 

p = K ––– 

C 

where 

p = specific bearing load [N/mm 2 ] 

K = specific load factor depending on the bearing 

design and sliding contact surface combination 

(† table 4 on page 45) [N/mm 2 ] 


C = basic dynamic load rating [kN] 

Mean sliding velocity 

The mean sliding velocity for constant movement 

can be calculated using 

where 

v = mean sliding velocity [m/s] 

When the operation is intermittent 

(not continuous), the mean sliding velocity 

should be calculated for a cycle of 

operation 

d m = inner ring mean diameter [mm] 

d m = d k for radial spherical plain bearings 

and rod ends 

d m = 0,9 d k for angular contact spherical 

plain bearings 

d m = 0,7 d k for thrust spherical plain 

bearings 

d k = inner ring sphere diameter [mm] 

b = half the angle of oscillation († fig. 3 on 

page 39), degrees [°], for rotation b = 90° 

f = frequency of oscillation [min –1 ], or 

rotational speed [min –1 ] 

v = 5,82 ¥ 10 –7 d m b f 

Diagram 5 

pv diagram for steel/steel sliding contact surface combination 

500 

p 

[N/mm 2 ] 

100 

50 

IV 

20 

10 

II 

I 

III 

5 

2 

1 

0,0001 0,001 0,002 0,005 0,01 0,02 0,05 0,1 0,2 0,3 

v [m/s] 

Refer to Note 1 († page 47) for explanation of operating ranges. 

46

For intermittent movement, the angle of oscillation 

is usually given in units of time. In this case 

the mean sliding velocity can be calculated using 

1 

4b 

v = 8,73 ¥ 10 –6 d m ––– t 

where 

b = half the angle of oscillation [°] 

(† fig. 3 on page 39) 

t = time taken to pass through complete oscillation 

[s] 

Note 1: pv operating ranges 

I Range where rating life equation is valid 

II Quasi-static range; before using the rating 

life equation, contact the SKF application 

engineering service 

III Possible range of use, e.g. with very good 

lubrication; before using the rating life equation, 

contact the SKF application engineering 

service for additional information 

IV Extended range where rating life equation is 

valid provided the load is exclusively 

alternating 

Diagram 6 

pv diagram for steel/bronze sliding contact surface combination 

100 

p 

[N/mm 2 ] 

50 

20 

10 

5 

2 

II I III 

1 

0,0001 0,001 0,002 0,005 0,01 0,02 0,05 0,1 0,2 0,4 

v [m/s] 

Refer to Note 1 for explanation of operating ranges. 

47


Note 2: pv operating ranges 

I Range where rating life equation is valid 

II Quasi-static range; rating life equation has 

limited validity, refer to the section Basic 

rating life, starting on page 39 

III Possible range of use, e.g. with very good 

heat dissipation; before using the rating life 

equation, contact the SKF application engineering 

service for additional information 

Diagram 7 

pv diagram for steel/PTFE sintered bronze sliding contact surface combination 

300 

200 

p 

[N/mm 2 ] 

100 

50 

20 

10 

II I III 

5 

0,0001 0,001 0,002 0,005 0,01 0,02 0,05 0,1 0,2 0,5 

v [m/s] 

Refer to Note 2 for explanation of operating ranges. 

48

Diagram 8 

pv diagrams for steel/PTFE fabric sliding contact surface combination 

1 

500 

p 

[N/mm 2 ] 

Metric bearings 

200 

100 

50 

20 

10 

II I III 

5 

0,0001 0,001 0,002 0,005 0,01 0,02 0,05 0,1 0,2 0,5 

v [m/s] 

500 

p 

[N/mm 2 ] 

Inch bearings 

200 

100 

50 

20 

10 

II I III 

5 

0,0001 0,001 0,002 0,005 0,01 0,02 0,05 0,1 0,2 0,5 

v [m/s] 


49


Diagram 9 

pv diagram for steel/PTFE FRP sliding contact surface combination, FS and FBAS designs 

120 

p 

[N/mm 2 ] 

100 

50 

III 

20 

II 

I 

10 

5 

0,0001 0,001 0,002 0,005 0,01 0,02 0,05 0,1 

v [m/s] 


Diagram 10 

pv diagram for steel/PTFE FRP sliding contact surface combination, F design 

100 

p 

[N/mm 2 ] 

50 

III 

20 

II 

I 

10 

5 

0,0001 0,001 0,002 0,005 0,01 0,02 0,05 0,1 

v [m/s] 


50

Basic rating life calculation 

Steel/steel and steel/bronze sliding 

contact surface combinations, requiring 

maintenance 

The basic rating life for initial lubrication only, 

can be calculated using 

330 

G h = b 1 b 2 b 3 b 4 b 5 ––––– 

p 2,5 v 

When the bearing is regularly relubricated after 

the initial lubrication 

G hN = G h f b f H 

or 

H = frequency of relubrication († diagram 15 

on page 53) 

b 1 = load condition factor, 

b 1 = 1 for constant direction load 

b 1 = 2 for alternating direction load 

b 2 = temperature factor († table 5 on page 52) 

b 3 = sliding factor († diagram 11) 

b 4 = velocity factor († diagram 12 on 

page 52) 

b 5 = factor for angle of oscillation 

(† diagram 13 on page 52), refer to 

Note († page 53) 

p = specific bearing load [N/mm 2 ] (for values 

of p < 10 N/mm 2 use p = 10 N/mm 2 ) 


f b = factor depending on the angle of oscillation 

(† diagram 14 on page 53), refer to 

Note († page 53) 

f H = factor depending on the frequency of 

relubrication († diagram 15 on page 53) 

f = frequency of oscillation [min –1 ] 

N = relubrication interval [h] 

If the basic rating life requirement is not met, 

the relubrication interval N should be shortened, 

or a larger bearing or rod end should be 

selected. 

Diagram 11 

Sliding factor b 3 for steel/steel and steel/bronze sliding contact surface combinations 

5 

b 3 

G N = 60 f G hN 

The frequency of relubrication can be calculated 

using 

G h 

H = ––– 

N 

where 

G h = basic rating life with initial lubrication only, 

operating hours [h] 

G hN = basic rating life with regular relubrication, 

operating hours [h] 

G N = basic rating life with regular relubrication, 

number of oscillations 

1 

2 

1 

10 20 50 100 200 500 

d k [mm] 

51


Diagram 12 

Velocity factor b 4 for steel/steel and steel/bronze sliding contact surface combinations 

15 

b 4 

10 

steel/bronze 

5 

steel/steel 

2 

1 

0,002 0,005 0,01 0,02 0,05 0,1 

v [m/s] 

Table 5 

Temperature factor b 2 for steel/steel and steel/bronze 


Operating 

Temperature 

temperature factor b 2 

over incl. 

°C – 

– 120 1,0 

Diagram 13 

Angle of oscillation factor b 5 for steel/steel and steel/ 

bronze sliding contact surface combinations 

b 5 

10 

120 160 0,9 

160 180 0,8 

180 – Contact the SKF application 

engineering service 

5 

2 

I 

1 

5 10 20 45 

b [°] 

The temperature limits for integral seals († table 6 on 

page 79) and SKF greases († table 1 on page 87) must 

also be considered. 

If b < 5°, the value of b 5 for b = 5° should be used. 

52

Diagram 14 

Multiplication factor f b for steel/steel and steel/bronze 


f b 

6 

5 

4 

3 

2 

I 

NOTE: SKF manufactures all metric steel/steel 

radial spherical plain bearings with an outside 

diameter D ≥ 150 mm as standard with the 

multi-groove feature in the outer ring († page 

17). The extra large grease reservoir in the bearing, 

made possible by the multi-groove system, 

extends relubrication intervals and bearing 

service life, especially in applications where 

there are constant direction loads († page 40). 

These advantages are considered in the calculation 

of the basic rating life by the coloured 

regions in diagrams 13 and 14 for the factors 

for the angle of oscillation b 5 and f b . The values 

of these two factors in the upper limit of the coloured 

area may be used for bearings with the 

multi-groove system. 

1 

1 

5 10 15 20 

b [°] 

If b < 5°, the value of f b for b = 5° should be used. 

Diagram 15 

Relubrication factor f H for steel/steel and steel/bronze sliding contact surface combinations 

6 

f H 

5 

4 

3 

2 

1 

0 

1 10 20 30 40 

H 

50 

If H < 5, the values indicated by the broken line can be used. 

53


Maintenance-free steel/PTFE sintered 

bronze sliding contact surface 

combination 

The basic rating life can be calculated using 

1 400 

G h = b 1 b 2 ––––– 

p 1,3 v 

or 

NOTE: Basic rating life calculations consider 

the influence of the load and sliding velocity. 

Under very light loads and/or low sliding velocities, 

the result shows relatively long life. The 

longer the service life the more important is the 

influence of contaminants such as dirt, moisture 

and corrosion. Depending on the operating conditions, 

accurate life calculations may not be 

possible. 

G = 60 f G h 

where 

G h = basic rating life, operating hours 

G = basic rating life, number of oscillations 

b 1 = load condition factor († table 6) 

b 2 = temperature factor († diagram 16) 




Table 6 

Load condition factor b 1 for the steel/PTFE sintered 

bronze sliding contact surface combination 

Type of load Factor Permissible 

b 1 specific 

bearing load 1) 

– – N/mm 2 

Constant load 2) 

Single direction 1 up to 100 

Variable load 


or pulsating magnitude 

at a frequency 

up to 0,5 Hz 0,4 up to 60 

over 0,5 up to 5 Hz 0,2 up to 40 

1) Inertia forces should also be taken into consideration. 

2) For constant load, oscillating frequencies above 300 min –1 

and very short sliding distances, b 1 = 1 cannot be used 

because of possible material fatigue. For additional information, 


54

Diagram 16 

Temperature factor b 2 for the steel/PTFE sintered bronze sliding contact surface combination 

1 

1,0 

b 2 

0,8 

0,6 

0,4 

0,2 

0 

20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 

Operating temperature t [°C] 

55


Maintenance-free steel/PTFE fabric 

sliding contact surface combination 


K p 

G h = b 1 b 2 b 4 –––– 

p n v 

or 

NOTE: Basic rating life calculations consider 

the influence of the load and sliding velocity. 

Under very light loads and/or low sliding velocities, 

the result shows relatively long life. The 

longer the service life the more important is the 


and corrosion. Depending on the operating conditions, 

accurate life calculations may not be 

possible. 

G = 60 f G h 

where 





b 4 = velocity factor († diagram 18 on page 58) 

K p = constant for the specific bearing load 

(† table 8) 


n = exponent for the specific bearing load 

(† table 8) 



Diagram 17 

Temperature factor b 2 for steel/PTFE fabric sliding contact surface combination 

b 2 

1,0 

0,8 

0,6 

0,4 

0,2 

0 

20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 


56

Table 7 

Load condition factor b 1 for steel/PTFE fabric sliding 

contact surface combination 

Type of load Factor b 1) 1 Specific 

bearing load 

– – N/mm 2 

1 

Constant 

Single direction 1 up to 300 

Variable load 




up to 0,5 Hz 0,55 up to 50 

0,4 50 to 100 

over 0,5 to 1 Hz 0,35 up to 50 

0,15 50 to 100 

over 1 to 5 Hz 0,1 up to 50 

1) The factor b 1 covers several parameters that affect the 

bearing life. Depending on the operating conditions, higher 

b 1 values can be applied. Contact the SKF application 

engineering service. 

Table 8 

Constant K p and exponent n for steel/PTFE fabric 


Specific bearing load 1) Constant K p Exponent n 

over incl. 

N/mm 2 – – 

– 25 770 0,2 

25 90 4 000 0,7 

90 300 40 000 1,2 

1) For inch bearings, specific bearing load may not exceed 

150 N/mm 2 († table 4 on page 45). 

57


Diagram 18 

Velocity factor b 4 for steel/PTFE fabric sliding contact surface combination 

1,0 

b 4 

0,9 

p = 5 N/mm 2 

0,8 

0,7 

0,6 

0,5 

0,4 

20 

40 

60 

80 

100 

0,3 

0,2 

0,1 

0,0 

0,001 0,005 0,01 0,05 0,1 

0,5 1 

v [m/s] 

0,50 

b 4 

0,45 

p = 100 N/mm 2 

0,40 

0,35 

0,30 

0,25 

0,20 

0,15 

0,10 

0,05 

120 

140 

160 

180 

200 

220 

240 

260 

280 

300 

0,00 

0,001 0,005 0,01 0,05 0,1 

v [m/s] 

58

Maintenance-free steel/PTFE FRP 



K M 

G h = b 1 b 2 b 3 –––– 

p v 

or 

G = 60 f G h 

where 





b 3 = sliding factor († table 10 on page 60) 

K M = material constant († table 10 on page 60) 




NOTE: 

1. The basic rating life calculated from the above 

equation can be doubled if the bearings are 

relubricated occasionally (refer to the sections 

Lubrication, starting on page 84 and Relubrication 

on page 90) 

2. Rating life calculations consider the influence 

of the load and sliding velocity. Under very 

light loads, and/or low sliding velocities, the 

result shows relatively long life. The longer 

the service life the more important is the 


and corrosion. Depending on the operating 

conditions, accurate life calculations may 

not be possible. 

Table 9 

Load condition factor b 1 for steel/PTFE FRP sliding 


Type of load Factor Permissible 

b 1 specific 

bearing load 1) 

– – N/mm 2 

Constant load 2) 

Single direction 

GAC .. F 1 up to 50 

GX .. F 1 up to 50 

GEP .. FS 1 up to 80 

GEC .. FBAS 1 up to 80 

Variable load 




up to 0,5 Hz 0,25 up to 40 

over 0,5 up to 5 Hz 0,1 up to 25 

1) Inertia forces should also be taken into consideration. 

2) For constant load, oscillating frequencies above 300 min –1 

and very short sliding distances, b 1 = 1 cannot be used 

because of possible material fatigue. For additional information, 


Temperature factor b 2 for steel/PTFE FRP sliding 


b 2 

1,0 

0,8 

Diagram 19 

1 

0,6 

0,4 

0,2 

0 

20 40 60 80 100 


59


Table 10 

Sliding factor b 3 and constant K M for steel/PTFE FRP sliding contact surface combination 

Bearing type Nominal 

Series 

bore diameter 

Sliding factor Constant 

d b 3 K M 

over incl. 

– mm – – 

Radial bearings 

GEP .. FS – 180 1 1 055 

180 440 1,15 1 055 

440 – 1,35 1 055 

GEC .. FBAS – 440 1 1 055 

440 – 1,15 1 055 

Angular contact bearings 1) 

GAC .. F – 60 1 480 

60 – 1,5 480 

Thrust bearings 

GX .. F – 60 1 670 

60 – 1,5 670 

Rod ends 1 530 

1) For preloaded bearings that cannot be re-adjusted, always use b 3 = 1. 

60

Variable load and sliding velocity 

If the load and/or sliding velocity change during 

operation, calculate individual rating lives for the 

periods of constant load and sliding velocity. If 

the load and sliding velocity occur as shown in 

diagram 20a, the individual basic rating life can 

be calculated using the constant values of p and 

v. If the load and sliding velocity are not constant 

as shown in diagram 20b, first calculate the 

basic rating life for the individual time periods, 

using mean values for the load and sliding 

velocity for the individual time periods. Then 

calculate the total basic rating life using 

1 

1 

G h = ———————————–– 

t I t II t III 

––––– + ––––– + ––––– + … 

T G hI T G hII T G hIII 

where 

G h = total basic rating life, operating hours 

t I , t II … = time during which p 1 and v 1 , p 2 and v 2 

etc. pertain [h] 

T = total duration of one cycle 

(= t I + t II + t III + …) [h] 

G hI … = individual values of basic rating life for 

conditions p 1 and v 1 , p 2 and v 2 etc., 

operating hours 

Diagram 20 

Alternating load and variable sliding velocity 

v p 

p 1 

v p 

p 2 

v 1 

v 2 

p 3 p 

v 4 3 v 4 

t I t II t III t IV 

T 

t 

p 1 

v 2 

v 1 

p 2 

v 3 

p 3 


T 

t 

a 

b 

61


Calculation examples 

The following calculation examples illustrate the 

methods used to determine the requisite bearing 

size or the basic rating life for spherical plain 

bearings and rod ends. 

1. Torque support of a concrete transporter 

Given data 

Purely radial load that alternates direction: 

F r = 12 kN 

Half angle of oscillation: b = 15° 

(† fig. 3 on page 39) 

Frequency of oscillation: f = 10 min –1 

Maximum operating temperature: +80 °C 

Requirements 

The bearing must have a basic rating life of 

7 000 h. 

Calculations and selection 

Because a bearing in this application must 

accommodate an alternating load, a steel/steel 

radial spherical plain bearing is the appropriate 

choice. Relubrication is planned after every 

40 hours of operation. 

If, for the first check, a guideline value of 2 is 

used for the load ratio C/P († table 3 on page 

45), the required basic dynamic load rating C for 

the bearing is 

C = 2 P = 24 kN 

Bearing GE 20 ES, with a C = 30 kN and a 

sphere diameter d k = 29 mm, is chosen from the 

product table on page 104. 

To check the suitability of the bearing using 

the pv diagram († diagram 5 on page 46), calculate 

the specific bearing load using K = 100 

from table 4 on page 45. 

P 12 

p = K –– = 100 ¥ –––– = 40 N/mm 2 

C 30 

and the sliding velocity v using d m = d k = 29 mm, 

b = 15° and f = 10 min –1 

v = 5,82 ¥ 10 –7 d m b f 

= 5,82 ¥ 10 –7 ¥ 29 ¥ 15 ¥ 10 = 0,0025 m/s 

The values for p and v lie within the permissible 

operating range I of the pv diagram († diagram 

5 on page 46), for steel/steel radial spherical 

plain bearings. To calculate the basic rating life 

for initial lubrication, the values that apply are 

b 1 = 2 (alternating direction load) 

b 2 = 1 (operating temperature < 120 °C 

from table 5 on page 52) 

b 3 = 1,5 (from diagram 11 on page 51, 

for d k = 29 mm) 


for v = 0,0025 m/s) 


for b = 15°) 

p = 40 N/mm 2 

v = 0,0025 m/s 

Therefore 

330 

G h = b 1 b 2 b 3 b 4 b 5 ––––– 

p 2,5 v 

330 

= 2 ¥ 1 ¥ 1,5 ¥ 1,1 ¥ 3,7 ¥ ––––––––––––– 

40 2,5 ¥ 0,0025 

≈ 160 operating hours 

The basic rating life of the bearing that is relubricated 

regularly can now be calculated using 

f b = 5,2 (from diagram 14 on page 53) 

f H = 1,8 (from diagram 15 on page 53, for a 

relubrication frequency H = G h /N = 160/40 

= 4 with the relubrication interval of 40 h) 

G hN = G h f b f H = 160 ¥ 5,2 ¥ 1,8 

≈ 1 500 operating hours 

62

Because this life is shorter than the required 

rating life of 7 000 h, a larger bearing is chosen 

and calculations are repeated. 

Bearing GE 25 ES, with C = 48 kN and d k = 

35,5 mm, is chosen. The values for the specific 

bearing load lie within the permissible operating 

range I of the pv diagram († diagram 5 on 

page 46) 

NOTE: The SKF Interactive Engineering Catalogue 

incorporates programs to perform these 

and many other calculations quickly and accurately. 

These programs can be run any number 

of times to find the best possible solution. 

The SKF Interactive Engineering Catalogue is 


1 

12 

p = 100 ¥ –––– =25 N/mm 2 

48 

and the sliding velocity is 

v = 5,82 ¥ 10 –7 ¥ 35,5 ¥ 15 ¥ 10 = 0,0031 m/s 

As before 

b 1 = 2, b 2 = 1, b 5 = 3,7 

and now 


for d k = 35,5 mm) 

b 4 = 1,2 (from diagram 12 on page 52 , 

for v = 0,0031 m/s) 

Therefore, the basic rating life for initial 

lubrication is 

330 

G h = 2 ¥ 1 ¥ 1,6 ¥ 1,2 ¥ 3,7 ¥ ––––––––––––– 

25 2,5 ¥ 0,0031 


With f b = 5,2 (from diagram 14 on page 53) 

and f H = 3 (from diagram 15 on page 53 for 

H = 480/40 = 12) the basic rating life for regular 

relubrication (N = 40 h) becomes 

G hN = 480 ¥ 5,2 ¥ 3 ≈ 7 490 operating hours 

This larger bearing satisfies the rating life 

requirement. 

63


2. Attachment of a shock absorber of an 

off-highway vehicle 

Given data: 

Radial load: F r = 7 kN 

Axial load: F a = 0,7 kN 

Half angle of oscillation: b = 8° († fig. 3 on 

page 39) 


Load frequency: 2–5 Hz 

Maximum operating temperature: +75 °C 

Requirements: 

This bearing must have a basic rating life corresponding 

to a driven distance of 100 000 km 

at an average speed of 65 km/h without 

maintenance. 


For design reasons, a GE 20 C spherical plain 

bearing with a steel/PTFE sintered bronze sliding 

contact surface combination is proposed. 

From the product table on page 132, the basic 

dynamic load rating C = 31,5 kN and the sphere 

diameter d k = 29 mm are obtained. 

First, the equivalent dynamic bearing load 

must be determined by 


operating range I of the pv diagram where 

b 1 = 0,2 (from table 6 on page 54, for a load 

frequency over 0,5 Hz and 

25 

b 2 = 1 (from diagram 16 on page 55, for temperatures 

< 80 °C) 

The basic rating life for a GE 20 C bearing with 

the steel/PTFE sintered bronze sliding contact 

surface combination is 

1 400 

G h = b 1 b 2 ––––– 

p 1,3 v 

1 400 

= 0,2 ¥ 1 ¥ –––––––––––– 

31 1,3 ¥ 0,002 


This basic rating life corresponds to a distance 

(at an average speed of 65 km/h) of 1 600 ¥ 65 

= 104 000 km. Therefore, the bearing satisfies 

the rating life requirement. 

F a /F r = 0,7/7 = 0,1 

From diagram 2 on page 42 factor y = 1,4. The 

equivalent dynamic bearing load is therefore 

P = y F r = 1,4 ¥ 7 = 9,8 kN 

To check the suitability of the bearing size using 

the pv diagram 7 on page 48, calculate the values 

for the specific bearing load (using K = 100 

from table 4 on page 45) using 

P 9,8 

p = K –– = 100 ¥ –––– = 31 N/mm 2 

C 31,5 

and the sliding velocity (d m = d k = 29 mm). 

v = 5,82 ¥ 10 –7 dm b f 

= 5,82 ¥ 10 –7 ¥ 29 ¥ 8 ¥ 15 = 0,002 m/s 

64

3. A 320-bar hydraulic cylinder on a fully 

automatic press for building industry 

waste 

Given data 

Radial load (constant direction) 

Operation Load Time period 

case F r t 

I 300 kN 10% 

II 180 kN 40% 

III 120 kN 50% 

The number of press cycles n = 30 per hour, and 

the movement between the end positions (90°) 

is made in 10 seconds. The operating temperature 

is less than +50 °C. 

Requirements 

A maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearing 

with a steel/PTFE fabric sliding contact surface 

combination is required for a rating life of 5 

years with 70 h of operation per week. 


Using a guideline value for the load ratio C/P = 2 

(† table 3 on page 45), and with P = F rI the 

required basic dynamic load rating 

C = 2 P = 2 ¥ 300 = 600 kN 

From the product table on page 136, 

a GE 60 TXE-2LS bearing with a basic dynamic 

load rating C = 695 kN and a sphere diameter 

d k = d m = 80 mm is chosen. 

First, it is necessary to check that the operation 

cases I to III fall within the permissible 

range of the pv diagram 8 on page 49. 

The sliding velocity is the same for all three 

cases. The angle of oscillation is specified as 2b, 

the time t as the time taken to pass through 2b 

in seconds. Complete cycle duration is 4b 

(† fig 3 on page 39). 

2b 

v = 8,73 ¥ 10 –6 d m –– 

t 

90 

= 8,73 ¥ 10 –6 ¥ 80 ¥ –– = 0,0063 m/s 

10 

The specific bearing load, p = K(P/C), 

using K = 300 from table 4 on page 45 , is 

for case I 

P 300 

p I = K –– = 300 ¥ –––– = 129,5 N/mm 2 

C 695 

for case II 

P 180 

p II = K –– = 300 ¥ –––– = 77,7 N/mm 2 

C 695 

for case III 

P 120 

p III = K –– = 300 ¥ –––– = 51,8 N/mm 2 

C 695 

The values for p I , p II , p III and v are within the 

permissible range I of the pv diagram 8 on 

page 49. 

To make the lifetime estimate for variable 

loads and/or sliding velocities, the calculation of 

each load case has to be made separately, with 

the equation for TX bearings first 

K p 

G h = b 1 b 2 b 4 ––– 

p n v 

The parameters b 1 , b 2 , b 4 , K p and n are defined 

on page 56 and are as follows 

b 1 = 1 (from table 7 on page 57, constant load) 

b 2 = 1 (from diagram 17 on page 56, operating 

temperature < +50 °C) 

b 4 = (from diagram 18 on page 58) 

b 4 I = 0,31 

b 4 II = 0,48 

b 4 III = 0,57 

K p = (from table 8 on page 57) 

K p I = 40 000 

K p II = 4 000 

K p III = 4 000 

n = (from table 8 on page 57) 

n 1 = 1,2 

n 2 = 0,7 

n 3 = 0,7 

1 

65


for case I 

40 000 

G hI = 1 ¥ 1 ¥ 0,31 ¥ ––––––––––––––––– 

129,5 1,2 ¥ 0,0063 

= 5 745 operating hours 

for case II 

The required life of five years should be met 

assuming the machine is operated 70 h/week, 

30 cycles/hour and 50 weeks per year, to 

525 000 cycles or 2 916 operating hours. 

(Note that time for a complete cycle is 20 s.) 

G N, Req = 5 ¥ 70 ¥ 30 ¥ 50 = 525 000 cycles 

G h, Req = (525 000 ¥ 20)/3600 = 2 916 h. 

4 000 

G hII = 1 ¥ 1 ¥ 0,48 ¥ ––––––––––––––– 

77,7 0,7 ¥ 0,0063 


for case III 

4 000 

G hII = 1 ¥ 1 ¥ 0,57 ¥ ––––––––––––––– 

51,8 0,7 ¥ 0,0063 


Using the calculated basic rating lives of the 

three operation cases, the total basic rating life 

for continuous operation is († page 61) 

1 

G h = ——————————— 


––––– + ––––– + ––––– 

T G hI T G hII T G hIII 

For t I , t II etc., the percentages given in the operating 

data are inserted (with T = t I + t II + t III = 

100%.) 

1 

G h = —————————————————— 

10 40 50 

–––––––––– + ––––––––––– + ––––––––––– 

100 ¥ 5 745 100 ¥ 14 477 100 ¥ 22 833 


66

4. Linkages of a conveyor installation 

Given data 

Radial load of alternating direction: F r = 5,5 kN 

Half angle of oscillation: b = 15° († fig. 3 on 

page 39) 


Operating temperature: +70 °C 

Requirements 

A rod end is needed that provides a basic rating 

life of 9 000 hours under alternating load 

conditions. 


Because the load is alternating, a steel/steel 

rod end is appropriate. Relubrication is planned 

every 40 hours of operation. Using the guideline 

value for the load ratio C/P = 2 from table 3 on 

page 45, and as P = F r , the requisite basic 

dynamic load rating is 

C = 2 P = 2 ¥ 5,5 = 11 kN 

The SI 15 ES rod end with a basic dynamic load 

rating C = 17 kN is selected († page 172). The 

basic static load rating is C 0 = 37,5 kN and the 

sphere diameter d k = 22 mm. 

To check the suitability of rod end size using 

the pv diagram 5 on page 46, calculate the values 

for the specific bearing load (using K = 100 


C 0 

= 37,5 kN 

b 2 = 1 (from table 5 on page 52, 

for temperatures < 120 °C) 

b 6 = 0,35 (from table 2 on page 44, 

for rod ends with a lubrication hole) 

P perm = C 0 b 2 b 6 

= 37,5 ¥ 1 ¥ 0,35 

= 13,125 kN > P 

The following values of the factors are used to 

determine the basic rating life for initial lubrication 

only 

b 1 = 2 (alternating load) 

b 2 = 1 (for operating temperatures < 120 °C, 





for v = 0,0048 m/s) 


for b = 15°) 

p = 32 N/mm 2 

v = 0,0048 m/s 

Therefore 

330 

G h = b 1 b 2 b 3 b 4 b 5 –––––––––––––– 

32,4 2,5 ¥ 0,0048 

1 

P 300 

p = K –– = 100 ¥ –––– = 32,4 N/mm 2 

C 695 

and the mean sliding velocity (d m = d k = 22 mm) 

v = 5,82 ¥ 10 –7 d k b f 

= 5,82 ¥ 10 –7 ¥ 22 ¥ 15 ¥ 25 = 0,0048 m/s 


range I of the pv diagram 5 on page 46. 

Checking the permissible load on the rod end 

housing 

330 

= 2 ¥ 1 ¥ 1,3 ¥ 1,6 ¥ 3,7 ¥ –––––––––––––– 

32,4 2,5 ¥ 0,0048 


The basic rating life for regular relubrication 

(N = 40 h) with 

f b 

= 5,2 (from diagram 14 on page 53) and 

f H = 2 (from diagram 15 on page 53, 

for H = G h /N = 177/40 = 4,4) 

G hN = G h f b f H = 177 ¥ 5,2 ¥ 2 


67


The required basic rating life of 9 000 h is not 

achieved; therefore a larger rod end has to be 

selected. A SI 20 ES rod end, with C = 30 kN, 

C 0 = 57 kN and d k = 29 mm is selected and the 

calculation repeated. 

The values for the specific bearing load 

P 5,5 

p = K –– = 100 ¥ –––– = 18,3 N/mm 2 

C 30 

and the mean sliding velocity (d m = d k = 29 mm) 

v = 5,82 ¥ 10 –7 ¥ 29 ¥ 15 ¥ 25 = 0,0063 m/s 

both lie within the permissible range I. It is not 

necessary to check the permissible rod end 

housing load since the basic static load rating of 

the larger rod end is higher. Also, as before 

b 1 = 2; b 2 = 1 and b 5 = 3,7 

while 




for v = 0,0063 m/s) 

so that 

330 

G h = 2 ¥ 1 ¥ 1,4 ¥ 1,8 ¥ 3,7 ¥––––––––––––––– 

18,3 2,5 ¥ 0,0063 


With f b = 5,2 (from diagram 14 on page 53) 

and f H = 3,7 (from diagram 15 on page 53, for 

H = 681/40 ≈ 17) the basic rating life for regular 

relubrication (N = 40 h) becomes 

G hN = 681 ¥ 5,2 ¥ 3,7 


Therefore, the larger rod end meets the rating 

life requirements. 

68

Friction 

1 

The friction in a spherical plain bearing or rod 

end depends primarily on the sliding contact 

surface combination, the load and the sliding 

velocity. Because there are so many influencing 

factors that are not mutually independent, it is 

not possible to quote exact values for the coefficient 

of friction. Under laboratory conditions, 

however, it is possible to record the coefficient 

of friction for different sliding contact surface 

combinations. The friction during the running-in 

phase is higher than the value recorded during 

the subsequent test period. 

Guideline values for the coefficient of friction 

µ are listed in table 1. They have been determined 

in laboratory trials. 

The coefficient of friction for maintenancefree 

steel/PTFE fabric and steel/PTFE sintered 

bronze sliding contact surface combinations 

decrease with increasing specific load. At a 

constant specific load, friction is reduced to the 

given minimum value as soon as the transfer of 

PTFE from the sliding layer to the opposing steel 

surface is complete. The frictional moment for 

a spherical plain bearing or rod end can be calculated 

using 

M = 0,5 μ P d m 

where 

M = frictional moment [Nm] 

μ = coefficient of friction († table 1) 


d m = inner ring mean diameter [mm] 

d m = d k for radial spherical plain bearings and 

rod ends 

d m = 0,9 d k for angular contact spherical plain 

bearings 

d m = 0,7 d k for thrust spherical plain bearings 

d k = inner ring sphere diameter [mm] 

Table 1 

Coefficient of friction for different sliding contact 

surface combinations (guideline values) 

Sliding contact surface Coefficient of friction µ 

combination min max 

Steel/steel 0,08 0,20 

Steel/bronze 0,10 0,25 

Steel/PTFE sintered bronze 0,05 0,25 

Steel/PTFE fabric 0,02 0,15 

Steel/PTFE FRP 0,05 0,20 

After the bearing has been in operation for an 

extended period of time, negative influences 

(contamination, inadequate lubrication) may 

cause the bearing to approach or exceed the 

maximum values for the coefficient of friction 

listed in the table. Bearings are susceptible to 

this phenomenon even under light loads and 

especially under harsh operating conditions. In 

applications where friction is particularly important, 

SKF recommends determining the power 

ratings by using the maximum values for the 

coefficient of friction that are listed in table 1. 

For bearings operating under conditions of 

mixed or dry friction, there may be slight differences 

between adhesive and sliding friction. 

Experience has shown that it is not possible to 

eliminate stick-slip entirely and that it most frequently 

occurs when support elements lack 

adequate stiffness. In most applications, however, 

the effects are negligible. 

69

Design of bearing arrangements 

Design of bearing 

arrangements 

Radial location of bearings 

The inner and outer rings of spherical plain 

bearings must be radially secured (located) 

to the shaft and in the housing so that sliding 

movements occur in the bearing and do not 

result in ring creep. Ring creep occurs when 

a ring turns on its seat in the circumferential 

direction under load. To locate a bearing in the 

radial direction usually requires an interference 

fit. However, an interference fit cannot always 

be applied, e.g. if easy mounting and dismounting 

are required, or if the bearing must be able 

to be displaced axially without restraint. 

The appropriate fit is always determined 

by the operating conditions. 

1. Type and magnitude of the load 

The degree of interference must suit the type 

and magnitude of the load, i.e. the heavier the 

load and the stronger the shock loads, the tighter 

the interference required († fig. 1). 

• Under heavy loads, spherical plain bearings 

deform elastically, which may affect the interference 

fit and lead to ring creep. 

• The strength of the associated components 

must be adequate to accommodate the loads 

and fully support the bearing. 

• If the associated components deform, there is 

a risk that through-hardened bearing rings 

crack. 

• Steel/steel radial spherical plain bearings 

require a tighter fit than comparable maintenance-free 

bearings, which have a lower 

coefficient of friction. 

This reduces the initial internal clearance in 

the bearing, prior to operation. The operating 

clearance († fig. 2) furthermore takes the load 

and operating temperature into consideration. 

The initial radial internal clearance of bearings 

differs, depending on the type and size of 

the bearing. The clearance has been selected so 

that if the recommended tolerances for the shaft 

and housing seats are applied, an appropriate 

operating clearance (or preload) remains in the 

bearing under normal operating conditions. 

If a tight interference fit is used for both bearing 

rings, or if the operating temperatures are 

unusual, it may be necessary to use a larger 

initial internal clearance than “Normal” for 

steel/steel bearings. 

3. Temperature conditions 

In operation, the bearing rings normally have 

a higher temperature than their seats. This 

means that 

• the inner ring fit gets loosen († fig. 3) 

• the outer ring fit becomes tighter and may 

restrict any required axial displacement in the 

housing. 

If there is a considerable temperature difference 

between the inner ring and outer ring, there is 

a change in the operating clearance. This condition 

must be considered when selecting the fit 

or the bearing could seize, making it difficult or 

impossible for the shaft to turn. 

2. Bearing internal clearance 

An interference fit on the shaft and in the housing 

causes the inner ring to expand elastically, 

and the outer ring to be compressed elastically. 

70

For heavier loads a tighter interference fit is needed 

Fig. 1 

4. Design of associated components 

The bearing seats on the shaft and in the 

housing must not lead to uneven distortion 

(out-of-round) of the bearing rings († fig. 4). 

Therefore: 

• Split housings are not suitable for interference 

fits. 

• Thin-walled housings, light alloy housings 

and hollow shafts require a tighter fit than 

thick-walled steel or cast iron housings and 

solid shafts – and must have sufficient 

strength. 

• Heavy loads and interference fits require 

thick-walled one-piece steel or cast iron 

housings and solid steel shafts. 

1 

Reduction of the clearance in the bearing 

Fig. 2 

Bearing initial radial 

internal clearance 

Operating 

clearance 

Change to the fit with temperature 

Fig. 3 

Out-of-round bearing seat 

Fig. 4 

SKF 

GE 30 ES-2RS 

71


5. Axial displacement of non-locating bearings 

A non-locating bearing provides radial support 

only and must always be able to be displaced 

axially († fig. 5). This is normally achieved by 

selecting a loose fit for one of the bearing rings, 

generally the inner ring of a spherical plain 

bearing. Reasons include the following: 

• The shaft seat can be easily and economically 

hardened and ground to facilitate axial displacement. 

The hardness of the shaft should 

be at least 50 HRC. 

• The outer rings of most spherical plain 

bearings are axially fractured at one or two 

positions, or are radially split. This can make 

axial displacement difficult, if not impossible. 

• The housing bore should be protected against 

wear. 

Surface finish of seats 

The recommended surface roughness for bearing 

seats is in accordance with ISO 4288:1997. 

Axial displacement 

ISO shaft and housing tolerance classes 

Fig. 5 

Fig. 6 

• for shaft seats Rz ≤ 10 μm 

• for housing bore seats Rz ≤ 16 μm 

Recommended fits 

Only a limited number of ISO tolerance classes 

are appropriate for spherical plain bearings. 

Fig. 6 shows schematically the relative positions 

of these in relation to the bore and outside 

diameter of the bearings. The recommended 

tolerance classes for 

• the shaft seat are provided in table 1 

• the housing bore are provided in table 2 

These recommendations are based on the 

considerations described above and have been 

confirmed in a wide variety of bearing applications. 

The ISO tolerance limits are listed in 

• table 3 on page 74 for shafts 

• table 4 on page 74 for housing bores 

To facilitate the calculation of the minimum and 

maximum values of the theoretical interference 

or clearance, the standardized bearing bore 

diameter deviations (Δ dmp ) and the bearing outside 

diameter deviations (Δ Dmp ) are listed in 

tables 3 and 4. 

+ 

0 

+ 

0 

H11 

H7 J7 K7 M7 N7 

g6 h6 k6 m6 n6 

72

Shaft fits 

Operating conditions 

Tolerance classes 

Sliding contact surface combination 

steel/steel and steel/PTFE sintered bronze, 

steel/bronze 

steel/PTFE fabric and steel/PTFE FRP 

Table 1 

1 


Loads of all kinds, interference fit m6 (n6) 1) k6 

Loads of all kinds, clearance or transition fit h6 (hardened shaft) h6 or g6 (hardened shaft) 


Loads of all kinds, interference fit m6 (n6) m6 


Loads of all kinds, interference fit m6 (n6) m6 

The tolerance classes in brackets should be selected for very heavily loaded bearings. If selected, be sure that the residual 

operating clearance is sufficient for proper performance of the bearing or whether a bearing with larger clearance must 

be used. 

1) These recommendations do not apply to bearings in the GEG series, which have a bore diameter tolerance class to H7 and are 

normally mounted on shaft seats machined to tolerance class m7. If, for mounting reasons, the shaft is machined to tolerance 

class f7, it should be hardened as movements of the shaft relative to the bearing bore take place and wear may result. 

Housing fits 

Table 2 

Operating conditions 

Tolerance classes 

Sliding contact surface combination 

steel/steel 

steel/PTFE sintered bronze, 

steel/PTFE fabric and steel/PTFE FRP 


Light loads, axial displacement required H7 H7 

Heavy loads M7 (N7) K7 

Light alloy housings N7 M7 


Loads of all kinds, interference fit M7 (N7) M7 

Loads of all kinds, can generally be displaced axially J7 J7 


Purely axial loads H11 H11 

Combined loads J7 J7 

The tolerance classes in brackets should be selected for very heavily loaded bearings. If selected, be sure that the residual 

operating clearance of the radial bearing is sufficient for proper performance or whether a bearing with larger clearance 

must be used. 

73


Table 3 

ISO tolerance classes for shafts 

Shaft Bearing Shaft diameter deviations 

Nominal diameter Bore diameter Tolerance classes 

tolerance 

d D dmp g6 h6 k6 m6 n6 

over incl. low high high low high low high low high low high low 

mm µm µm 

3 6 –8 0 –4 –12 0 –8 +9 +1 +12 +4 +16 +8 

6 10 –8 0 –5 –14 0 –9 +10 +1 +15 +6 +19 +10 

10 18 –8 0 –6 –17 0 –11 +12 +1 +18 +7 +23 +12 

18 30 –10 0 –7 –20 0 –13 +15 +2 +21 +8 +28 +15 

30 50 –12 0 –9 –25 0 –16 +18 +2 +25 +9 +33 +17 

50 80 –15 0 –10 –29 0 –19 +21 +2 +30 +11 +39 +20 

80 120 –20 0 –12 –34 0 –22 +25 +3 +35 +13 +45 +23 

120 180 –25 0 –14 –39 0 –25 +28 +3 +40 +15 +52 +27 

180 250 –30 0 –15 –44 0 –29 +33 +4 +46 +17 +60 +31 

250 315 –35 0 –17 –49 0 –32 +36 +4 +52 +20 +66 +34 

315 400 –40 0 –18 –54 0 –36 +40 +4 +57 +21 +73 +37 

400 500 –45 0 –20 –60 0 –40 +45 +5 +63 +23 +80 +40 

500 630 –50 0 –22 –66 0 –44 +44 0 +70 +26 +88 +44 

630 800 –75 0 –24 –74 0 –50 +50 0 +80 +30 +100 +50 

800 1 000 –100 0 –26 –82 0 –56 +56 0 +90 +34 +112 +56 

1 000 1 250 –125 0 –28 –94 0 –66 +66 0 +106 +40 +132 +66 

Table 4 

ISO tolerance classes for housings 

Housing Bearing Housing bore diameter deviations 

Nominal bore Outside Tolerance classes 

diameter diameter 

tolerance 

d D Dmp H11 H7 J7 K7 M7 N7 

over incl. high low low high low high low high low high low high low high 

mm µm µm 

10 18 0 –8 0 +110 0 +18 –8 +10 –12 +6 –18 0 –23 –5 

18 30 0 –9 0 +130 0 +21 –9 +12 –15 +6 –21 0 –28 –7 

30 50 0 –11 0 +160 0 +25 –11 +14 –18 +7 –25 0 –33 –8 

50 80 0 –13 0 +190 0 +30 –12 +18 –21 +9 –30 0 –39 –9 

80 120 0 –15 0 +220 0 +35 –13 +22 –25 +10 –35 0 –45 –10 

120 150 0 –18 0 +250 0 +40 –14 +26 –28 +12 –40 0 –52 –12 

150 180 0 –25 0 +250 0 +40 –14 +26 –28 +12 –40 0 –52 –12 

180 250 0 –30 0 +290 0 +46 –16 +30 –33 +13 –46 0 –60 –14 

250 315 0 –35 0 +320 0 +52 –16 +36 –36 +16 –52 0 –66 –14 

315 400 0 –40 0 +360 0 +57 –18 +39 –40 +17 –57 0 –73 –16 

400 500 0 –45 0 +400 0 +63 –20 +43 –45 +18 –63 0 –80 –17 

500 630 0 –50 0 +440 0 +70 – – –70 0 –96 –26 –114 –44 

630 800 0 –75 0 +500 0 +80 – – –80 0 –110 –30 –130 –50 

800 1 000 0 –100 0 +560 0 +90 – – –90 0 –124 –34 –146 –56 

1 000 1 250 0 –125 0 +660 0 +105 – – –105 0 –145 –40 –171 –66 

1 250 1 600 0 –160 0 +780 0 +125 – – –125 0 –173 –48 –203 –78 

1 600 2 000 0 –200 0 +920 0 +150 – – –150 0 –208 –58 –242 –92 

74

Axial location of bearings 

Locating bearings 

An interference fit alone is not sufficient to axially 

locate a bearing ring. It is usually necessary to 

use a suitable locking device to secure the ring 

in place. 

Both rings of a locating bearing should be 

located axially on both sides. The bearing rings 

generally have an interference fit and are usually 

supported on one side by a shaft or housing 

shoulder. Inner rings are axially secured on the 

opposite end by 

• a plate bolted to the shaft end († fig. 7) 

• a spacer sleeve between the ring and a neighbouring 

machine component († fig. 8) 

• a retaining ring (circlip) 

Outer rings are generally retained by the cover 

of the housing bore († figs. 7 and 8). 

Fig. 7 

Using an end plate and cover to locate a bearing axially 

Using a spacer sleeve and cover to locate a bearing 

axially 

Fig. 8 

1 

Non-locating bearings 

For non-locating bearings, the outer ring (which 

normally has a tight fit) is axially located while 

the inner ring is free to move axially on the shaft 

(† fig. 5 on page 72). 

Note that for bearings in the GEP series 

(† fig. 9), which have a radially split outer ring, 

expansion forces are produced under purely 

radial load; the axial components of these forces 

act on the housing cover. The axial load acting on 

the cover may be as much as 30% of the radial 

load. This must be taken into account when 

Fig. 9 

Locating a radial spherical plain bearing having a radially split outer ring 

75


dimensioning the housing cover and selecting 

the size and number of the attachment bolts. 

If shaft and/or housing shoulders are undesirable 

because of manufacturing or assembly 

considerations, spacer sleeves or rings can be 

inserted between a bearing ring and an adjacent 

machine component († figs. 10 and 11). 

Axially locating a non-separable bearing with 

locating rings († figs. 10 and 11) saves space, 

enables quick mounting and dismounting and 

simplifies the machining of the seats. If larger 

axial forces have to be accommodated, a support 

ring († fig. 11) should be placed between 

the bearing ring and the locating ring, so that 

the locating ring is not subjected to excessive 

bending moments. 

To locate the bearing, retaining rings (also 

known as circlips) with a constant radial width in 

accordance with DIN 471:1981 or DIN 472:1981 

can be used. 

Fig. 10 

Locating a bearing axially, using retaining rings in the 

housing and adjacent components on the shaft 

Fig. 11 

Locating a bearing axially, using adjacent components 

in the housing and a support ring and a retaining ring 

on the shaft 

Fig. 12 

Shaft and housing abutment dimensions 

r b 

r a 

D a 

d a 

76

Shaft and housing fillet dimensions, no undercut 

r bmax 

Fig. 13 

Abutment and fillet dimensions 

The abutment and fillet dimensions should be 

such that: 

• A sufficiently large support surface is available 

for the bearing ring. 

• Moving parts of the bearing arrangement 

cannot contact stationary components. 

• The fillet radius should be smaller than the 

chamfer of the bearing. 

1 

r 2min 

r 2min 

r amax 

r 1min 

r 1min 

Fig. 14 

Appropriate abutment dimensions († fig. 12) 

are provided for each bearing in the product 

tables. The transition from the bearing seat to 

the shaft or housing shoulder can be either a 

simple fillet († fig. 13) or an undercut 

(† fig. 14). Dimensions for r amax and r bmax are 

listed in the product tables. 

Dimensions for undercuts are provided in 

table 5. 

The larger the fillet radius (for the simple 

form) of the transition to the shaft shoulder, the 

more favourable is the stress distribution in the 

shaft fillet area. 

Shaft and housing fillet dimensions, with an undercut 

b a 

r 2min 

Table 5 

r 2min 

h a Undercut dimensions 

Chamfer dimensions Fillet dimensions 

r 1min , r 2min b a h a r c 

h a 

r c 

r c 

r 1min 

mm 

mm 

r 1min 

1 2 0,2 1,3 

1,1 2,4 0,3 1,5 

1,5 3,2 0,4 2 

b a 

2 4 0,5 2,5 

2,5 4 0,5 2,5 

3 4,7 0,5 3 

4 5,9 0,5 4 

5 7,4 0,6 4 

6 8,6 0,6 6 

7,5 10 0,6 7 

77


Location of rod ends 

The inner rings of rod ends can be axially located 

by a shaft shoulder, a nut or a retaining ring. 

Rod ends mounted on threaded rods or in 

extension tubes should be secured by an extra 

nut on the rod or the external thread of the rod 

end shank. The nut should be securely tightened 

against the support surface on the rod end 

housing or on the tube († fig. 15). 

Fig. 15 

Attachment of rod ends 

78

Sealing 

Most bearing arrangements must be sealed to 

prevent contaminants, such as dirt and moisture, 

from entering the bearing. The efficiency 

of the seal has a decisive influence on the service 

life of the bearing. In contrast to most other 

bearing types, which only move in one plane, 

the alignment capabilities of spherical plain 

bearings place additional demands on the seal. 

To select appropriate seals, several factors 

have to be considered, including: 

• the permissible angle of tilt 

• the available space 

• environmental conditions 

• the effectiveness of the seal 

• the type of lubricant and the frequency of 

relubrication 

• the justifiable cost 

Depending on the application, one or more of 

the above factors outweigh the others. It is 

therefore not possible to establish general rules 

for seal design. 

Most SKF radial spherical plain bearing series 

are available with integral seals. Standard 

sealed bearings can increase the service life of 

the bearings and save space, while reducing 

inventory and assembly costs. Design characteristics 

and suitability of the RS seals and the 

LS heavy-duty seals are provided in table 6. 

Table 7 on pages 80 to 81, provides an overview 

of external sealing possibilities, their design 

characteristics and their suitability to meet different 

application requirements. SKF supplies 

most of the external seals introduced in table 7. 

NOTE: SKF additional information about the 

seals referred to in table 7 on pages 80 to 81, 

refer to the SKF Interactive Engineering Catalogue, 


SKF also supplies sealing strips made of felt 

(FS strips) or aluminium-boron silicate (FSB 

strips) for high temperature applications. 

Table 6 

1 

SKF integral seals for spherical plain bearings 

Seal Illustration Design characteristics Suitability 

RS design 

Double-lip contact seal made of 

• polyester elastomer for metric 

bearings with a bore diameter 

d < 320 mm (–30 to +130 °C) 

• acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber 

for metric bearings with a 

bore diameter d ≥ 320 mm 

(–35 to +100 °C) 

• polyurethane for inch bearings 

(–20 to +80 °C) 

• for compact bearing arrangements, mainly 

indoors 

• for cramped spaces 

• for high sealing demands when combined with 

an outboard seal 

• for long service life with minimal maintenance 

• for arrangements with bearings that rotate 

LS design 

Triple-lip heavy-duty contact seal 

made of acrylonitrile-butadiene 

rubber with sheet steel insert 

(–55 to +110 °C, for short periods 

up to +125 °C) 

• for compact bearing arrangements 

• for high sealing demands 

• for long service life with minimal maintenance 


• for difficult operating conditions in the presence 

of sand or mud 

79


Table 7 

External seals for spherical plain bearings 


Gap-type 

Simple and economic, no wear, 

simple mounting 

• for maintenance-free bearings 

• for small angles of tilt 

• for high temperatures 

• for moderately dusty environments 


Gap-type 

with 

grease 

Simple and efficient with periodic 

relubrication 

• for bearings and rod ends requiring 

maintenance 


• for rough conditions in the presence of sand, 

clay, slush etc. 

V-shaped 

Simple, lightly preloaded seal 

made of polyurethane 

(–40 to +100 °C) 

Good wear strength and resistance 

to grease, oil and other 

environmental influences 

• for contaminant exclusion 

• for angles of tilt up to 2° 

• for bearing arrangements with shaft 

diameters up to 300 mm 


V-ring 

Elastic seal that sits on the shaft 

and turns with it, axial sealing lip 

made of acrylonitrile-butadiene 

rubber (–40 to +100 °C) or 

fluoro rubber (–40 to +200 °C) 

Good wear and chemical 

resistance 


• for maintenance-free and grease-lubricated 

bearings 

• for all shaft diameters 

• for angles of tilt between 2 and 4°, depending 

on size 


Felt 

Simple to install, good resistance 

to grease (–40 to +100 °C) 

• for dust and minor dampness exclusion 

• for grease retention 

• for large angles of tilt 

• for all bearing sizes 


Radial 

shaft 

Steel reinforced (either externally 

or internally) elastomer with a 

acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber 

lip (–40 to +100 °C) or fluoro 

rubber lip (–40 to +200 °C) 

Good wear resistance, good 

resistance to grease, oil and 

other environmental influences 


• for grease retention 

• for oil retention 


• for all bearing sizes 


80

Table 7 

External seals for spherical plain bearings 


1 

Radial 

shaft with 

an auxiliary 

dust lip 

Steel reinforced (either externally 

or internally) elastomer with an 

acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber lip 

(–40 to +100 °C) or fluoro rubber 

lip (–40 to +200 °C) 


resistance to grease, oil and other 


• for highly contaminated environments 

• for oil retention 


• for bearings with a bore diameter d up to 

approx. 300 mm 


O-ring 

Acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber 

(–40 to +100 °C) or fluoro rubber 

(–40 to +200 °C) 

• for reliable moisture exclusion 

• for oil and grease retention 

• for very small angles of tilt 

• for slow oscillating movements 

Profiled 

rubber 

with clamp 

and lock 

Elastomer strip (–40 to +100 °C) 




• for hermetically sealed bearing 

arrangements 

• for slow oscillating movements. Initial oiling 

or greasing of faces reduces friction 


Mechanical 

seals 

Stainless steel rings and cup 

springs of acrylonitrile-butadiene 

rubber (–40 to +100 °C) 





• for oil and grease retention 



Spring 

steel 

washers 

Set of washers for high temperatures. 

Excellent wear resistance, 

good chemical resistance 


• grease exit vents needed in housing cover if 

grease used 



WARNING! 

Some of the external seals listed in this table can be made of fluoro rubber. Note that fluoro rubber gives off dangerous fumes 

at temperatures above 300 °C and can be hazardous if touched. As handling seals made of fluoro rubber constitutes a potential 

safety risk, the safety precautions must always be followed. For detailed information about the safety precautions, refer to the 

SKF Interactive Engineering Catalogue, available online at www.skf.com, the SKF General Catalogue or the publication Industrial 

shaft seals. 

81


Designing a bearing 

arrangement for easy 

mounting and dismounting 

Chamfering shaft ends and housing bore entrances 

Fig. 16 

To facilitate mounting, the shaft ends and housing 

bores should have a 10 to 20 degree lead-in 

chamfer († fig. 16). This is particularly important 

for applications using larger bearings, as 

the rings may skew, causing damage to the 

mating surfaces. 

To facilitate the use of withdrawal tools when 

removing bearings, it can be advantageous to: 

• provide recesses in the shaft shoulder 

(† fig. 17) 

• provide recesses or threaded holes in the 

housing bore († fig. 18) 

To dismount larger maintenance-free bearings 

with a bore diameter d ≥ 80 mm that have a 

tight shaft fit, SKF recommends using the oil 

injection method. With the oil injection method, 

oil under high pressure is injected between the 

bearing inner ring and its shaft seat to form an 

oil film. This oil film separates the mating surfaces, 

greatly reducing the force required to dismount 

the bearing and virtually eliminating any 

risk of damage to the bearing or shaft. 

To use the oil injection method, there must be 

an oil supply duct in the shaft as well as an oil 

distribution groove in the seat († fig. 19). As a 

general rule, the distance between the groove 

and the bearing side face from which mounting 

and dismounting are to be performed should 

be approximately one third of the seat width 

(† fig. 19). Recommended dimensions for the 

ducts and grooves as well as for the threads for 

the oil supply connection are provided in 

tables 8 and 9. 

Shaft shoulder with a recess 

Housing shoulder with threaded holes 

Fig. 17 

Fig. 18 

82

Table 8 

Recommended dimensions for oil supply ducts and distribution 

grooves 

Design and recommended dimensions for threaded 

holes for connecting oil supply 

Table 9 

1 

b a 

r a 

L 

L 

3 

60° 

h a 

N a 

G a 

N a 

G a 

N 

Design A 

G c 

G b 

G c 

G b 

Design B 

Bearing seat Dimensions 

diameter b a h a r a N 

over incl. 

mm 

mm 

Thread 

G a 

Design Dimensions 

G b G 1) c N a 

max 

– mm 

– 100 3 0,5 2,5 2,5 

100 150 4 0,8 3 3 

150 200 4 0,8 3 3 

200 250 5 1 4 4 

250 300 5 1 4 4 

300 400 6 1,25 4,5 5 

400 500 7 1,5 5 5 

500 650 8 1,5 6 6 

650 800 10 2 7 7 

800 1 000 12 2,5 8 8 

M6 A 10 8 3 

G 1/8 A 12 10 3 

G 1/4 A 15 12 5 

G 3/8 B 15 12 8 

G 1/2 B 18 14 8 

G 3/4 B 20 16 8 

L = width of bearing seat. 

1) Effective threaded length. 

Fig. 19 

Shaft with oil ducts and a distribution groove 

to facilitate dismounting 

83

Lubrication 

Lubrication 

The SKF traffic light concept 

Most grease suppliers indicate the specific 

values for the low and high temperature limits 

in their product information. The SKF traffic light 

concept is distinctly different from that. SKF recognizes 

that the really important temperatures 

for reliable operation lie within a smaller range. 

This range depends largely on the type of base 

oil and thickener used as well as the additives. 

The relevant temperatures are given by the SKF 

traffic light concept. They are schematically 

illustrated in diagrams 1 and 2 in the form of a 

double traffic light. 

It is evident that grease in the red zones 

should not be applied at all, as damage may 

occur. Within the green zone the grease functions 

reliably, and the grease life can be determined 

accurately. 

At temperatures in the amber zone above the 

high temperature performance limit (HTPL), 

grease ages and oxidize with increasing rapidity 

and the by-products of the oxidation have a detrimental 

effect on lubrication. An amber zone 

also exists for low temperatures. Short periods 

in this zone, e.g. during a cold start, are not 

harmful since the heat caused by friction brings 

the bearing temperature into the green zone. 

84

Diagram 1 

The SKF traffic light concept – general 

1 

Do not use 

Unreliable performance (use only for short periods) 

Reliable performance, i.e. with predictable grease life 

Temperature 

LTL LTPL HTPL HTL 

LTL – Low temperature limit 

This limit indicates the lowest temperature at which the grease allows the bearing to be started up without difficulty. 

LTPL – Low temperature performance limit 

Below this limit, the supply of grease to the contact surfaces becomes insufficient. 

HTPL – High temperature performance limit 

Above this limit, the grease ages and oxidize in an uncontrolled way, so that grease life cannot be determined accurately. 

HTL – High temperature limit 

When exceeding this limit, the grease loses its structure permanently. 

The SKF traffic light concept – temperature limits for SKF greases when used in spherical plain bearings requiring 

maintenance 

Diagram 2 

SKF greases 

Designation 

Temperature, °C 

–50 0 50 100 150 200 250 

LGHB 2 

LGMT 3 

LGEP 2 

LGGB 2 

85

Lubrication 

Relubricating the bearing via the outer ring 

Relubricating the bearing via the inner ring 

Relubricating the bearing from the side 

Fig. 1 

Fig. 2 

Fig. 3 



Steel/steel radial spherical plain bearings must 

be relubricated to: 

• reduce friction 

• reduce wear 

• extend bearing service life 

• protect against corrosion and contaminants 

The sliding contact surfaces are phosphated and 

treated with a “running-in” lubricant. This special 

surface treatment has a favourable influence 

during the running-in phase. The bearings 

must be greased prior to use and relubricated 

on a regular basis. 

To reliably relubricate the bearings, grease 

ducts should be provided in the housing 

(† fig. 1) or shaft († fig. 2) so that fresh 

grease can be supplied directly to the bearing. 

All SKF steel/steel radial spherical plain bearings 

(with the exception of the smallest E and ESA 

design bearings) have an annular groove and 

lubrication holes in both the inner and outer 

rings to facilitate lubricant distribution to the 

sliding surfaces of the bearing. 

If the arrangement is appropriately designed, 

the bearing can also be supplied with grease 

from the side. To facilitate the passing of grease 

through the bearing, the grease should be prevented 

from exiting the bearing arrangement 

from the side it is supplied, e.g. by an end cover, 

and to provide an opening for the grease to exit 

on the opposite side, e.g. a V-ring seal that can 

open if there is pressure from the inside 

(† fig. 3). 

Generally, where possible, the free space surrounding 

the bearing should be filled with 

grease. 

86

SKF recommends using SKF LGHB 2 grease 

to lubricate steel/steel spherical plain bearings. 

Its properties include: 

1 

• excellent performance under heavy loads 

• very good rust inhibitor 

• very good resistance to ageing 

• good water resistance 

• a wide operating temperature range. 

If operating temperatures exceed the temperature 

range limits, special grease should be used 

(† table 1). 

For additional information, contact the SKF 


Table 1 

SKF grease recommendations 

Property 

SKF greases (designation) 

LGHB 2 LGMT 3 LGEP 2 LGGB 21) 

for sliding contact surface combinations 

steel/steel steel/bronze steel/PTFE FRP steel/PTFE FRP 

Thickener Calcium sulphonate Lithium soap Lithium soap Lithium/calcium soap 

complex soap 

Base oil Mineral oil Mineral oil Mineral oil Ester oil 

Colour Brown Yellowish brown Light brown White 

Temperature range 2) , °C 

LTL to HTPL –20 to +150 –30 to +120 –20 to +110 –40 to +120 

Kinematic viscosity 

of base oil, mm 2 /s 

at +40 °C 400 to 450 120 to 130 200 110 

at +100 °C 26,5 12 16 13 

Consistency 

(to NLGI Scale) 2 3 2 2 

1) Grease biologically degradable, for use in applications where strict ecological demands must be met and where lubrication 

cannot be dispensed with. 

2) Refer to the SKF traffic light concept, starting on page 84. 

87

Lubrication 

Maintenance-free spherical 


Steel/PTFE sintered bronze and steel/ 

PTFE fabric sliding contact surface 

combinations 

During operation, PTFE is transferred from the 

dry sliding contact surface of the outer ring to 

the hard chromium plated steel surface of the 

inner ring. Any external lubricant on the sliding 

contact surfaces would disturb this self-lubrication 

and shorten bearing service life. 

As a result, these bearings must not be lubricated 

and do not have any relubrication facility. 

Steel/PTFE FRP sliding contact surface 

combination 

Bearings with this sliding contact surface combination 

are also self-lubricating and can be 

operated grease-free. 

However, initial lubrication followed by occasional 

relubrication of steel/PTFE FRP bearings 

can extend the service life of the bearing by a 

factor of two or more. The inner rings of radial 

bearings or shaft washers of angular contact 

and thrust bearings are coated with a lithium 

base grease before leaving the factory. 

If operating conditions are such that protection 

against corrosion and enhanced sealing are 

required, the free space surrounding the bearing 

(† fig. 4) can be filled with the same grease 

that was used to lubricate the bearing. The 

appropriate time to replenish or renew the 

grease in the bearing arrangement is determined 

by the operating conditions and the ageing 

of the grease. 

Rust inhibiting, water-repellent lithium base 

greases with a consistency of 2 on the NGLI 

scale should be used. SKF recommends SKF 

LGEP 2 grease († table 1 on page 87). Greases 

containing molybdenum disulphide or other 

solid lubricants should never be used. 

CAUTION: Depending on their design, SKF 

spherical plain bearings are either completely or 

partially coated with an oily preservative or filled 

with grease. Avoid skin contact as these substances 

may cause skin irritation or an allergic 

reaction. 

Fig. 4 

Relubricating the bearing from the side 

88

Rod ends requiring 

maintenance 

Steel/steel and steel/bronze rod ends require 

lubrication. To facilitate this: 

Relubrication facilities for steel/steel rod ends 

Fig. 5 

1 

• All SKF steel/steel rod ends, with the exception 

of small-sized E and ESA design rod ends, 

can be relubricated via a lubrication hole or 

grease fitting in the rod end housing as well 

as via the pin and the inner ring († fig. 5). 

• All SKF steel/bronze rod ends can be 

relubricated via a lubrication hole or grease 

fitting in the rod end housing († fig. 6). 

The general recommendations for steel/steel 

radial spherical plain bearings also apply to 

steel/steel rod ends as well as steel/bronze rod 

ends. 

For steel/bronze rod ends in the SIKAC .. M and 

SAKAC .. M series, SKF recommends SKF LGMT 3 

grease († table 1 on page 87). Lithium based 

greases with a normal consistency without solid 

lubricant additives can also be used. 

Lubrication hole 

Grease fitting 

Relubrication facilities for steel/bronze rod ends 

(sizes 6 and larger) 

Fig. 6 

Maintenance-free rod ends 

Maintenance-free, self-lubricating rod ends are 

designed to be used as dry sliding bearings and 

must not be lubricated. Consequently, these rod 

ends do not have a relubrication facility in their 

housings. 

Steel/PTFE FRP rod ends are an exception. 

They can be used without additional lubricant, 

but their service life can be extended appreciably 

if they are lubricated prior to use. 

CAUTION: Depending on their design, SKF rod 

ends are either completely or partially coated 

with an oily preservative or filled with grease. 

Avoid skin contact as these substances may 

cause skin irritation or an allergic reaction. 

SIKAC .. M series 

SAKAC .. M series 

89

Relubrication 

Relubrication 

To maximize the service life of spherical plain 

bearings and rod ends requiring maintenance, 

they must be relubricated on a regular basis. 

This also applies to maintenance-free bearings 

with a steel/PTFE FRP sliding contact surface. 

Used grease containing wear debris and contaminants 

should be removed from the contact 

zone and replaced with fresh grease. 

Determining the proper relubrication interval 

is extremely important because the attainable 

service life depends on several factors including: 

• the magnitude of the load 

• the type of load 

• the angle of oscillation 

• the frequency of oscillation 

• the operating temperature 

• the sealing arrangement 

• other environmental conditions 

Storage 

SKF spherical plain bearings and rod ends are 

treated with a preservative before they are 

packaged. They can, therefore, be stored in their 

original packages for several years. However, 

the relative humidity in the storeroom should 

not exceed 60%. 

NOTE: SKF also supplies a comprehensive 

assortment of greases for various application 

requirements. For additional information, refer 

to the catalogue SKF Maintenance and Lubrication 

Products or online at www.mapro.skf.com. 

Long bearing service life can be attained when 

the following basic relubrication rules are 

observed: 

• the same type of grease is always used 

(† table 1 on page 87) 

• the lubricant is applied at operating 

temperature 

• the lubricant is applied before a long 

interruption, e.g. before construction or 

agricultural equipment is stored 

Relubrication of non-locating bearings 

Non-locating bearings, where axial displacement 

takes place along the shaft or pin, should 

always be relubricated via the shaft and bearing 

inner ring († fig 2 on page 86). By supplying 

lubricant in this way, grease also enters between 

the mating surfaces of the inner ring and shaft 

seat. This reduces friction and induced axial 

loads when axial displacement occurs. 

90

1 

SKF has the appropriate greases for 

spherical plain bearings and rod ends, 

including the biologically degradable 

SKF LGGB 2 grease 

91

Mounting 

Mounting 

Skill and cleanliness when mounting are necessary 

if spherical plain bearings and rod ends are 

to achieve maximum service life and not fail 

prematurely. 

Bearings and rod ends should only be 

removed from their packages immediately 

prior to mounting so that they do not become 

contaminated. Bearing components that could 

have become dirty as a result of improper handling 

or damaged packaging should be wiped 

clean with a lint-free cloth. 

The sliding contact surfaces of spherical 

plain bearings are matched to provide favourable 

friction and wear characteristics. Therefore, 

any alteration of the sliding surfaces can reduce 

bearing service life. Alterations in this context 

also include washing or exposing the sliding 

surfaces to solvents, cleaners, oils or similar 

media. 

All associated components should be clean and 

free of any burrs. Also make sure to check each 

associated component for dimensional accuracy 

before the installation process is started. 


Mechanical mounting 

The following tools are suitable for mounting 

spherical plain bearings: 

• a mounting dolly († fig. 2) or length of tubing; 

the ring with an interference fit should 

generally be mounted first 

• a dolly having two abutment surfaces 

(† fig. 3) for simultaneously mounting the 

bearing on the shaft and in the housing 

• for larger numbers of bearings, suitable tools 

can be used in combination with a press 

(† fig. 4) 

When mounting spherical plain bearings, consider 

the following: 

• Never use a hammer or pin punch to drive 

a bearing in place, as either could damage the 

rings († fig. 5). 

• The mounting force should never be directed 

through the sliding contact surfaces († fig. 6). 

This could damage the sliding contact surfaces 

and/or expand fractured or split bearing outer 

rings, which can cause an increase in the 

mounting force required. 

When mounting spherical plain bearings with 

a fractured or split outer ring, it is essential that 

the joint is positioned at 90° to the direction of 

load († fig. 1), otherwise service life is reduced. 

Steel or plastic bands that hold together 

spherical plain bearing outer rings must not be 

removed prior to mounting. They are positioned 

in an annular groove and do not protrude from 

the outside diameter surface. 

Spherical plain bearing outer rings that are 

axially split and bolted together must be mounted 

as such, without loosening the bolts. 

92

Plane of fracture or split and main direction of load 

Fig. 1 

Mounting with the aid of a dolly 

Fig. 2 

1 

Fig. 3 

Simultaneous mounting in the housing and on the shaft 

Mounting using a press 

Fig. 4 

Never hit the bearing rings directly 

Fig. 5 

Fig. 6 

Never apply the mounting force via the sliding contact 

surfaces 

93

Mounting 

Hot mounting 

As a rule, larger bearings cannot be mounted 

cold because the force required to press a bearing 

into position increases considerably with its 

size. Therefore, SKF recommends the following: 

• heat the bearing before it is mounted on the 

shaft († fig. 7) 

• heat non-split housings before inserting the 

bearing 

To mount a bearing on a shaft, a temperature 

differential of 60 to 80 °C between ambient 

temperature and the heated inner ring, is usually 

sufficient. For housings, the appropriate differential 

depends on the degree of interference 

and the seat diameter. However, a moderate 

Mounting a heated bearing 

Fig. 7 

increase in temperature is usually sufficient. 

When heating the bearing, do not exceed the 

temperature limit of any associated components, 

such as the seals. 

For an even and risk-free heat source, an 

induction heater should be used. The use of an 

SKF induction heater has a number of advantages. 

It heats the bearing rapidly and a built-in 

thermostat prevents overheating. The non-metallic 

components, such as the seals or PTFE 

fabric, remain cold as does the heater itself. SKF 

induction heaters automatically demagnetize 

the bearing after it has been heated. 

Mounting bearings by cooling the shaft or the 

bearing is not recommended, as the very low 

temperatures required inevitably cause condensation, 

thus creating the risk of corrosion. 

To ease the mounting of large bearings, particularly 

if they have been heated, it is possible 

to use slings and a hoist. Metal or textile slings 

placed around the outer ring can be used. A 

spring between the hoist hook and the sling also 

facilitates bearing handling († fig. 8). 

Mounting a heated large bearing 

Fig. 8 

Warning! 

Maintenance-free spherical plain bearings 

and rod ends must never be subjected to 

temperatures in excess of +280 °C due to 

the PTFE content. PTFE is completely inert 

below this temperature but at higher temperatures 

(from approx. 320 °C) it rapidly 

decomposes. The fluorine compounds 

released during this process are extremely 

toxic, even in small quantities, and can cause 

serious injury. It should also be remembered 

that the material is dangerous to handle 

once it has been overheated, even after it 

has cooled. 

Heat-resistant gloves should be worn 

when handling hot components. 

94


Rod ends are fitted on pins and shafts in the 

same way as spherical plain bearings. Slight 

heating reduces the force required for mounting 

and reduce the risk of damaging associated 

components. 

When attaching rod ends to threaded rods or 

extension tubes († fig. 9) a counter lock nut 

should be used on the rod or on the external 

thread of the rod end. It should be securely 

tightened against the abutment surface on the 

rod end or tube. 

1 

NOTE: SKF supplies a comprehensive range 

of mechanical and hydraulic tools as well as 

heating equipment for bearing mounting and 

dismounting. For additional information, refer to 

the catalogue SKF Mainten ance and Lubrication 

Products or online at www.mapro.skf.com. 

Fig. 9 

Securing a rod end with a right-hand thread 

95

Dismounting 

Dismounting 


If bearings are to be re-used after dismounting, 

the same care and attention are required during 

dismounting as when mounting. The requisite 

withdrawal force should always be applied to the 

ring which is being dismounted. 

SKF offers an assortment of different pullers 

to accommodate many applications. If the shaft 

is pre-machined to accommodate the arms of a 

jaw puller, then a two- or three-armed puller 

can be used († fig. 1). 

In other cases where there is enough space 

behind the ring, a strong back puller such as the 

SKF TMBS series can be used († fig. 2). 

For large bearings with an interference fit, 

dismounting is considerably facilitated if the SKF 

oil injection method is used († fig. 3). The oil 

ducts and distributor grooves should be provided 

when designing the bearing arrangement 

(† page 82). 

Small bearings can be dismounted using a 

mounting dolly or a length of tubing applied to 

the outer ring. For larger bearings with an interference 

fit, a mechanical or hydraulic press 

should be used when possible. 

It is also possible to dismount a bearing from 

the housing bore by quickly heating the housing 

without heating the bearing outer ring to any 

extent. 

Removing a bearing with a jaw puller 

Fig. 1 

Fig. 2 

A strong back puller facilitates dismounting of the inner 

ring 


To dismount rod ends, the lock nut securing the 

shank should be loosened and, if possible, the 

rod end should be unscrewed from its rod or 

tube. The rod end can then be removed from the 

pin or shaft in the same way as a bearing, e.g. 

using a puller or a press. 

96

Fig. 3 

Dismounting a bearing using the SKF oil injection 

method 

1 

97

Radial spherical plain 

bearings requiring 

maintenance 

2 

Dimensions..................................................................................................................................... 100 

Tolerances....................................................................................................................................... 101 

Radial internal clearance................................................................................................................ 102 

Materials......................................................................................................................................... 102 

Permissible operating temperature range.................................................................................... 102 

Product tables......................................................................................................... 104 

2.1 Radial spherical plain plain bearings, steel/steel, metric sizes................................................ 104 

2.2 Radial spherical plain plain bearings, steel/steel, inch sizes.................................................... 110 

2.3 Radial spherical plain plain bearings with an extended inner ring, steel/steel, metric sizes... 116 

2.4 Radial spherical plain plain bearings with an extended inner ring, steel/steel, inch sizes...... 120 

99


A characteristic feature of SKF steel/steel radial 

spherical plain bearings is the outer ring, which 

is intentionally fractured so that it can be sprung 

apart to enable the inner ring to be inserted 

(† fig. 1). The bearings are therefore nonseparable 

and easy to handle. 

The bearings are manganese phosphated and 

the sliding contact surface is then treated with 

a running-in lubricant. This reduces friction and 

wear during the running-in period. To facilitate 

lubrication, all bearings, with the exception of 

some small sizes, have an annular groove and 

two lubrication holes in both the inner and 

outer rings. Metric bearings with an outside 

diameter D ≥ 150 mm also have the SKF multigroove 

system († page 17) in the outer ring 

sliding contact surface as standard († fig. 2). 

Upon request, SKF can also supply smaller 

metric and inch size bearings with the multigroove 

system. 

With the multi-groove system, SKF solved 

the problem of lubricant starvation in steel/steel 

bearings. Lubricant starvation is a common 

cause of premature bearing failure in applications 

where minor alignment movements are 

made under heavy, constant direction loads. 

The multi-groove system improves lubricant 

distribution in the heavily loaded zone to extend 

bearing service life and/or maintenance 

intervals. 

The fractured outer ring enables the bearing to be 

assembled 

Fig. 1 

Fig. 2 

Spherical plain bearing with the multi-groove system in 

the outer ring 

Dimensions 

The dimensions of spherical plain bearings in 

the GE, GEH and GEG series are in accordance 

with ISO 12240-1:1998. 

Bearings in the GEM series, which have an 

extended inner ring, have a non-standard inner 

ring width, but otherwise have the same dimensions 

as GE series bearings. 

Inch spherical plain bearings in the GEZ series 

are in accordance with the American Standard 

ANSI/ABMA Std. 22.2-1988. 

Fig. 3 

Spherical plain bearing with the multi-groove system, 

fitted with LS heavy-duty seals 

100

Tolerances 

The dimensional tolerances for metric radial 

spherical plain bearings requiring maintenance 

in the GE, GEG, GEH and GEM series are listed in 

table 1. The dimensional tolerances for inch 

radial spherical plain bearings in the GEZ, 

GEZH and GEZM series are listed in table 2 on 

page 103. Outer ring tolerances apply to conditions 

before fracture and surface treatment. 

Accordingly, inner ring tolerances apply to rings 

before surface treatment. 

The tolerances are in accordance with 

ISO 12240-1:1998 (metric bearings) and 

ANSI/ABMA Std. 22.2-1988 (inch bearings). 

The symbols used in the tolerance tables are 

explained in the following: 

2 

d nominal bore diameter 

D dmp deviation of the mean bore diameter from 

the nominal 

D nominal outside diameter 

D Dmp deviation of the mean outside diameter 

from the nominal 

D Bs deviation of the single inner ring width 


D Cs deviation of the single outer ring width 


Table 1 

Dimensional tolerances for metric radial spherical plain bearings requiring maintenance 

Nominal diameter GE, GEH and GEM series GEG series All series 

Inner ring Inner ring Outer ring 

d, D D dmp D Bs D dmp D Bs D Dmp D Cs 

over incl. high low high low high low high low high low high low 

mm µm µm µm µm µm µm 

– 6 0 –8 0 –120 – – – – – – – – 

6 10 0 –8 0 –120 – – – – 0 –8 0 –240 

10 18 0 –8 0 –120 +18 0 0 –180 0 –8 0 –240 

18 30 0 –10 0 –120 +21 0 0 –210 0 –9 0 –240 

30 50 0 –12 0 –120 +25 0 0 –250 0 –11 0 –240 

50 80 0 –15 0 –150 +30 0 0 –300 0 –13 0 –300 

80 120 0 –20 0 –200 +35 0 0 –350 0 –15 0 –400 

120 150 0 –25 0 –250 +40 0 0 –400 0 –18 0 –500 

150 180 0 –25 0 –250 +40 0 0 –400 0 –25 0 –500 

180 250 0 –30 0 –300 +46 0 0 –460 0 –30 0 –600 

250 315 0 –35 0 –350 – – – – 0 –35 0 –700 

315 400 – – – – – – – – 0 –40 0 –800 

400 500 – – – – – – – – 0 –45 0 –900 

101


Radial internal clearance 

Steel/steel radial spherical plain bearings are 

produced with Normal radial internal clearance 

as standard. The actual values are listed in 

tables 3 and 4. Prior to ordering, check availability 

of bearings with a smaller (C2) or larger (C3) 

radial internal clearance than Normal. 

The clearance values for metric bearings are 

in accordance with ISO 12240-1:1998. 

Materials 

The inner and outer rings of SKF steel/steel 

radial spherical plain bearings are made of 

bearing steel. They are through-hardened, 

ground and phosphated. The sliding contact 

surfaces are treated with a running-in lubricant. 

Depending on the bore diameter, metric 

bearings with a 2RS suffix have a double-lip 

seal made of a polyester elastomer or acrylonitrile-butadiene 

rubber on both sides of the 

bearing († table 6 on page 79). Inch bearings 

with a 2RS suffix have a double-lip seal made of 

polyurethane on both sides of the bearing. 

Metric and inch bearings with the designation 

suffix -2LS have a sheet steel reinforced, 

triple-lip heavy-duty seal made of acrylonitrilebutadiene 

on both sides of the bearing. 

Permissible operating temperature 

range 

Open steel/steel radial spherical plain bearings 

have a permissible operating temperature range 

of –50 to +200 °C, but their load carrying capacity 

is reduced at temperatures above +120 °C. 

Bearings for higher temperature applications up 

to 300 °C, can be produced on request. 

For sealed bearings, the permissible operating 

temperature range is limited by the seal 

material: 

• –20 to +80 °C for inch RS seals 

• –30 to +130 °C for metric RS seals with a 

bore diameter d < 320 mm 

• –35 to +100 °C for metric RS seals with a 

bore diameter d ≥ 320 mm 

• –55 to +110 °C for LS seals 

The operating temperature range of the grease 

used to lubricate the bearings must also be taken 

into consideration. 

102

Table 2 

Dimensional tolerances for inch bearings 

Nominal diameter GEZ, GEZH and GEZM series 

Inner ring 

Outer ring 

d, D D dmp D Bs D Dmp D Cs 

over incl. high low high low high low high low 

in µm 

– 2 0 –13 0 –130 0 –13 0 –130 

2 3 0 –15 0 –130 0 –15 0 –130 

3 3.1875 0 –20 0 –130 0 –15 0 –130 

2 

3.1875 4.75 0 –20 0 –130 0 –20 0 –130 

4.75 6 0 –25 0 –130 0 –25 0 –130 

6 7 – – – – 0 –25 0 –130 

7 8.75 – – – – 0 –30 0 –130 

Table 3 

Radial internal clearance for steel/steel radial spherical plain bearings, metric sizes 

Bore diameter 


d C2 Normal C3 

over incl. min max min max min max 

mm µm 

– 12 8 32 32 68 68 104 

12 20 10 40 40 82 82 124 

20 35 12 50 50 100 100 150 

35 60 15 60 60 120 120 180 

60 90 18 72 72 142 142 212 

90 140 18 85 85 165 165 245 

140 200 18 100 100 192 192 284 

200 240 18 110 110 214 214 318 

240 300 18 125 125 239 239 353 

Bearings in the GEH series, with a bore diameter d = 20, 35, 60 and 90 mm, have a radial internal clearance range 

corresponding to the next larger diameter range. 

Table 4 

Radial internal clearance for steel/steel radial spherical plain bearings, inch sizes 

Bore diameter 


d C2 Normal C3 

over incl. min max min max min max 

in µm 

– 0.625 15 75 50 150 150 200 

0.625 2 25 105 80 180 180 260 

2 3 30 130 100 200 200 300 

3 6 40 160 130 230 230 350 

103

Radial spherical plain bearings, steel/steel, metric sizes 

d 4 – 40 mm 

B 

C 

b 

M 

a 

r 2 

r 1 

D d k d 

b 1 

GE .. E GE .. ES GE .. ES-2RS 

GE .. ES-2LS 

GEH .. ES-2RS 

GEH .. ES-2LS 

Principal dimensions Angle Basic load ratings Mass Designations 2) 

of tilt 1) dynamic static without seals suffix for 

with standards seals heavy-duty seals 

d D B C a C C 0 

mm degrees kN kg – 

4 12 5 3 16 2,04 10,2 0,003 GE 4 E – 

5 14 6 4 13 3,4 17 0,004 GE 5 E – 

6 14 6 4 13 3,4 17 0,004 GE 6 E – 

8 16 8 5 15 5,5 27,5 0,008 GE 8 E – 

10 19 9 6 12 8,15 40,5 0,012 GE 10 E – 

12 22 10 7 10 10,8 54 0,017 GE 12 E – 

15 26 12 9 8 17 85 0,032 GE 15 ES – 

26 12 9 8 17 85 0,032 GE 15 ES-2RS – 

17 30 14 10 10 21,2 106 0,050 GE 17 ES – 

30 14 10 10 21,2 106 0,050 GE 17 ES-2RS – 

20 35 16 12 9 30 146 0,065 GE 20 ES – 

35 16 12 9 30 146 0,065 GE 20 ES-2RS -2LS 

42 25 16 17 48 240 0,16 GEH 20 ES-2RS -2LS 

25 42 20 16 7 48 240 0,12 GE 25 ES – 

42 20 16 7 48 240 0,12 GE 25 ES-2RS -2LS 

47 28 18 17 62 310 0,20 GEH 25 ES-2RS -2LS 

30 47 22 18 6 62 310 0,16 GE 30 ES – 

47 22 18 6 62 310 0,16 GE 30 ES-2RS -2LS 

55 32 20 17 80 400 0,35 GEH 30 ES-2RS -2LS 

35 55 25 20 6 80 400 0,23 GE 35 ES – 

55 25 20 6 80 400 0,23 GE 35 ES-2RS -2LS 

62 35 22 15 100 500 0,47 GEH 35 ES-2RS -2LS 

40 62 28 22 7 100 500 0,32 GE 40 ES – 

62 28 22 6 100 500 0,32 GE 40 ES-2RS -2LS 

68 40 25 17 127 640 0,61 GEH 40 ES-2RS -2LS 

1) To fully utilize the angle of tilt, the shaft shoulder should not be made larger than d a max . 

2) Bearings with an outside diameter D ≥ 150 mm have the multi-groove system in the outer ring as standard. Bearings with an 

outside diameter D < 150 mm can be supplied with the multi-groove system on request (designation suffix ESL). 

104

105 

r a 

D a 

d a 

2.1 

Dimensions 


d d k b b 1 M r 1 r 2 d a d a D a D a r a r b 

min min min max min max max max 

mm 

mm 

4 8 – – – 0,3 0,3 5,5 6,2 7,6 10,7 0,3 0,3 

5 10 – – – 0,3 0,3 6,6 8 9,5 12,6 0,3 0,3 

6 10 – – – 0,3 0,3 7,5 8 9,5 12,6 0,3 0,3 

8 13 – – – 0,3 0,3 9,6 10,2 12,3 14,5 0,3 0,3 

10 16 – – – 0,3 0,3 11,7 13,2 17,5 15,2 0,3 0,3 

12 18 – – – 0,3 0,3 13,8 15 17,1 20,4 0,3 0,3 

15 22 2,3 2,3 1,5 0,3 0,3 16,9 18,4 20,9 24,3 0,3 0,3 

22 2,3 2,3 1,5 0,3 0,3 16,9 18,4 22,8 24,3 0,3 0,3 

17 25 2,3 2,3 1,5 0,3 0,3 19 20,7 23,7 28,3 0,3 0,3 

25 2,3 2,3 1,5 0,3 0,3 19 20,7 26 28,3 0,3 0,3 

20 29 3,1 3,1 2 0,3 0,3 22,1 24,2 27,6 33,2 0,3 0,3 

29 3,1 3,1 2 0,3 0,3 22,1 24,2 30,9 33,2 0,3 0,3 

35,5 3,1 3,1 2 0,3 0,6 22,7 25,2 36,9 39,2 0,3 0,6 

25 35,5 3,1 3,1 2 0,6 0,6 28,2 29,3 33,7 39,2 0,6 0,6 

35,5 3,1 3,1 2 0,6 0,6 28,2 29,3 36,9 39,2 0,6 0,6 

40,7 3,1 3,1 2 0,6 0,6 28,6 29,5 41,3 44 0,6 0,6 

30 40,7 3,1 3,1 2 0,6 0,6 33,3 34,2 38,7 44 0,6 0,6 

40,7 3,1 3,1 2 0,6 0,6 33,3 34,2 41,3 44 0,6 0,6 

47 3,9 3,9 2,5 0,6 1 33,7 34,4 48,5 50,9 0,6 1 

35 47 3,9 3,9 2,5 0,6 1 38,5 39,8 44,6 50,9 0,6 1 

47 3,9 3,9 2,5 0,6 1 38,5 39,8 48,5 50,9 0,6 1 

53 3,9 3,9 2,5 0,6 1 38,8 39,8 54,5 57,8 0,6 1 

40 53 3,9 3,9 2,5 0,6 1 43,6 45 50,3 57,8 0,6 1 

53 3,9 3,9 2,5 0,6 1 43,6 45 54,5 57,8 0,6 1 

60 4,6 4,6 3 0,6 1 44,1 44,7 61 63,6 0,6 1


d 45 – 120 mm 

B 

C 

r 2 

b 

M 

a 

r 1 

b 1 

D 

d 

d k 

GE .. ES GEH .. ES-2RS 

GE .. ES-2RS 

GE .. ES-2LS 

GEH .. ES-2LS 



with standard seals heavy-duty seals 



45 68 32 25 7 127 640 0,46 GE 45 ES – 

68 32 25 7 127 640 0,46 GE 45 ES-2RS -2LS 

75 43 28 14 156 780 0,80 GEH 45 ES-2RS -2LS 

50 75 35 28 6 156 780 0,56 GE 50 ES – 

75 35 28 6 156 780 0,56 GE 50 ES-2RS -2LS 

90 56 36 17 245 1 220 1,60 GEH 50 ES-2RS -2LS 

60 90 44 36 6 245 1 220 1,10 GE 60 ES – 

90 44 36 6 245 1 220 1,10 GE 60 ES-2RS -2LS 

105 63 40 17 315 1 560 2,40 GEH 60 ES-2RS -2LS 

70 105 49 40 6 315 1 560 1,55 GE 70 ES – 

105 49 40 6 315 1 560 1,55 GE 70 ES-2RS -2LS 

120 70 45 16 400 2 000 3,40 GEH 70 ES-2RS -2LS 

80 120 55 45 6 400 2 000 2,30 GE 80 ES – 

120 55 45 5 400 2 000 2,30 GE 80 ES-2RS -2LS 

130 75 50 14 490 2 450 4,10 GEH 80 ES-2RS -2LS 

90 130 60 50 5 490 2 450 2,75 GE 90 ES – 

130 60 50 5 490 2 450 2,75 GE 90 ES-2RS -2LS 

150 85 55 15 610 3 050 6,30 GEH 90 ES-2RS -2LS 

100 150 70 55 7 610 3 050 4,40 GE 100 ES – 

150 70 55 6 610 3 050 4,40 GE 100 ES-2RS -2LS 

160 85 55 13 655 3 250 6,80 GEH 100 ES-2RS -2LS 

110 160 70 55 6 655 3 250 4,80 GE 110 ES – 

160 70 55 6 655 3 250 4,80 GE 110 ES-2RS -2LS 

180 100 70 12 950 4 750 11,0 GEH 110 ES-2RS -2LS 

120 180 85 70 6 950 4 750 8,25 GE 120 ES – 

180 85 70 6 950 4 750 8,25 GE 120 ES-2RS -2LS 

210 115 70 16 1 080 5 400 15,0 GEH 120 ES-2RS -2LS 




106

107 

r a 

D a 

d a 

2.1 

Dimensions 




mm 

mm 

45 60 4,6 4,6 3 0,6 1 49,4 50,8 57 63,6 0,6 1 

60 4,6 4,6 3 0,6 1 49,4 50,8 61 63,6 0,6 1 

66 4,6 4,6 3 0,6 1 49,8 50,1 66,2 70,5 0,6 1 

50 66 4,6 4,6 3 0,6 1 54,6 56 62,7 70,5 0,6 1 

66 4,6 4,6 3 0,6 1 54,6 56 66,2 70,5 0,6 1 

80 6,2 6,2 4 0,6 1 55,8 57,1 79,7 84,2 0,6 1 

60 80 6,2 6,2 4 1 1 66,4 66,8 76 84,2 1 1 

80 6,2 6,2 4 1 1 66,4 66,8 79,7 84,2 1 1 

92 7,7 7,7 4 1 1 67 67 92 99 1 1 

70 92 7,7 7,7 4 1 1 76,7 77,9 87,4 99 1 1 

92 7,7 7,7 4 1 1 76,7 77,9 92 99 1 1 

105 7,7 7,7 4 1 1 77,5 78,3 104,4 113,8 1 1 

80 105 7,7 7,7 4 1 1 87,1 89,4 99,7 113,8 1 1 

105 7,7 7,7 4 1 1 87,1 89,4 104,4 113,8 1 1 

115 9,5 9,5 5 1 1 87,2 87,2 112,9 123,5 1 1 

90 115 9,5 9,5 5 1 1 97,4 98,1 109,3 123,5 1 1 

115 9,5 9,5 5 1 1 97,4 98,1 112,9 123,5 1 1 

130 11,3 11,3 5 1 1 98,2 98,4 131 143,2 1 1 

100 130 11,3 11,3 5 1 1 107,8 109,5 123,5 143,2 1 1 

130 11,3 11,3 5 1 1 107,8 109,5 131 143,2 1 1 

140 11,5 11,5 5 1 1 108,1 111,2 141,5 153,3 1 1 

110 140 11,5 11,5 5 1 1 118 121 133 153 1 1 

140 11,5 11,5 5 1 1 118 121 141,5 153 1 1 

160 13,5 13,5 6 1 1 119,5 124,5 157,5 172 1 1 

120 160 13,5 13,5 6 1 1 129,5 135,5 152 172 1 1 

160 13,5 13,5 6 1 1 129,5 135,5 157,5 172 1 1 

180 13,5 13,5 6 1 1 130 138,5 180 202,5 1 1


d 140 – 300 mm 

B 

C 

r 2 

b 

M 

a 

r 1 

b 1 

D 

d k 

d 

GE .. ES 

GE .. ES-2RS 

GE .. ES-2LS 






140 210 90 70 7 1 080 5 400 11,0 GE 140 ES – 

210 90 70 7 1 080 5 400 11,0 GE 140 ES-2RS -2LS 

160 230 105 80 8 1 370 6 800 14,0 GE 160 ES – 

230 105 80 8 1 370 6 800 14,0 GE 160 ES-2RS -2LS 

180 260 105 80 6 1 530 7 650 18,5 GE 180 ES – 

260 105 80 6 1 530 7 650 18,5 GE 180 ES-2RS -2LS 

200 290 130 100 7 2 120 10 600 28,0 GE 200 ES – 

290 130 100 7 2 120 10 600 28,0 GE 200 ES-2RS -2LS 

220 320 135 100 8 2 320 11 600 35,5 GE 220 ES-2RS -2LS 

240 340 140 100 8 2 550 12 700 40,0 GE 240 ES-2RS -2LS 

260 370 150 110 7 3 050 15 300 51,5 GE 260 ES-2RS -2LS 

280 400 155 120 6 3 550 18 000 65,0 GE 280 ES-2RS -2LS 

300 430 165 120 7 3 800 19 000 78,5 GE 300 ES-2RS -2LS 


2) Bearings with an outside diameter D ≥ 150 mm have the multi-groove system in the outer ring as standard. 

108

109 

r a 

D a 

d a 

2.1 

Dimensions 




mm 

mm 

140 180 13,5 13,5 6 1 1 149 155,5 171 202,5 1 1 

180 13,5 13,5 6 1 1 149 155,5 180 202,5 1 1 

160 200 13,5 13,5 6 1 1 169,5 170 190 222 1 1 

200 13,5 13,5 6 1 1 169,5 170 197 222 1 1 

180 225 13,5 13,5 6 1,1 1,1 191 199 214 250,5 1 1 

225 13,5 13,5 6 1,1 1,1 191 199 224,5 250,5 1 1 

200 250 15,5 15,5 7 1,1 1,1 212,5 213,5 237,5 279,5 1 1 

250 15,5 15,5 7 1,1 1,1 212,5 213,5 244,5 279,5 1 1 

220 275 15,5 15,5 7 1,1 1,1 232,5 239,5 271 309,5 1 1 

240 300 15,5 15,5 7 1,1 1,1 252,5 265 298 329,5 1 1 

260 325 15,5 15,5 7 1,1 1,1 273 288 321,5 359 1 1 

280 350 15,5 15,5 7 1,1 1,1 294 313,5 344,5 388,5 1 1 

300 375 15,5 15,5 7 1,1 1,1 314 336,5 371 418,5 1 1

Radial spherical plain bearings, steel/steel, inch sizes 

d 0.5 – 2 in 

B 

C 

a 

r 2 

r 1 

b 1 

b 

M 

GEZH .. ES GEZH .. ES-2RS 

D 

d k 

d 

GEZ .. ES 

GEZ .. ES-2RS 

GEZ .. ES-2LS 


Principal dimensions Angle Basic load ratings Mass Designations 

of tilt 1) dynamic static without seals suffix for seal variants 

standard heavy-duty 


in/mm degrees lbf/kN lb/kg – 

0.5 0.8750 0.437 0.375 6 3 150 9 340 0.044 GEZ 008 ES – – 

12,700 22,225 11,10 9,53 14 41,5 0,020 

0.625 1.0625 0.547 0.469 6 4 840 14 740 0.077 GEZ 010 ES – – 

15,875 26,988 13,89 11,91 21,5 65,5 0,035 

0.75 1.2500 0.656 0.562 6 7 090 20 930 0.12 GEZ 012 ES -2RS – 

19,050 31,750 16,66 14,28 31,5 93 0,055 

0.875 1.4375 0.765 0.656 6 9 560 28 580 0.19 GEZ 014 ES – – 

22,225 36,513 19,43 16,66 42,5 127 0,085 

1 1.6250 0,875 0,750 6 12 600 37 350 0.26 GEZ 100 ES -2RS -2LS 

25,400 41,275 22,23 19,05 56 166 0,12 

1.25 2.0000 1.093 0.937 6 19 460 58 500 0.51 GEZ 104 ES -2RS -2LS 

31,750 50,800 27,76 23,80 86,5 260 0,23 

2.4375 1.390 1.125 8 28 125 84 375 1.20 GEZH 104 ES -2RS -2LS 

61,913 35,31 28,58 125 375 0,54 

1.375 2.1875 1.187 1.031 6 23 400 69 750 0.77 GEZ 106 ES -2RS -2LS 

34,925 55,563 30,15 26,19 104 310 0,35 

1.5 2.4375 1.312 1.125 6 28 130 84 380 0.93 GEZ 108 ES -2RS -2LS 

38,100 61,913 33,33 28,58 125 375 0,42 

2.8125 1.580 1.312 7 38 250 114 750 1.75 GEZH 108 ES -2RS -2LS 

71,438 40,13 33,33 170 510 0,79 

1.75 2.8125 1.531 1.312 6 38 250 114 750 1.40 GEZ 112 ES -2RS -2LS 

44,450 71,438 38,89 33,33 170 510 0,64 

3.1875 1.820 1.500 7 50 400 150 750 2.50 GEZH 112 ES -2RS -2LS 

80,963 46,23 38,10 224 670 1,13 

2 3.1875 1.750 1.500 6 50 400 150 750 2.05 GEZ 200 ES -2RS -2LS 

50,800 80,963 44,45 38,10 224 670 0,93 

3.5625 2.070 1.687 8 63 000 191 250 3.50 GEZH 200 ES -2RS -2LS 

90,488 52,58 42,85 280 850 1,60 

1) To fully utilize the angle of tilt, the shaft shoulder should not be larger than d a max . 

110

r a 

D a 

d a 

2.2 

Dimensions 


r 1) 1 r 2) 2 d a d a D a D a sealed D a r a r b 

d d k b b 1 M min min min max min min max max max 

in/mm 

in/mm 

0.5 0.7190 0.102 0.098 0.059 0.006 0.024 0.54 0.57 0.68 – 0.78 0.006 0.024 

12,700 18,263 2,6 2,5 1,5 0,2 0,6 13,7 14,5 17,3 – 19,9 0,2 0,6 

0.625 0.8990 0.126 0.118 0.098 0.006 0.039 0.67 0.71 0.85 – 0.93 0.006 0.039 

15,875 22,835 3,2 3 2,5 0,2 1 17 18,1 21,7 – 23,6 0,2 1 

0.75 1.0800 0.126 0.118 0.098 0.012 0.039 0.82 0.86 1.03 1.1 1.11 0.012 0.039 

19,050 27,432 3,2 3 2,5 0,3 1 20,9 21,8 26,1 27,9 28,3 0,3 1 

0.875 1.2580 0.126 0.118 0.098 0.012 0.039 0.95 1 1.2 – 1.3 0.012 0.039 

22,225 31,953 3,2 3 2,5 0,3 1 24,2 25,4 30,4 – 33 0,3 1 

1 1.4370 0.126 0.118 0.098 0.012 0.039 1.08 1.14 1.37 1.39 1.48 0.012 0.039 

25,400 36,500 3,2 3 2,5 0,3 1 27,5 29 34,7 35,2 37,7 0,3 1 

1.25 1.7950 0.189 0.197 0.157 0.024 0.039 1.37 1.43 1.7 1.76 1.85 0.024 0.039 

31,750 45,593 4,8 5 4 0,6 1 34,8 36,2 43,3 44,8 47 0,6 1 

2.1550 0.189 0,197 0.157 0.039 0.039 1.43 1.65 2.05 2.06 2.28 0.039 0.039 

54,737 4,8 5 4 1 1 36,2 41,8 52 52,3 58 1 1 

1.375 1.9370 0.189 0.197 0.157 0.024 0.039 1.5 1.53 1.84 1.85 2.035 0.024 0.039 

34,925 49,200 4,8 5 4 0,6 1 38,1 38,9 46,7 47,1 51,7 0,6 1 

1.5 2.1550 0.189 0.197 0.157 0.024 0.039 1.63 1.71 2.05 2.06 2.28 0.024 0.039 

38,100 54,737 4,8 5 4 0,6 1 41,4 43,4 52 52,3 58 0,6 1 

2.5150 0.189 0.197 0.157 0.039 0.039 1.69 1.96 2.39 2.41 2.65 0.039 0.039 

63,881 4,8 5 4 1 1 42,8 49,7 60,7 61,3 67,4 1 1 

1.75 2.5150 0.189 0.197 0.157 0.024 0.039 1.91 2 2.39 2.41 2.65 0.024 0.039 

44,450 63,881 4,8 5 4 0,6 1 48,5 50,7 60,7 61,3 67,4 0,6 1 

2.8750 0.189 0.197 0.157 0.059 0.039 2.00 2.22 2.73 2.85 2.99 0.059 0.039 

73,025 4,8 5 4 1,5 1 50,9 56,5 69,4 72,4 75,9 1,5 1 

2 2.8750 0.189 0.197 0.157 0.024 0.039 2.17 2.28 2.73 2.85 2.99 0.024 0.039 

50,800 73,025 4,8 5 4 0,6 1 55,1 57,9 69,4 72,4 75,9 0,6 1 

3.2350 0.224 0.197 0.157 0.059 0.039 2.26 2.48 3.07 3.11 3.36 0.059 0.039 

82,169 5,7 5 4 1,5 1 57,5 63,1 78,1 79 85,3 1,5 1 

1) Equal to maximum shaft fillet radius r a max . 

2) Equal to maximum housing fillet radius r b max . 

111


d 2.25 – 4 in 

B 

C 

b 

M 

a 

r 2 

r 1 

b 1 

D 

d k 

d 

GEZ .. ES 

GEZ .. ES-2RS 

GEZ .. ES-2LS 

GEZH .. ES 

GEZH .. ES-2RS 







2.25 3.5625 1.969 1.687 6 63 000 191 250 2.85 GEZ 204 ES -2RS -2LS 

57,150 90,488 50,01 42,85 280 850 1,30 

3.9375 2.318 1.875 8 77 625 234 000 4.65 GEZH 204 ES -2RS -2LS 

100,013 58,88 47,63 345 1 040 2,10 

2.5 3.9375 2.187 1.875 6 77 630 234 000 4.10 GEZ 208 ES -2RS -2LS 

63,500 100,013 55,55 47,63 345 1 040 1,85 

4.3750 2.545 2.062 8 95 625 285 750 6.30 GEZH 208 ES -2RS -2LS 

111,125 64,64 52,38 425 1 270 2,85 

2.75 4.3750 2.406 2.062 6 95 630 285 750 5.30 GEZ 212 ES -2RS -2LS 

69,850 111,125 61,11 52,38 425 1 270 2,40 

4.7500 2.790 2.250 8 112 500 337 500 8.05 GEZH 212 ES -2RS -2LS 

120,650 70,87 57,15 500 1 500 3,65 

3 4.7500 2.625 2.250 6 112 500 337 500 6.85 GEZ 300 ES -2RS -2LS 

76,200 120,650 66,68 57,15 500 1 500 3,10 

5.1250 3.022 2.437 8 131 625 396 000 10.0 GEZH 300 ES -2RS -2LS 

130,175 76,76 61,90 585 1 760 4,55 

3.25 5.1250 2.844 2.437 6 131 630 396 000 8.40 GEZ 304 ES -2RS -2LS 

82,550 130,175 72,24 61,90 585 1 760 3,80 

5.5000 3.265 2.625 9 153 000 459 000 12.3 GEZH 304 ES -2RS -2LS 

139,700 82,93 66,68 680 2 040 5,60 

3.5 5.5000 3.062 2.625 6 153 000 459 000 10.5 GEZ 308 ES -2RS -2LS 

88,900 139,700 77,78 66,68 680 2 040 4,80 

5.8750 3.560 2.812 9 175 500 531 000 15.0 GEZH 308 ES -2RS -2LS 

149,225 90,42 71,43 780 2 360 6,80 

3.75 5.8750 3.281 2.812 6 175 500 531 000 13.0 GEZ 312 ES -2RS -2LS 

95,250 149,225 83,34 71,43 780 2 360 5,80 

6.2500 3.738 3.000 9 202 500 596 250 17.9 GEZH 312 ES -2RS -2LS 

158,750 94,95 76,20 900 2 650 8,10 

4 6.2500 3.500 3.000 6 202 500 596 250 15.5 GEZ 400 ES -2RS -2LS 

101,600 158,750 88,90 76,20 900 2 650 7,00 

7.0000 4.225 3.375 9 252 000 765 000 30.0 GEZH 400 ES -2RS -2LS 

177,800 107,32 85,73 1 120 3 400 13,5 


112

113 

r a 

D a 

d a 

2.2 

Dimensions 


r 1 

1) r 2 

2 ) d a d a D a D a sealed D a r a r b 


in/mm 

in/mm 

2.25 3.2350 0.224 0.197 0.157 0.024 0.039 2.43 2.57 3.07 3.11 3.36 0.024 0.039 

57,150 82,169 5,7 5 4 0,6 1 61,7 65,2 78,1 79 85,3 0,6 1 

3.5900 0.354 0.315 0.256 0.059 0.039 2.52 2.74 3.41 3.43 3.73 0.059 0.039 

91,186 9 8 6,5 1,5 1 64,1 69,6 86,6 87 94,7 1,5 1 

2.5 3.5900 0.354 0.315 0.256 0.024 0.039 2.69 2.85 3.41 3.43 3.73 0.024 0.039 

63,500 91,186 9 8 6,5 0,6 1 68,3 72,3 86,6 87 94,7 0,6 1 

3.9500 0.354 0.315 0.256 0.079 0.039 2.84 3.02 3.75 3.78 4.16 0.079 0.039 

100,330 9 8 6,5 2 1 72 76,7 95,3 96 105,7 2 1 

2.75 3.9500 0.354 0.315 0.256 0.024 0.039 2.95 3.13 3.75 3.78 4.16 0.024 0.039 

69,850 100,330 9 8 6,5 0,6 1 74,9 79,6 95,3 96 105,7 0,6 1 

4.3120 0.354 0.315 0.256 0.079 0.039 3.09 3.29 4.09 4.13 4.53 0.079 0.039 

109,525 9 8 6,5 2 1 78,6 83,5 104 104,8 115 2 1 

3 4.3120 0.354 0.315 0.256 0.024 0.039 3.2 3.42 4.09 4.13 4.53 0.024 0.039 

76,200 109,525 9 8 6,5 0,6 1 81,4 86,9 104 104,8 115 0,6 1 

4.6750 0.366 0.315 0.256 0.079 0.039 3.35 3.57 4.44 4.5 4.90 0.079 0.039 

118,745 9,3 8 6,5 2 1 85,1 90,6 112,8 114,2 124,4 2 1 

3.25 4.6750 0.366 0.315 0.256 0.024 0.039 3.46 3.71 4.44 4.5 4.9 0.024 0.039 

82,550 118,745 9,3 8 6,5 0,6 1 88 94,2 112,8 114,2 124,4 0,6 1 

5.0400 0.413 0.315 0.256 0.079 0.039 3.65 3.84 4.79 4.83 5.27 0.079 0.039 

128,016 10,5 8 6,5 2 1 92,7 97,5 121,6 122,8 133,8 2 1 

3.5 5.0400 0.413 0.315 0.256 0.024 0.039 3.72 4 4.79 4.83 5.27 0.024 0.039 

88,900 128,016 10,5 8 6,5 0,6 1 94,6 101,7 121,6 122,8 133,8 0,6 1 

5.3900 0.413 0.315 0.256 0.079 0.039 3.91 4.04 5.12 5.17 5.63 0.079 0.039 

136,906 10,5 8 6,5 2 1 99,3 102,5 130,1 131,4 143,1 2 1 

3.75 5.3900 0.413 0.315 0.256 0.024 0.039 3.98 4.28 5.12 5.17 5.63 0.024 0.039 

95,250 136,906 10,5 8 6,5 0,6 1 101,2 108,6 130,1 131,4 143,1 0,6 1 

5.7500 0.413 0.394 0.315 0.079 0.039 4.17 4.37 5.47 5.49 6.00 0.079 0.039 

146,050 10,5 10 8 2 1 105,8 110,9 139 139,5 152,5 2 1 

4 5.7500 0.413 0.394 0.315 0.024 0.039 4.25 4.55 5.47 5.49 6 0.024 0.039 

101,600 146,050 10,5 10 8 0,6 1 108 115,5 139 139,5 152,5 0,6 1 

6.4750 0.433 0.394 0.315 0.079 0.043 4.45 4.9 6.16 6.18 6.73 0.079 0.043 

164,465 11 10 8 2 1,1 113 124,5 156,5 157 171 2 1,1 


2) Equal to maximum housing fillet radius r b max .


d 4.5 – 6 in 

B 

C 

b 

M 

a 

r 2 

r 1 

b 1 

D 

d k 

d 

GEZ .. ES 

GEZ .. ES-2RS 

GEZ .. ES-2LS 

GEZH .. ES 

GEZH .. ES-2RS 







4.5 7.0000 3.937 3.375 6 252 000 765 000 21.5 GEZ 408 ES -2RS -2LS 

114,300 177,800 100,00 85,73 1 120 3 400 9,80 

7.7500 4.690 3.750 9 315 000 933 750 36.0 GEZH 408 ES -2RS -2LS 

196,850 119,17 95,25 1 400 4 150 16,5 

4.75 7.3750 4.156 3.562 6 281 250 843 750 25.5 GEZ 412 ES -2RS -2LS 

120,650 187,325 105,56 90,48 1 250 3 750 11,5 

5 7.7500 4.375 3.750 6 315 000 933 750 30.0 GEZ 500 ES -2RS -2LS 

127,000 196,850 111,13 95,25 1 400 4 150 13,5 

5.5 8.7500 4.950 4.125 7 389 250 1 170 000 45.5 GEZH 508 ES -2RS -2LS 

139,700 222,250 125,73 104,78 1 730 5 200 20,5 

6 8.7500 4.750 4.125 5 389 250 1 170 000 38.5 GEZ 600 ES -2RS -2LS 

152,400 222,250 120,65 104,78 1 730 5 200 17,5 


114

115 

r a 

D a 

d a 

2.2 

Dimensions 


r 1 

1) r 2 

2) d a d a D a D a sealed D a r a r b 


in/mm 

in/mm 

4.5 6.4750 0.433 0.394 0.315 0.039 0.043 4.82 5.14 6.16 6.18 6.73 0.039 0,043 

114,300 164,465 11 10 8 1 1,1 122,5 130,5 156,5 157 171 1 1,1 

7.1900 0.433 0.394 0.315 0.079 0.043 4.96 5.45 6.83 6.91 7.42 0.079 0,043 

182,626 11 10 8 2 1,1 126 138,4 173,5 175,5 188,5 2 1,1 

4.75 6.8250 0.433 0.394 0.315 0.039 0.043 5.08 5.41 6.5 6.56 7.05 0.039 0,043 

120,650 173,355 11 10 8 1 1,1 129 137,5 165 166,5 179 1 1,1 

5 7.1900 0.433 0.394 0.315 0.039 0.043 5.33 5.69 6.83 6.91 7.42 0.039 0,043 

127,000 182,626 11 10 8 1 1,1 135,5 144,5 173,5 175,5 188,5 1 1,1 

5.5 8.1560 0.591 0.433 0.315 0.079 0.043 5.98 6.46 7.76 7.78 8.41 0.079 0,043 

139,700 207,162 15 11 8 2 1,1 152 164 197 197,5 213,5 2 1,1 

6 8.1560 0.591 0.433 0.315 0.039 0.043 6.34 6.61 7.76 7.78 8.41 0.039 0,043 

152,400 207,162 15 11 8 1 1,1 161 168 197 197,5 213,5 1 1,1 



Radial spherical plain bearings with an extended inner ring, steel/steel, metric sizes 

d 12 – 125 mm 

B 

C 

b 

M 

a 

r 2 

r 1 

b 1 

D 

d k d d 1 

GEG .. ES 

GEM .. ES-2RS 

GEM .. ES-2LS 

GEG .. ESA 


of tilt dynamic static without seals suffix for 




12 22 12 7 4 10,8 54 0,020 GEG 12 ESA 2) – 

16 28 16 9 4 17,6 88 0,035 GEG 16 ES – 

20 35 20 12 4 30 146 0,070 GEG 20 ES – 

35 24 12 6 30 146 0,073 GEM 20 ES-2RS -2LS 

25 42 25 16 4 48 240 0,13 GEG 25 ES – 

42 29 16 4 48 240 0,13 GEM 25 ES-2RS -2LS 

30 47 30 18 4 62 310 0,17 GEM 30 ES-2RS -2LS 

32 52 32 18 4 65,5 325 0,17 GEG 32 ES – 

35 55 35 20 4 80 400 0,25 GEM 35 ES-2RS -2LS 

40 62 38 22 4 100 500 0,35 GEM 40 ES-2RS -2LS 

62 40 22 4 100 500 0,34 GEG 40 ES – 

45 68 40 25 4 127 640 0,49 GEM 45 ES-2RS -2LS 

50 75 43 28 4 156 780 0,60 GEM 50 ES-2RS -2LS 

75 50 28 4 156 780 0,56 GEG 50 ES – 

60 90 54 36 3 245 1 220 1,15 GEM 60 ES-2RS -2LS 

63 95 63 36 4 255 1 270 1,25 GEG 63 ES – 

70 105 65 40 4 315 1 560 1,65 GEM 70 ES-2RS -2LS 

80 120 74 45 4 400 2 000 2,50 GEM 80 ES-2RS -2LS 

120 80 45 4 400 2 000 2,40 GEG 80 ES – 

100 150 100 55 4 610 3 050 4,80 GEG 100 ES – 

125 180 125 70 4 950 4 750 8,50 GEG 125 ES – 



2) Can only be relubricated via the outer ring. 

116

117 

r a 

D a 

d a 

2.3 

Dimensions 


d d k d 1 b b 1 M r 1 r 2 d a d a D a D a r a r b 


mm 

mm 

12 18 15,5 2,3 – 1,5 0,3 0,3 14,5 15,5 17,1 20,4 0,3 0,3 

16 23 20 2,3 2,3 1,5 0,3 0,3 18,7 20 21,9 26,3 0,3 0,3 

20 29 25 3,1 3,1 2 0,3 0,3 23,1 25 27,6 33,2 0,3 0,3 

29 24 3,1 3,1 2 0,3 0,3 23 24 30,9 33,2 0,3 0,3 

25 35,5 30,5 3,1 3,1 2 0,6 0,6 29,2 30,5 33,7 39,2 0,6 0,6 

35,5 29 3,1 3,1 2 0,3 0,6 28,3 29 36,9 39,2 0,3 0,6 

30 40,7 34 3,1 3,1 2 0,3 0,6 33,5 34 41,3 44 0,3 0,6 

32 43 38 3,9 3,9 2,5 0,6 1 36,3 38 40,9 48,1 0,6 1 

35 47 40 3,9 3,9 2,5 0,6 1 38,8 40 48,5 50,9 0,6 1 

40 53 45 3,9 3,9 2,5 0,6 1 44 45 54,5 57,8 0,6 1 

53 46 3,9 3,9 2,5 0,6 1 44,8 46 50,3 57,8 0,6 1 

45 60 52 4,6 4,6 3 0,6 1 49,6 52 61 63,6 0,6 1 

50 66 57 4,6 4,6 3 0,6 1 54,8 57 66,2 70,5 0,6 1 

66 57 4,6 4,6 3 0,6 1 55,9 57 62,7 70,5 0,6 1 

60 80 68 6,2 6,2 4 0,6 1 65,4 68 79,7 84,2 0,6 1 

63 83 71,5 6,2 6,2 4 1 1 69,7 71,5 78,9 89,2 1 1 

70 92 78 7,7 7,7 4 0,6 1 75,7 78 92 99 0,6 1 

80 105 90 7,7 7,7 4 0,6 1 86,1 90 104,4 113,8 0,6 1 

105 91 7,7 7,7 4 1 1 88,7 91 99,7 113,8 1 1 

100 130 113 11,3 11,3 5 1 1 110,1 113 123,5 143,2 1 1 

125 160 138 13,5 13,5 6 1 1 136,5 138 152 172 1 1

Radial spherical plain bearings with an extended inner ring, steel/steel, metric sizes 

d 160 – 200 mm 

B 

C 

r 2 

r 1 

D 

d k d d 1 

GEG .. ES 

Principal dimensions Angle Basic load ratings Mass Designation 1) 

of tilt dynamic static without seals 



160 230 160 80 4 1 370 6 800 16,5 GEG 160 ES 

200 290 200 100 4 2 120 10 600 32,0 GEG 200 ES 

1) Bearings with an outside diameter D ≥ 150 mm have the multi-groove system in the outer ring as standard. 

118

119 

r a 

D a 

d a 

2.3 

Dimensions 


d d k d 1 b b 1 M r 1 r 2 d a d a D a D a r a r b 


mm 

mm 

160 200 177 13,5 13,5 6 1 1 172 177 190 222 1 1 

200 250 221 15,5 15,5 7 1,1 1,1 213 221 237,5 279,5 1 1

Radial spherical plain bearings with an extended inner ring, steel/steel, inch sizes 

d 0.5 – 2.5 in 

B 

C 

b 

M 

a 

r 2 

r 1 

b 1 

D 

d k d d 1 

GEZM .. ES 



Principal dimensions Angle of tilt 1) Basic load ratings Mass Designations 

dynamic static without seals suffix for seal variants 


d D B C a a C C 0 

sealed 


0.5 0.8750 0.750 0.375 9 – 3 150 9 340 0.051 GEZM 008 ES – – 

12,700 22,225 19,05 9,53 14 41,5 0,023 

0.625 1.0625 0.937 0.469 9 – 4 840 14 738 0.090 GEZM 010 ES – – 

15,875 26,988 23,80 11,91 21,5 65,5 0,041 

0.75 1.2500 1.125 0.562 9 5 7 090 20 925 0.15 GEZM 012 ES -2RS – 

19,050 31,750 28,58 14,28 31,5 93 0,068 

0.875 1.4375 1.312 0.656 9 – 9 560 28 575 0.23 GEZM 014 ES – – 

22,225 36,513 33,33 16,66 42,5 127 0,11 

1 1.6250 1.500 0.750 9 5 12 600 37 350 0.34 GEZM 100 ES -2RS -2LS 

25,400 41,275 38,10 19,05 56 166 0,15 

1.25 2.0000 1.875 0.937 9 5 19 460 58 500 0.63 GEZM 104 ES -2RS -2LS 

31,750 50,800 47,63 23,80 86,5 260 0,29 

1.375 2.1875 2.062 1.031 9 5 23 400 69 750 0.81 GEZM 106 ES -2RS -2LS 

34,925 55,563 52,38 26,19 104 310 0,37 

1.5 2.4375 2.250 1.125 9 5 28 130 84 380 1.15 GEZM 108 ES -2RS -2LS 

38,100 61,913 57,15 28,58 125 375 0,51 

1.75 2.8125 2.625 1.312 9 5 38 250 114 750 1.80 GEZM 112 ES -2RS -2LS 

44,450 71,438 66,68 33,33 170 510 0,81 

2 3.1875 3.000 1.500 9 5 50 400 150 750 2.65 GEZM 200 ES -2RS -2LS 

50,800 80,963 76,20 38,10 224 670 1,20 

2.25 3.5625 3.375 1.687 9 5 63 000 191 250 3.65 GEZM 204 ES -2RS -2LS 

57,150 90,488 85,73 42,85 280 850 1,65 

2.5 3.9375 3.750 1.875 9 5 77 625 234 000 4.95 GEZM 208 ES -2RS -2LS 

63,500 100,013 95,25 47,63 350 1 040 2,25 


120

121 

r a 

D a 

d a 

2.4 

Dimensions 


d d k d 1 b b 1 M r 1 

1) r 2 


min min min max min min max max max 

in/mm 

in/mm 

0.5 0.7190 0.625 0.102 0.098 0.059 0.012 0.024 0.56 0.63 0.68 – 0.78 0.012 0.024 

12,700 18,263 15,9 2,6 2,5 1,5 0,3 0,6 14,3 15,9 17,3 – 19,9 0,3 0,6 

0.625 0.8990 0.780 0.126 0.118 0.098 0.024 0.039 0.72 0.78 0.85 – 0.93 0.024 0.039 

15,875 22,835 19,8 3,2 3 2,5 0,6 1,0 18,4 19,8 21,7 – 23,6 0,6 1 

0.75 1.0800 0.920 0.126 0.118 0.098 0.024 0.039 0.85 0.92 1.03 1.1 1.11 0.024 0.039 

19,050 27,432 23,4 3,2 3 2,5 0,6 1,0 21,7 23,4 26,1 27,9 28,3 0,6 1 

0.875 1.2580 1.070 0.126 0.118 0.098 0.024 0.039 0.98 1.07 1.2 – 1.30 0.024 0.039 

22,225 31,953 27,2 3,2 3 2,5 0,6 1,0 24,9 27,2 30,4 – 33 0,6 1 

1 1.4370 1.220 0.126 0.118 0.098 0.024 0.039 1.11 1.22 1.37 1.39 1.48 0.024 0.039 

25,400 36,500 31,0 3,2 3 2,5 0,6 1,0 28,2 31 34,7 35,2 37,7 0,6 1 

1.25 1.7950 1.525 0.189 0.197 0.157 0.039 0.039 1.41 1.53 1.7 1.76 1.85 0.039 0.039 

31,750 45,593 38,7 4,8 5 4 1,0 1,0 35,8 38,7 43,3 44,8 47 1 1 

1.375 1.9370 1.670 0.189 0.197 0.157 0.039 0.039 1.54 1.67 1.84 1.85 2.04 0.039 0.039 

34,925 49,200 42,4 4,8 5 4 1,0 1,0 39,1 42,4 46,7 47,1 51,7 1 1 

1.5 2.1550 1.850 0.189 0.197 0.157 0.039 0.039 1.71 1.85 2.05 2.06 2.28 0.039 0.039 

38,100 54,737 47,0 4,8 5 4 1,0 1,0 43,3 47 52 52,3 58 1 1 

1.75 2.5150 2.165 0.189 0.197 0.157 0.039 0.039 1.97 2.17 2.39 2.41 2.65 0.039 0.039 

44,450 63,881 55,0 4,8 5 4 1,0 1,0 49,9 55 60,7 61,3 67,4 1 1 

2 2.8750 2.460 0.189 0.197 0.157 0.039 0.039 2.22 2.46 2.73 2.85 2.99 0.039 0.039 

50,800 73,025 62,5 4,8 5 4 1,0 1,0 56,5 62,5 69,4 72,4 75,9 1 1 

2.25 3.2350 2.760 0.224 0.197 0.157 0.039 0.039 2.48 2.76 3.07 3.11 3.36 0.039 0.039 

57,150 82,169 70,1 5,7 5 4 1,0 1,0 63,1 70,1 78,1 79 85,3 1 1 

2.5 3.5900 3.060 0.354 0.315 0.256 0.039 0.039 2.74 3.06 3.41 3.43 3.73 0.039 0.039 

63,500 91,186 77,7 9 8 6,5 1,0 1,0 69,6 77,7 86,6 87 94,7 1 1 



Radial spherical plain bearings with an extended inner ring, steel/steel, inch sizes 

d 2.75 – 6 in 

B 

C 

b 

M 

a 

r 2 

r 1 

b 1 

D 

d k d d 1 

GEZM .. ES 



Principal dimensions Angle of tilt 1) Basic load ratings Mass Designations 

dynamic static without seals suffix for seal variants 


d D B C a a C C 0 

sealed 


2.75 4.3750 4.125 2.062 9 5 95 625 285 750 6.85 GEZM 212 ES -2RS -2LS 

69,850 111,125 104,78 52,38 430 1 270 3,10 

3 4.7500 4.500 2.250 9 5 112 500 337 500 8.80 GEZM 300 ES -2RS -2LS 

76,200 120,650 114,30 57,15 500 1 500 4,00 

3.25 5.1250 4.875 2.437 9 5 131 625 396 000 11.0 GEZM 304 ES -2RS -2LS 

82,550 130,175 123,83 61,90 590 1 760 5,00 

3.5 5.5000 5.250 2.625 9 5 153 000 459 000 14.0 GEZM 308 ES -2RS -2LS 

88,900 139,700 133,35 66,68 680 2 040 6,25 

3.75 5.8750 5.625 2.812 9 5 175 500 531 000 17.0 GEZM 312 ES -2RS -2LS 

95,250 149,225 142,88 71,43 780 2 360 7,60 

4 6.2500 6.000 3.000 9 5 202 500 596 250 20.0 GEZM 400 ES -2RS -2LS 

101,600 158,750 152,40 76,20 900 2 650 9,10 

4.5 7.0000 6.750 3.375 7 5 252 000 765 000 28.5 GEZM 408 ES -2RS -2LS 

114,300 177,800 171,45 85,73 1 120 3 400 13,0 

5 7.7500 7.500 3.750 7 5 315 000 933 750 38.5 GEZM 500 ES -2RS -2LS 

127,000 196,850 190,50 95,25 1 400 4 150 17,5 

6 8.7500 8.250 4.125 7 5 389 250 1 170 000 47.5 GEZM 600 ES -2RS -2LS 

152,400 222,250 209,55 104,78 1 730 5 200 21,5 


122

r a 

D a 

d a 

2.4 

Dimensions 


d d k d 1 b b 1 M r 1 

1) r 2 


min min min max min min max max max 

in/mm 

in/mm 

2.75 3.9500 3.380 0.354 0.315 0.256 0.039 0.039 3.00 3.38 3.75 3.78 4.16 0.039 0.039 

69,850 100,330 85,9 9 8 6,5 1,0 1,0 76,2 85,9 95,3 96 105,7 1 1 

3 4.3120 3.675 0.354 0.315 0.256 0.039 0.039 3.26 3.68 4.09 4.13 4.53 0.039 0.039 

76,200 109,525 93,3 9 8 6,5 1,0 1,0 82,8 93,3 104 104,8 115 1 1 

3.25 4.6750 3.985 0.366 0.315 0.256 0.039 0.039 3.52 3.99 4.44 4.5 4.90 0.039 0.039 

82,550 118,745 101,2 9,3 8 6,5 1,0 1,0 89,4 101,2 112,8 114,2 124,4 1 1 

3.5 5.0400 4.300 0.413 0.315 0.256 0.039 0.039 3.78 4.3 4.79 4.83 5.27 0.039 0.039 

88,900 128,016 109,2 10,5 8 6,5 1,0 1,0 95,9 109,2 121,6 122,8 133,8 1 1 

3.75 5.3900 4.590 0.413 0.315 0.256 0.039 0.039 4.04 4.59 5.12 5.17 5.63 0.039 0.039 

95,250 136,906 116,6 10,5 8 6,5 1,0 1,0 102,5 116,6 130,1 131,4 143,1 1 1 

4 5.7500 4.905 0.413 0.394 0.315 0.059 0.039 4.33 4.91 5.47 5.49 6.00 0.059 0.039 

101,600 146,050 124,6 10,5 10 8 1,5 1,0 110 124,6 139 139,5 152,5 1,5 1 

4.5 6.4750 5.525 0.433 0.394 0.315 0.079 0.043 4.94 5.53 6.16 6.18 6.73 0.079 0.043 

114,300 164,465 140,3 11 10 8 2,0 1,1 125,5 140,3 156,5 157 171 2 1,1 

5 7.1900 6.130 0.433 0.394 0.315 0.079 0.043 5.45 6.13 6.83 6.91 7.42 0.079 0.043 

127,000 182,626 155,7 11 10 8 2,0 1,1 138,5 155,7 173,5 175,5 188,5 2 1,1 

6 8.1560 7.020 0.591 0.433 0.315 0.079 0.043 6.46 7.02 7.76 7.78 8.41 0.079 0.043 

152,400 207,162 178,3 15 11 8 2,0 1,1 164 178,3 197 197,5 213,5 2 1,1 


2) Equal to maximum housing fillet radius r b max . 

123

Maintenance-free radial 

spherical plain bearings 

Dimensions..................................................................................................................................... 126 

Tolerances....................................................................................................................................... 126 

Radial internal clearance, preload.................................................................................................. 130 

Materials......................................................................................................................................... 130 


3 


3.1 Maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE sintered bronze, 

metric sizes.............................................................................................................................. 132 

3.2 Maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE fabric, metric sizes............. 134 

3.3 Maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE fabric, inch sizes................. 140 

3.4 Maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE FRP, metric sizes................ 144 

125


SKF manufactures maintenance-free radial 

spherical plain bearings in a variety of designs 

and a wide range of sizes. Three sliding contact 

surface combinations are available: 

• Steel/PTFE sintered bronze, designation 

suffix C 

• Steel/PTFE fabric, designation suffix TX 

• Steel/PTFE FRP, designation suffix F 

All three sliding contact surface combinations 

are self-lubricating. Bearings with a steel/PTFE 

sintered bronze or steel/PTFE fabric sliding 

contact surface combinations must not be lubricated. 

Bearings with a steel/PTFE FRP (fibre 

reinforced polymer) sliding contact surface 

combination are also maintenance-free; however, 

occasional relubrication is beneficial to 

help maximize bearing service life. To facilitate 

relubrication, steel/PTFE FRP bearings are 

equipped with lubrication facilities. 

The different designs of SKF maintenancefree 

radial spherical plain bearings are listed in 

table 3 on pages 128 to 129. Their design 

depends on the size and series, with the main 

differences being the material or the design of 

the outer ring. 

Tolerances 

The dimensional tolerances for metric maintenance-free 

radial spherical plain bearings are in 

accordance with ISO 12240-1:1998 and listed 

in table 1. 

The dimensional tolerances for inch bearings 

in the GEZ series are in accordance with ANSI/ 

ABMA Std. 22.2-1988 and listed in table 2. The 

symbols used are explained in the following: 



the nominal 








For the TX and TXG3 designs, outer ring tolerances 

apply to dimensions before fracture. 

Dimensions 

The dimensions of metric maintenance-free 

radial spherical plain bearings are in accordance 

with ISO 12240-1:1998. The dimensions of 

inch bearings in the GEZ series are in accordance 

with ANSI/ABMA Std. 22.2-1988. 

126

Table 1 

Dimensional tolerances for metric maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings 

Nominal diameter Inner ring Outer ring 



mm µm µm µm µm 

– 18 0 –8 0 –120 0 –8 0 –240 

18 30 0 –10 0 –120 0 –9 0 –240 

30 50 0 –12 0 –120 0 –11 0 –240 

50 80 0 –15 0 –150 0 –13 0 –300 

80 120 0 –20 0 –200 0 –15 0 –400 

120 150 0 –25 0 –250 0 –18 0 –500 

150 180 0 –25 0 –250 0 –25 0 –500 

180 250 0 –30 0 –300 0 –30 0 –600 

250 315 0 –35 0 –350 0 –35 0 –700 

315 400 0 –40 0 –400 0 –40 0 –800 

400 500 0 –45 0 –450 0 –45 0 –900 

500 630 0 –50 0 –500 0 –50 0 –1 000 

630 800 0 –75 0 –750 0 –75 0 –1 100 

800 1 000 0 –100 0 –1 000 0 –100 0 –1 200 

1 000 1 250 0 –125 0 –1 250 0 –125 0 –1 300 

1 250 1 600 – – – – 0 –160 0 –1 600 

1 600 2 000 – – – – 0 –200 0 –2 000 

3 

Table 2 

Dimensional tolerances for inch maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings 

Nominal diameter Inner ring Outer ring 



in µm µm µm µm 

– 2 0 –13 0 –130 0 –13 0 –130 

2 3 0 –15 0 –130 0 –15 0 –130 

3 3.1875 0 –20 0 –130 0 –15 0 –130 

3.1875 4.75 0 –20 0 –130 0 –20 0 –130 

4.75 6 0 –25 0 –130 0 –25 0 –130 

6 7 – – – – 0 –25 0 –130 

7 8.75 – – – – 0 –30 0 –130 

127


Table 3 

Design of maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings 


surface 

combination 

Lining 

Steel/PTFE sintered bronze Steel/PTFE fabric Steel/PTFE FRP 

1 PTFE 

2 Tin bronze 

3 Sheet steel backing 

1 

2 

3 

1 PTFE fibres 

2 Reinforcement fibres 

3 Resin 

4 Steel backing 

1 

2 

3 

4 

1 Fibres 

2 Polymer and PTFE 

3 Steel backing 

1 

2 

3 

Inner ring 

C and CJ2 designs 

Bearing steel, throughhardened 

and ground, sliding 

surface hard chromium 

plated 

TXA and TXE designs 

Bearing steel, through-hardened 

and ground, sliding surface hard 

chromium plated 

TXGR, TXG3E and TXG3A 

designs 

Stainless steel 

X 46 Cr 13/1.4034, hardened, 

ground 

Series GEP and GEC 

Bearing steel, through-hardened, 

ground, sliding surface 

hard chromium plated 

Outer ring 

C design 

Steel backing with PTFE 

sintered bronze layer pressed 

around the inner ring, with 

a butt joint 

CJ2 design 

Steel backing with PTFE 

sintered bronze sleeve 

pressed around the inner 

ring, without a butt joint 

TXA and TXE designs 

Bearing steel, through-hardened 

and ground 

TXA: axially split, held together 

by one or two bands or 

bolted together 

TXE: fractured at one point 

TXG3A and TXG3E design 


X 46 Cr 13/1.4034, 

hardened, ground, 

TXG3A: axially split, held 

together by one or two 

bands 

TXG3E: fractured at one point 

Series GEP and GEC 

Hardenable steel, ground, 

FRP shells are retained by side 

flanges and also glued to the 

outer ring 

Series GEP: 

radially split, separable 

Series GEC: 

axially split, held together by 

two bands (d ≤ 400 mm) or 

bolted together (d > 400 mm) 

TXGR design 

Unhardened stainless steel 

X 17 CrNi 16-2 or equivalent, 

pressed around the inner ring, 

no butt joint 

128

Table 3 

Design of maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings 


surface 

combination 

Steel/PTFE sintered bronze Steel/PTFE fabric Steel/PTFE FRP 

Seals 

RS design 

Available on request 

Bearings with designation 

suffix -2RS or -2LS (depending 

on bearing size) have a doubleor 

triple-lip seal on both sides 

(† page 79) 

None 

LS design 

3 

Permissible 

operating 

temperature 

range 

°C 

–50 to +150 °C, 

for short periods 

up to +280 °C 

Bearings without seals: 

–50 to +150 °C 

Bearings with RS seals: 

with a bore diameter 

d < 320 mm: –30 to +130 °C 

with a bore diameter 

d ≥ 320 mm: –35 to +100 °C 

–40 to +75 °C, 

for short periods 

up to +110 °C 

Bearings with LS seals: 

–50 to +110 °C 

Reduced carrying 

capacity above 80 °C 

Reduced carrying capacity above 

65 °C for both sealed and 

unsealed bearings 

Reduced carrying capacity 

above 50 °C 

Lubrication 

(refer to 

the section 

Lubrication, 

starting on 

page 84) 

Self-lubricating; the bearings 

must not be lubricated 

Self-lubricating; the bearings 

must not be lubricated 

Greased before leaving factory, 

self-lubricating capability, 

however occasional relubrication 

extends service life 

129


Radial internal clearance, preload 

Maintenance-free radial spherical plain 

bearings with a bore diameter d ≤ 90 mm either 

have an internal clearance or a slight preload 

(negative clearance) depending on their design. 

Therefore, these bearings can only be provided 

with an upper limit for bearing internal clearance. 

The lower limit must be assessed by the 

frictional moment, resulting from the preload 

(negative clearance). 

The radial internal clearance and the upper 

limit of the permissible frictional moment of 

bearings with a steel/PTFE sintered bronze 

sliding contact surface are listed in table 4. The 

values for the clearance limits of bearings with 

a steel/PTFE fabric and a steel/PTFE FRP sliding 

contact surface combination are listed in 

tables 5 to 8. 

Materials 

The materials for the inner ring, outer ring, sliding 

layer and seals, where applicable, are listed 

in table 3 on pages 128 to 129. 


range 

The permissible operating temperature range 

of maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings 

depends on the sliding contact surface 

combination and the material of the seals 

(† table 3 on pages 128 to 129). However, if 

the load carrying capacity of the bearings is to 

be fully exploited, the temperature range must 

be narrowed. Depending on the application, it is 

possible to operate at temperatures above the 

upper limit for brief periods. For additional 

information, contact the SKF application 

engineering service. 

Radial internal clearance and frictional moment of 

steel/PTFE sintered bronze bearings, metric sizes 

Nominal diameter Radial internal Frictional 

d clearance moment 

over incl. max max 

mm µm Nm 

Table 4 

Table 5 

Radial internal clearance for steel/PTFE fabric bearings, 

metric sizes 

Nominal diameter Radial internal 

d 

clearance 

over incl. min max 

mm µm 

Series GE .. C, CJ2 

2,5 12 28 0,15 

12 20 35 0,25 

20 30 44 0,40 

30 60 53 0,75 

Series GEH .. C 

2,5 10 28 0,15 

10 17 35 0,25 

17 25 44 0,40 

Series 

GE .. TXA, TXE, TXGR, TXG3A, TXG3E 

GEH 1) .. TXA, TXE, TXG3A, TXG3E 

GEC .. TXA 

12 – 50 

12 20 – 50 

20 30 – 50 

30 60 – 50 

60 90 – 50 

90 140 50 130 

140 180 50 140 

180 300 80 190 

300 460 100 230 

460 530 100 245 

530 670 100 260 

670 800 100 270 

1) Bearings in the GEH .. TX.. series with a bore diameter 

d = 90 mm have a radial clearance corresponding to the 

values quoted for the next larger diameter. 

130

Table 6 

Radial internal clearance for steel/PTFE fabric bearings, 

inch sizes 


d 

clearance 


in µm 

Series GEZ .. TXE, TXA 

– 3 – 50 

3 4.75 50 130 

4.75 50 140 

3 

Table 7 

Radial internal clearance for steel/PTFE FRP bearings, 

metric sizes 

Bore diameter 

Radial internal 

d 

clearance 


mm µm 

Table 8 

Radial internal clearance for steel/PTFE FRP bearings, 

metric sizes 


d 

clearance 


mm µm 

Series GEP .. FS 

90 120 85 285 

120 180 100 335 

180 220 100 355 

220 240 110 365 

240 280 110 380 

280 300 135 415 

300 380 135 490 

380 400 135 510 

400 480 145 550 

480 500 145 570 

500 600 160 610 

600 630 160 640 

630 750 170 670 

750 800 170 700 

800 950 195 770 

950 1 000 195 820 

Series GEC .. FBAS 

300 340 135 350 

340 400 135 360 

400 500 145 390 

500 530 160 420 

530 630 160 440 

630 670 170 460 

670 800 170 490 

800 850 195 530 

850 1 000 195 560 

131

Maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE sintered bronze, metric sizes 

d 4 – 60 mm 

B 

C 

r 2 

a 

D 

d k 

r 1 

d 

GE .. C 

GE .. CJ2 

GEH .. C 

Principal dimensions Angle Basic load ratings Mass Designation 

of tilt 1) dynamic static 



4 12 5 3 16 2,16 5,4 0,003 GE 4 C 

6 14 6 4 13 3,6 9 0,004 GE 6 C 

8 16 8 5 15 5,85 14,6 0,008 GE 8 C 

10 19 9 6 12 8,65 21,6 0,012 GE 10 C 

22 12 7 18 11,4 28,5 0,020 GEH 10 C 

12 22 10 7 10 11,4 28,5 0,017 GE 12 C 

26 15 9 18 18 45 0,030 GEH 12 C 

15 26 12 9 8 18 45 0,032 GE 15 C 

30 16 10 16 22,4 56 0,050 GEH 15 C 

17 30 14 10 10 22,4 56 0,050 GE 17 C 

35 20 12 19 31,5 78 0,090 GEH 17 C 

20 35 16 12 9 31,5 78 0,065 GE 20 C 

42 25 16 17 51 127 0,16 GEH 20 C 

25 42 20 16 7 51 127 0,12 GE 25 C 

47 28 18 17 65,5 166 0,20 GEH 25 C 

30 47 22 18 6 65,5 166 0,16 GE 30 C 

35 55 25 20 6 80 200 0,23 GE 35 CJ2 

40 62 28 22 7 100 250 0,32 GE 40 CJ2 

45 68 32 25 7 127 320 0,46 GE 45 CJ2 

50 75 35 28 6 156 390 0,56 GE 50 CJ2 

60 90 44 36 6 245 610 1,10 GE 60 CJ2 


132

r a 

D a 

d a 

3.1 

Dimensions 


d d k r 1 r 2 d a d a D a D a r a r b 


mm 

mm 

4 8 0,3 0,3 5,4 6,2 7,6 10,7 0,3 0,3 

6 10 0,3 0,3 7,4 8 9,5 12,7 0,3 0,3 

8 13 0,3 0,3 9,4 10,2 12,3 14,6 0,3 0,3 

10 16 0,3 0,3 11,5 13,2 15,2 17,6 0,3 0,3 

18 0,3 0,3 11,6 13,4 17,1 20,6 0,3 0,3 

12 18 0,3 0,3 13,5 15 17,1 20,6 0,3 0,3 

22 0,3 0,3 13,7 16,1 20,9 24,5 0,3 0,3 

15 22 0,3 0,3 16,6 18,4 20,9 24,5 0,3 0,3 

25 0,3 0,3 16,7 19,2 23,7 28,5 0,3 0,3 

17 25 0,3 0,3 18,7 20,7 23,7 28,5 0,3 0,3 

29 0,3 0,3 18,9 21 27,6 33,4 0,3 0,3 

20 29 0,3 0,3 21,8 24,2 27,6 33,4 0,3 0,3 

35,5 0,3 0,6 22,1 25,2 33,7 39,5 0,3 0,6 

25 35,5 0,6 0,6 27,7 29,3 33,7 39,5 0,6 0,6 

40,7 0,6 0,6 27,9 29,5 38,7 44,4 0,6 0,6 

30 40,7 0,6 0,6 32,8 34,2 38,7 44,4 0,6 0,6 

35 47 0,6 1 37,9 39,8 44,7 51,4 0,6 1 

40 53 0,6 1 42,9 45 50,4 58,3 0,6 1 

45 60 0,6 1 48,7 50,8 57 64,2 0,6 1 

50 66 0,6 1 53,9 56 62,7 71,1 0,6 1 

60 80 1 1 65,4 66,8 76 85,8 1 1 

133

Maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE fabric, metric sizes 

d 12 – 90 mm 

B 

C 

a 

r 2 

r 1 

D 

d 

d k 

GE .. TXGR GE .. TX(G3)E-2LS GE .. TX(G3)A-2LS 


of tilt 1) dynamic static Material 

Bearing steel 




12 22 10 7 10 30 50 0,017 – GE 12 TXGR 

15 26 12 9 8 47,5 80 0,032 – GE 15 TXGR 

17 30 14 10 10 60 100 0,050 – GE 17 TXGR 

20 35 16 12 9 83 140 0,065 GE 20 TXE-2LS GE 20 TXG3E-2LS 

42 25 16 17 137 228 0,15 GEH 20 TXE-2LS GEH 20 TXG3E-2LS 












90 56 36 17 695 1 160 1,41 GEH 50 TXE-2LS GEH 50 TXG3E-2LS 

60 90 44 36 6 695 1 160 1,10 GE 60 TXE-2LS GE 60 TXG3E-2LS 

105 63 40 17 880 1 460 2,06 GEH 60 TXE-2LS GEH 60 TXG3A-2LS 

70 105 49 40 6 880 1 460 1,55 GE 70 TXE-2LS GE 70 TXG3A-2LS 

120 70 45 16 1 140 1 900 2,99 GEH 70 TXE-2LS GEH 70 TXG3A-2LS 

80 120 55 45 5 1 140 1 900 2,30 GE 80 TXE-2LS GE 80 TXG3A-2LS 

130 75 50 14 1 370 2 320 3,55 GEH 80 TXE-2LS GEH 80 TXG3A-2LS 

90 130 60 50 5 1 370 2 320 2,75 GE 90 TXE-2LS GE 90 TXG3A-2LS 

150 85 55 15 1 730 2 850 5,40 GEH 90 TXA-2LS GEH 90 TXG3A-2LS 


134

r a 

D a 

d a 

3.2 

GEH .. TX(G3)E-2LS 

GEH .. TX(G3)A-2LS 

Dimensions 




mm 

mm 

12 18 0,3 0,3 13,8 15 17,1 20,4 0,3 0,3 

15 22 0,3 0,3 16,9 18,4 20,9 24,3 0,3 0,3 

17 25 0,3 0,3 19 20,7 23,7 28,3 0,3 0,3 

20 29 0,3 0,3 22,1 24,2 27,6 33,2 0,3 0,3 

35,5 0,3 0,6 22,9 25,2 36,9 39,2 0,3 0,6 

25 35,5 0,6 0,6 28,2 29,3 36,9 39,2 0,6 0,6 

40,7 0,6 0,6 28,7 29,5 41,3 44 0,6 0,6 

30 40,7 0,6 0,6 33,3 34,2 41,3 44 0,6 0,6 

47 0,6 1 33,8 34,4 48,5 51 0,6 1 

35 47 0,6 1 38,5 39,8 48,5 51 0,6 1 

53 0,6 1 39 39,7 54,5 57,5 0,6 1 

40 53 0,6 1 43,5 45 54,5 57,5 0,6 1 

60 0,6 1 44,2 44,7 61 63,5 0,6 1 

45 60 0,6 1 49,5 50,8 61 63,5 0,6 1 

66 0,6 1 50 50 66,5 70,5 0,6 1 

50 66 0,6 1 54,5 56 66,5 70,5 0,6 1 

80 0,6 1 56 57,1 80 84 0,6 1 

60 80 1 1 66,5 66,8 80 84 1 1 

92 1 1 67 67 92 99 1 1 

70 92 1 1 76,5 77,9 92 99 1 1 

105 1 1 77,8 78,2 105 113 1 1 

80 105 1 1 87 89,4 105 113 1 1 

115 1 1 87,1 87,1 113 123 1 1 

90 115 1 1 97,5 98,1 113 123 1 1 

130 1 1 98,3 98,3 131 144 1 1 

135


d 100 – 300 mm 

r 2 

B 

C 

a 

D 

d k 

r 1 

d 

GE .. TX(G3)A-2LS 

GEH .. TX(G3)A-2LS 


of tilt 1) dynamic static Material 

Bearing steel 




100 150 70 55 6 1 730 2 850 4,40 GE 100 TXA-2LS GE 100 TXG3A-2LS 










220 320 135 100 8 6 550 11 000 35,5 GE 220 TXA-2LS – 

240 340 140 100 8 7 200 12 000 40,0 GE 240 TXA-2LS – 

260 370 150 110 7 8 650 14 300 51,5 GE 260 TXA-2LS – 

280 400 155 120 6 10 000 16 600 65,0 GE 280 TXA-2LS – 

300 430 165 120 7 10 800 18 000 78,5 GE 300 TXA-2LS – 


136

r a 

d a 

3.2 

Dimensions 




mm 

mm 

D a 

137 

100 130 1 1 108 109,5 131 144 1 1 

140 1 1 108,5 111,2 141,5 153 1 1 

110 140 1 1 118 121 141,5 153 1 1 

160 1 1 120 124,5 157,5 172 1 1 

120 160 1 1 130 135,5 157,5 172 1 1 

180 1 1 130,5 138 180 202 1 1 

140 180 1 1 149 155,5 180 202 1 1 

160 200 1 1 170 170 197 222 1 1 

180 225 1,1 1,1 191 199 224,5 250 1 1 

200 250 1,1 1,1 213 213,5 244,5 279 1 1 

220 275 1,1 1,1 233 239,5 271 309 1 1 

240 300 1,1 1,1 253 265 298 329 1 1 

260 325 1,1 1,1 273 288 321,5 359 1 1 

280 350 1,1 1,1 294 313,5 344,5 388 1 1 

300 375 1,1 1,1 314 336,5 371 418 1 1


d 320 – 800 mm 

B 

C 

a 

r 2 

r 1 

D 

d k 

d 


d ≤ 400 mm 


d ≥ 420 mm 


of tilt 1) dynamic static 



320 440 160 135 4 14 000 23 200 75 GEC 320 TXA-2RS 

340 460 160 135 3 14 600 24 500 82,5 GEC 340 TXA-2RS 

360 480 160 135 3 15 300 25 500 84 GEC 360 TXA-2RS 

380 520 190 160 4 19 300 32 500 125 GEC 380 TXA-2RS 

400 540 190 160 3 20 400 34 000 130 GEC 400 TXA-2RS 

420 560 190 160 3 21 200 35 500 140 GEC 420 TXA-2RS 

440 600 218 185 3 26 000 43 000 195 GEC 440 TXA-2RS 

460 620 218 185 3 27 000 45 000 200 GEC 460 TXA-2RS 

480 650 230 195 3 30 000 50 000 235 GEC 480 TXA-2RS 

500 670 230 195 3 31 000 51 000 245 GEC 500 TXA-2RS 

530 710 243 205 3 34 500 57 000 290 GEC 530 TXA-2RS 

560 750 258 215 3 38 000 63 000 340 GEC 560 TXA-2RS 

600 800 272 230 3 43 000 72 000 405 GEC 600 TXA-2RS 

630 850 300 260 3 52 000 86 500 525 GEC 630 TXA-2RS 

670 900 308 260 3 55 000 91 500 590 GEC 670 TXA-2RS 

710 950 325 275 3 62 000 102 000 685 GEC 710 TXA-2RS 

750 1 000 335 280 3 65 500 110 000 770 GEC 750 TXA-2RS 

800 1 060 355 300 3 75 000 125 000 910 GEC 800 TXA-2RS 


138

r a 

d a 

3.2 

Dimensions 




mm 

mm 

D a 

139 

320 380 1,1 3 337 344 376 414 1 3 

340 400 1,1 3 357 366 396 434 1 3 

360 420 1,1 3 376 388 416 454 1 3 

380 450 1,5 4 400 407 445 490 1,5 4 

400 470 1,5 4 420 429 465 510 1,5 4 

420 490 1,5 4 439 451 485 530 1,5 4 

440 520 1,5 4 461 472 514 568 1,5 4 

460 540 1,5 4 482 494 534 587 1,5 4 

480 565 2 5 504 516 559 613 2 5 

500 585 2 5 524 537 579 633 2 5 

530 620 2 5 555 570 613 672 2 5 

560 655 2 5 585 602 648 711 2 5 

600 700 2 5 627 644 692 760 2 5 

630 740 3 6 662 676 732 802 3 6 

670 785 3 6 702 722 776 853 3 6 

710 830 3 6 744 763 821 901 3 6 

750 875 3 6 784 808 865 950 3 6 

800 930 3 6 835 859 920 1008 3 6

Maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE fabric, inch sizes 

d 1 – 3.75 in 

B 

C 

a 

D 

d k 

r 2 

r 1 

d 

GEZ .. TXE-2LS 


of tilt dynamic static 



1 1.6250 0.875 0.750 6 18 680 37 350 0.26 GEZ 100 TXE-2LS 

25,400 41,275 22,23 19,05 83 166 0,12 

1.25 2.0000 1.093 0.937 6 29 030 58 500 0.51 GEZ 104 TXE-2LS 

31,750 50,800 27,76 23,80 129 260 0,23 

1.375 2.1875 1.187 1.031 5 35 100 69 750 0.77 GEZ 106 TXE-2LS 

34,925 55,563 30,15 26,19 156 310 0,35 

1.5 2.4375 1.312 1.125 6 41 850 84 380 0.93 GEZ 108 TXE-2LS 

38,100 61,913 33,33 28,58 186 375 0,42 

1.75 2.8125 1.531 1.312 6 57 380 114 750 1.40 GEZ 112 TXE-2LS 

44,450 71,438 38,89 33,33 255 510 0,64 

2 3.1875 1.750 1.500 6 75 380 150 750 2.05 GEZ 200 TXE-2LS 

50,800 80,963 44,45 38,10 335 670 0,93 

2.25 3.5625 1.969 1.687 6 95 630 191 250 2.85 GEZ 204 TXE-2LS 

57,150 90,488 50,01 42,85 425 850 1,30 

2.5 3.9375 2.187 1.875 6 117 000 234 000 4.10 GEZ 208 TXE-2LS 

63,500 100,013 55,55 47,63 520 1 040 1,85 

2.75 4.3750 2.406 2.062 6 141 750 285 750 5.30 GEZ 212 TXE-2LS 

69,850 111,125 61,11 52,38 630 1 270 2,40 

3 4.75 2.625 2.25 6 168 750 337 500 6.84 GEZ 300 TXE-2LS 

76,200 120,650 66,68 57,15 750 1500 3,1 

3.25 5.125 2.844 2.437 6 198 000 396 000 8.38 GEZ 304 TXE-2LS 

82,550 130,175 72,24 61,9 880 1760 3,8 

3.5 5.5 3.062 2.625 6 229 500 459 000 10.58 GEZ 308 TXE-2LS 

88,900 139,700 77,78 66,68 1020 2040 4,8 

3.75 5.875 3.281 2.812 6 265 500 531 000 12.79 GEZ 312 TXE-2LS 

95,250 149,225 83,34 71,43 1180 2360 5,8 

140

r a 

D a 

d a 

3.3 

Dimensions 




in/mm 

in/mm 

1 1.4370 0.012 0.039 1.09 1.14 1.45 1.46 0.012 0.039 

25,400 36,500 0,3 1 27,6 28,9 36,8 37,1 0,3 1 

1.25 1.7950 0.024 0.039 1.38 1.42 1.81 1.83 0.024 0.039 

31,750 45,593 0,6 1 35 36,1 45,9 46,4 0,6 1 

1.375 1.9370 0.024 0.039 1.51 1.53 1.93 2.01 0.024 0.039 

34,925 49,200 0,6 1 38,3 38,8 49 51 0,6 1 

1.5 2.1550 0.024 0.039 1.64 1.71 2.17 2.25 0.024 0.039 

38,100 54,737 0,6 1 41,6 43,4 55,1 57,2 0,6 1 

1.75 2.5150 0.024 0.039 1.92 1.99 2.52 2.62 0.024 0.039 

44,450 63,881 0,6 1 48,8 50,6 64,1 66,5 0,6 1 

2 2.8750 0.024 0.039 2.18 2.28 2.85 2.95 0.024 0.039 

50,800 73,025 0,6 1 55,4 57,9 72,4 74,9 0,6 1 

2.25 3.2350 0.024 0.039 2.44 2.56 3.22 3.31 0.024 0.039 

57,150 82,169 0,6 1 62 65,1 81,9 84,1 0,6 1 

2.5 3.5900 0.024 0.039 2.7 2.85 3.56 3.68 0.024 0.039 

63,500 91,186 0,6 1 68,6 72,3 90,4 93,4 0,6 1 

2.75 3.9500 0.024 0.039 2.96 3.13 3.95 4.1 0.024 0.039 

69,850 100,330 0,6 1 75,2 79,5 100,4 104,2 0,6 1 

3 4.3120 0.024 0.039 3.220 3.417 4.299 4.469 0.024 0.039 

76,200 109,525 0,6 1 81,8 86,8 109,2 113,5 0,6 1 

3.25 4.675 0.024 0.039 3.480 3.709 4.677 4.831 0.024 0.039 

82,550 118,745 0,6 1 88,4 94,2 118,8 122,7 0,6 1 

3.5 5.04 0.024 0.039 3.740 4.000 5.024 5.197 0.024 0.039 

88,900 128,016 0,6 1 95 101,6 127,6 132 0,6 1 

3.75 5.39 0.024 0.039 4.000 4.276 5.362 5.559 0.024 0.039 

95,250 136,906 0,6 1 101,6 108,6 136,2 141,2 0,6 1 

141

Maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE fabric, inch sizes 

d 4 – 6 in 

r 2 

B 

C 

a 

D 

d k 

r 1 

d 

GEZ .. TXA-2LS 





4 6.25 3.5 3 6 301 500 596 250 15.435 GEZ 400 TXA-2LS 

101,600 158,750 88,9 76,2 1340 2650 7 

4.5 7 3.937 3.375 6 382 500 765 000 21.609 GEZ 408 TXA-2LS 

114,300 177,800 100 85,725 1700 3400 9,8 

4.75 7.375 4.156 3.562 6 427 500 843 750 25.358 GEZ 412 TXA-2LS 

120,650 187,325 105,56 90,48 1900 3750 11,5 

5 7.75 4.375 3.75 6 468 000 933 750 29.768 GEZ 500 TXA-2LS 

127 196,850 111,13 95,25 2080 4150 13,5 

6 8.75 4.75 4.125 5 585 000 1 170 000 38.588 GEZ 600 TXA-2LS 

152,400 222,250 120,65 104,78 2600 5200 17,5 

142

r a 

d a 

3.3 

Dimensions 




in/mm 

in/mm 

D a 

143 

4 5.75 0.024 0.039 4.272 4.547 5.709 5.925 0.024 0.039 

101,600 146,050 0,6 1 108,5 115,5 145 150,5 0,6 1 

4.5 6.475 0.039 0.043 4.843 5.138 6.358 6.634 0.039 0.043 

114,300 164,465 1 1,1 123 130,5 161,5 168,5 1 1,1 

4.75 6.825 0.039 0.043 5.098 5.413 6.850 6.969 0.039 0.043 

120,650 173,355 1 1,1 129,5 137,5 174 177 1 1,1 

5 7.19 0.039 0.043 5.354 5.689 7.106 7.323 0.039 0.043 

127 182,626 1 1,1 136 144,5 180,5 186 1 1,1 

6 8.156 0.039 0.043 6.358 6.614 8.012 8.307 0.039 0.043 

152,400 207,162 1 1,1 161,5 168 203,5 211 1 1,1

Maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE FRP, metric sizes 

d 100 – 420 mm 

B 

C 

r 2 

b 

M 

a 

b1 

r 1 

D 

d k 

d 

GEP .. FS 

GEC .. FBAS 





100 150 71 67 2 600 900 4,5 GEP 100 FS 

110 160 78 74 2 720 1 080 5,35 GEP 110 FS 

120 180 85 80 2 850 1 270 7,95 GEP 120 FS 

140 210 100 95 2 1 200 1 800 13 GEP 140 FS 

160 230 115 109 2 1 600 2 400 16,5 GEP 160 FS 

180 260 128 122 2 2 080 3 100 24,5 GEP 180 FS 

200 290 140 134 2 2 450 3 650 33,5 GEP 200 FS 

220 320 155 148 2 3 050 4 550 46 GEP 220 FS 

240 340 170 162 2 3 550 5 400 53,5 GEP 240 FS 

260 370 185 175 2 4 250 6 400 69,5 GEP 260 FS 

280 400 200 190 2 5 000 7 500 89,5 GEP 280 FS 

300 430 212 200 2 5 600 8 300 110 GEP 300 FS 

320 440 160 135 4 3 000 4 500 69,0 GEC 320 FBAS 

460 230 218 2 6 400 9 650 135 GEP 320 FS 

340 460 160 135 3 3 150 4 750 73,0 GEC 340 FBAS 

480 243 230 2 7 100 10 800 150 GEP 340 FS 

360 480 160 135 3 3 250 4 900 77,0 GEC 360 FBAS 

520 258 243 2 8 150 12 200 200 GEP 360 FS 

380 520 190 160 4 4 300 6 550 116 GEC 380 FBAS 

540 272 258 2 9 150 13 700 220 GEP 380 FS 

400 540 190 160 3 4 500 6 700 120 GEC 400 FBAS 

580 280 265 2 9 650 14 600 275 GEP 400 FS 

420 560 190 160 3 4 650 6 950 126 GEC 420 FBAS 

600 300 280 2 10 600 16 000 300 GEP 420 FS 

144

145 

r a 

D a 

d a 

3.4 

Dimensions 




mm 

mm 

100 135 7,5 7,5 4 1 1 107 114 125,6 141,9 1 1 

110 145 7,5 7,5 4 1 1 117 122 135 151 1 1 

120 160 7,5 7,5 4 1 1 128 135 149 171 1 1 

140 185 7,5 7,5 4 1 1 148 155 173 200 1 1 

160 210 7,5 7,5 4 1 1 169 175 195 218 1 1 

180 240 7,5 7,5 4 1,1 1,1 191 203 224 246 1 1 

200 260 11,5 11,5 5 1,1 1,1 211 219 242 276 1 1 

220 290 13,5 13,5 6 1,1 1,1 232 245 270 304 1 1 

240 310 13,5 13,5 6 1,1 1,1 253 259 289 323 1 1 

260 340 15,5 15,5 7 1,1 1,1 274 285 317 352 1 1 

280 370 15,5 15,5 7 1,1 1,1 294 311 345 381 1 1 

300 390 15,5 15,5 7 1,1 1,1 315 327 363 411 1 1 

320 380 21 21 8 1,1 3 328 344 370 426 1 3 

414 21 21 8 1,1 3 335 344 385 434 1 3 

340 400 21 21 8 1,1 3 348 366 391 446 1 3 

434 21 21 8 1,1 3 356 359 404 453 1 3 

360 420 21 21 8 1,1 3 368 388 412,5 466 1 3 

474 21 21 8 1,1 4 377 397 441 490 1 4 

380 450 21 21 8 1,5 4 389 407 435,5 503 1,5 4 

494 21 21 8 1,5 4 398 412 460 508 1,5 4 

400 470 21 21 8 1,5 4 409 429 457 523 1,5 4 

514 21 21 8 1,5 4 418 431 478 549 1,5 4 

420 490 21 21 8 1,5 4 429 451 478,5 543 1,5 4 

534 21 21 8 1,5 4 439 441 497 568 1,5 4


d 440 – 850 mm 

B 

C 

r 2 

b 

M 

a 

b1 

r 1 

D 

d k 

d 

GEP .. FS 

GEC .. FBAS 





440 600 218 185 3 5 850 8 800 176 GEC 440 FBAS 

630 315 300 2 12 200 18 600 360 GEP 440 FS 

460 620 218 185 3 6 000 9 000 182 GEC 460 FBAS 

650 325 308 2 12 900 19 600 380 GEP 460 FS 

480 650 230 195 3 6 700 10 000 216 GEC 480 FBAS 

680 340 320 2 14 300 21 200 435 GEP 480 FS 

500 670 230 195 3 6 800 10 200 224 GEC 500 FBAS 

710 355 335 2 15 300 23 200 500 GEP 500 FS 

530 710 243 205 3 7 650 11 400 266 GEC 530 FBAS 

750 375 355 2 17 000 25 500 585 GEP 530 FS 

560 750 258 215 4 8 500 12 700 313 GEC 560 FBAS 

800 400 380 2 19 600 29 000 730 GEP 560 FS 

600 800 272 230 3 9 800 14 600 378 GEC 600 FBAS 

850 425 400 2 22 000 33 500 860 GEP 600 FS 

630 850 300 260 3 11 800 18 000 494 GEC 630 FBAS 

900 450 425 2 24 500 37 500 1 040 GEP 630 FS 

670 900 308 260 3 12 500 18 600 551 GEC 670 FBAS 

950 475 450 2 27 500 41 500 1 210 GEP 670 FS 

710 950 325 275 3 14 000 21 200 643 GEC 710 FBAS 

1 000 500 475 2 31 000 46 500 1 400 GEP 710 FS 

750 1 000 335 280 3 15 000 22 400 727 GEC 750 FBAS 

1 060 530 500 2 34 500 52 000 1 670 GEP 750 FS 

800 1 060 355 300 3 17 300 26 000 861 GEC 800 FBAS 

1 120 565 530 2 39 000 58 500 1 940 GEP 800 FS 

850 1 120 365 310 3 18 600 28 000 983 GEC 850 FBAS 

1 220 600 565 2 45 000 67 000 2 600 GEP 850 FS 

146

147 

r a 

D a 

d a 

3.4 

Dimensions 



min min min max max min max max 

mm 

mm 

440 520 27 27 10 1,5 4 450 472 502 583 1,5 4 

574 27 27 10 1,5 4 460 479 534 596 1,5 4 

460 540 27 27 10 1,5 4 470 494 524,5 603 1,5 4 

593 27 27 10 1,5 5 481 496 552 612 1,5 5 

480 565 27 27 10 2 5 491 516 547,5 629 2 5 

623 27 27 10 2 5 503 522 580 641 2 5 

500 585 27 27 10 2 5 511 537 571 650 2 5 

643 27 27 10 2 5 523 536 598 670 2 5 

530 620 27 27 10 2 5 541 570 605 689 2 5 

673 27 27 10 2 5 554 558 626 709 2 5 

560 655 27 27 10 2 5 572 602 639 729 2 5 

723 27 27 10 2 5 585 602 673 758 2 5 

600 700 27 27 10 2 5 612 644 683 779 2 5 

773 27 27 10 2 6 627 645 719 801 2 6 

630 740 35 35 13 3 6 646 676 716 824 3 6 

813 35 35 13 3 6 661 677 757 850 3 6 

670 785 35 35 13 3 6 686 722 765 874 3 6 

862 35 35 13 3 6 702 719 802 898 3 6 

710 830 35 35 13 3 6 726 763 810 924 3 6 

912 35 35 13 3 6 743 762 849 946 3 6 

750 875 35 35 13 3 6 766 808 856 974 3 6 

972 35 35 13 3 6 784 814 904 1 005 3 6 

800 930 35 35 13 3 6 817 859 907 1 033 3 6 

1 022 35 35 13 3 6 836 851 951 1 062 3 6 

850 985 35 35 13 3 6 867 914 963 1 093 3 6 

1 112 35 35 13 3 7,5 888 936 1 035 1 156 3 7,5


d 900 – 1 000 mm 

B 

C 

r 2 

b 

M 

a 

b1 

r 1 

D 

d k 

d 

GEP .. FS 

GEC .. FBAS 





900 1 180 375 320 3 20 400 31 000 1 120 GEC 900 FBAS 

1 250 635 600 2 49 000 73 500 2 690 GEP 900 FS 

950 1 250 400 340 3 23 200 34 500 1 340 GEC 950 FBAS 

1 360 670 635 2 56 000 85 000 3 620 GEP 950 FS 

1 000 1 320 438 370 3 27 000 40 000 1 650 GEC 1000 FBAS 

1 450 710 670 2 63 000 95 000 4 470 GEP 1000 FS 

148

r a 

D a 

d a 

3.4 

Dimensions 




mm 

mm 

900 1 040 35 35 13 3 6 917 970 1 017 1 153 3 6 

1 142 35 35 13 3 7,5 938 949 1 063 1 183 3 7,5 

950 1 100 40 40 15 4 7,5 969 1 024 1 074 1 217 4 7,5 

1 242 40 40 15 4 7,5 993 1 045 1 156 1 290 4 7,5 

1 000 1 160 40 40 15 4 7,5 1 020 1 074 1 128 1 287 4 7,5 

1 312 40 40 15 4 7,5 1 045 1 103 1 221 1 378 4 7,5 

149

Angular contact spherical 


Dimensions..................................................................................................................................... 152 

Tolerances....................................................................................................................................... 152 


Materials......................................................................................................................................... 154 


Special designs............................................................................................................................... 154 


4.1 Maintenance-free angular contact spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE FRP.................... 156 

4 

151


As their name implies, the sliding contact surfaces 

of angular contact spherical plain bearings 

are spherical in shape and inclined at an angle to 

the bearing axis († fig. 1). Consequently, these 

bearings are well suited for accommodating 

combined (radial and axial) loads. Single angular 

contact spherical plain bearings can only 

accommodate axial loads acting in one direction. 

These bearings can be separated, enabling the 

rings to be mounted separately. 

SKF manufactures steel/PTFE FRP (fibre 

reinforced polymer containing PTFE) maintenance-free 

angular contact spherical plain 

bearings as standard. Designs with other sliding 

surface combinations are available on request 

(† Special designs, starting on page 154). 

Dimensions 

The boundary dimensions of SKF angular contact 

spherical plain bearings are in accordance 

with ISO 12240-2:1998. 

Tolerances 

The dimensional tolerances for SKF angular 

contact spherical plain bearings are listed 

in table 1 and are in accordance with 

ISO 12240-2:1998. 

The symbols used in the tolerance table are 




the nominal 








D Ts deviation of the single bearing width from 

the nominal 

Table 1 

Dimensional tolerances for angular contact spherical plain bearings 

Nominal diameter Inner ring Outer ring Bearing width 

d, D D dmp D Bs D Dmp D Cs D 1) Ts 

over incl. high low high low high low high low high low 

mm µm µm µm µm µm 

18 50 0 –12 0 –240 0 –14 0 –240 +250 –400 

50 80 0 –15 0 –300 0 –16 0 –300 +250 –500 

80 120 0 –20 0 –400 0 –18 0 –400 +250 –600 

120 150 – – – – 0 –20 0 –500 – – 

150 180 – – – – 0 –25 0 –500 – – 

1) The tolerance of the bearing width depends on d. 

152


The internal clearance of a single angular 

contact spherical plain bearing is only obtained 

after mounting and depends on the adjustment 

against a second bearing that provides axial 

location in the opposite direction. Angular 

contact spherical plain bearings are generally 

mounted as pairs in a back-to-back († fig. 2) 

or face-to-face arrangement († fig. 3). The 

bearings are adjusted against each other by 

axially displacing one bearing ring until a specific 

bearing load of 10 N/mm 2 is obtained. The 

preload prevents some of the deformations that 

typically occur under load and after a brief running-in 

period. When adjusting a new bearing 

arrangement for the first time, the specific 

bearing load of 10 N/mm 2 is achieved when the 

frictional moment and the axial preload force 

are in the ranges listed in table 2. 

Load line through an angular contact spherical plain 

bearing 

Fig. 1 

Fig. 2 

Angular contact spherical plain bearings, back-to-back 

arrangement 

4 

Frictional moment and axial preload force 

Bearing Frictional Axial 

moment 

preload 

for 

force 

10 N/mm 2 for 

min max 10 N/mm 2 

– Nm N 

GAC 25 F 7 9 5 600 

GAC 30 F 12 14 7 500 

GAC 35 F 16 19 9 300 

GAC 40 F 21 25 10 600 

GAC 45 F 26 32 13 600 

GAC 50 F 31 38 12 900 

GAC 60 F 51 62 17 800 

GAC 70 F 76 92 21 000 

GAC 80 F 105 126 30 000 

GAC 90 F 153 184 41 700 

GAC 100 F 180 216 39 500 

GAC 110 F 273 328 54 500 

GAC 120 F 317 380 69 500 

Table 2 

Fig. 3 

Angular contact spherical plain bearings, face-to-face 

arrangement 

153


Materials 

The inner and outer rings of SKF angular 

contact spherical plain bearings are made of 

bearing steel that has been through-hardened 

and ground. The sliding layer of fibre reinforced 

polymer, containing PTFE, is injection moulded 

onto the outer ring († fig. 4). The sliding surface 

of the inner ring is hard chromium plated 

and coated with a lithium base grease. 

Maintenance-free angular contact spherical plain 

bearing, steel/PTFE FRP 

Fig. 4 


range 

Spherical plain bearings with a steel/PTFE FRP 

sliding contact surface combination can be used 

for operating temperatures ranging from –40 

to +75 °C. For brief periods, temperatures up to 

110 °C can be tolerated. However, keep in mind 

that the load carrying capacity of the bearing is 

reduced at temperatures that exceed 50 °C. For 

additional information, contact the SKF 


Maintenance-free angular spherical plain bearing, 

steel/PTFE fabric 

Fig. 5 

Special designs 

Special operating conditions may require angular 

contact spherical plain bearings with a steel/ 

PTFE fabric or steel/steel sliding contact surface 

combination. These bearings are available on 

request. 

Bearings with a maintenance-free steel/PTFE 

fabric sliding contact surface combination 

(† fig. 5) should be used when lubricant-free 

operation is specified. These bearings can 

accommodate heavy loads, preferably in a constant 

direction. 

Steel/steel bearings († fig. 6) are typically 

used in applications where operating temperatures 

or load frequencies are high, or where 

heavy or shock loads occur. To operate properly, 

steel/steel bearings must be provided with an 

adequate supply of lubricant. Depending on the 

operating conditions, the sliding surface of the 

outer ring may be equipped with various multigroove 

patterns († figs. 7 and 8). For additional 

information, contact the SKF application engineering 

service. 

Upon request, inch steel/steel angular contact 

spherical plain bearings are also available as 

double direction angular contact spherical plain 

bearings. Double direction bearings can be used 

instead of two angular contact bearings in a 

face-to face arrangement, or as a high capacity 

Angular contact spherical plain bearing, steel/steel, 


Fig. 6 

154

Angular contact spherical plain bearing 

with “waffle” grooves, steel/steel 

Fig. 7 

radial bearing. Double direction angular contact 

spherical plain bearings consist of two outer 

rings and a standard inner ring. SKF supplies 

these bearings with (GEZPR .. S series) or without 

(GEZP .. S series) a shim between the two 

outer rings. The shim simplifies installation and 

optimizes axial internal clearance within the 

bearing († fig. 9). 

Fig. 8 

Angular contact spherical plain bearing 

with “diamond thread” grooves, steel/steel 

4 

Fig. 9 

Double direction angular contact spherical plain bearing 

in the GEZPR .. S series, steel/steel 

155

Maintenance-free angular contact spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE FRP 

d 25 – 120 mm 

T 

C 

r 1 r 2 

s 

r 2 r 1 

d k 

B 

D 

d 

a 

GAC .. F 



d D T a C C 0 


25 47 15 3,5 21,6 34,5 0,14 GAC 25 F 

30 55 17 3,5 27 43 0,21 GAC 30 F 

35 62 18 3,5 32,5 52 0,27 GAC 35 F 

40 68 19 3,5 39 62 0,33 GAC 40 F 

45 75 20 3 45,5 73,5 0,42 GAC 45 F 

50 80 20 3 53 85 0,46 GAC 50 F 

60 95 23 3 69,5 112 0,73 GAC 60 F 

70 110 25 2,5 88 143 1,05 GAC 70 F 

80 125 29 2,5 110 176 1,55 GAC 80 F 

90 140 32 2,5 134 216 2,10 GAC 90 F 

100 150 32 2 170 270 2,35 GAC 100 F 

110 170 38 2 200 320 3,70 GAC 110 F 

120 180 38 1,5 240 380 4,00 GAC 120 F 

156

a 

r a 

D a d a 

d b D b 

Dimensions 


d d k B C r 1 r 2 s d a d b D a D b r a 

min min max max min min max 

4.1 

mm 

mm 

25 42 15 14 0,6 0,3 0,6 29 39 34 43 0,6 

30 49,5 17 15 1 0,3 1,3 35 45 39 50,5 1 

35 55,5 18 16 1 0,3 2,1 40 50 45 56,5 1 

40 62 19 17 1 0,3 2,8 45 54 50 63 1 

45 68,5 20 18 1 0,3 3,5 51 60 55 69 1 

50 74 20 19 1 0,3 4,3 56 67 60 74,5 1 

60 88,5 23 21 1,5 0,6 5,7 68 77 70 90 1,5 

70 102 25 23 1,5 0,6 7,2 78 92 85 103 1,5 

80 115 29 25,5 1,5 0,6 8,6 88 104 95 116 1,5 

90 128,5 32 28 2 0,6 10,1 101 118 105 129 2 

100 141 32 31 2 0,6 11,6 112 128 120 141 2 

110 155 38 34 2,5 0,6 13 124 145 130 156 2,5 

120 168 38 37 2,5 0,6 14,5 134 155 140 169 2,5 

157

Thrust spherical plain 

bearings 

Dimensions..................................................................................................................................... 160 

Tolerances....................................................................................................................................... 160 

Materials......................................................................................................................................... 161 


Special designs............................................................................................................................... 162 


5.1 Maintenance-free thrust spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE FRP.................................... 164 

5 

159


Thrust spherical plain bearings have a convex 

spherical surface on the shaft washer and a 

corresponding concave spherical surface in the 

housing washer († fig. 1). They are intended to 

accommodate primarily axial loads but can also 

accommodate combined (radial and axial) loads. 

The radial load component of a combined load 

should not exceed 50% of the axial load component. 

When radial loads are larger, it is advisable 

to combine thrust bearings with radial bearings 

in the GE dimension series († fig. 2). Thrust 

spherical plain bearings are separable, e.g. shaft 

and housing washers can be mounted 

separately. 

SKF manufactures thrust spherical plain 

bearings with the maintenance-free steel/ 

PTFE FRP (fibre reinforced polymer containing 

PTFE) sliding contact surface combination as 

standard. Other sliding surface combinations 

are available on request († Special designs, 

page 162). 

Tolerances 

The dimensional tolerances for SKF thrust 

spherical plain bearings are listed in table 1 and 

are in accordance with ISO 12240-3:1998. 

The symbols used in the tolerance table are 


d nominal bore diameter (shaft washer) 


the nominal 

D nominal outside diameter (housing 

washer) 



D Bs deviation of the single shaft washer height 


D Cs deviation of the single housing washer 

height from the nominal 

D Ts deviation of the single thrust bearing 

height from the nominal 

Dimensions 

The principal dimensions of SKF thrust 

spherical plain bearings are in accordance 

with ISO 12240-3:1998. 

Standard thrust spherical plain bearing, 

steel/PTFE FRP 

Fig. 1 

Combination of a radial and a thrust spherical plain 

bearing 

Fig. 2 

160

Materials 

Shaft and housing washers for SKF thrust 

spherical plain bearings are made of bearing 

steel that has been through-hardened and 

ground. The sliding surface of the shaft washer 

is hard chromium plated and coated with a lithium 

base grease. The sliding layer of fibre reinforced 

polymer, containing PTFE, is injection moulded 

onto the housing washer. 


range 

Thrust spherical plain bearings with a steel/ 

PTFE FRP sliding contact surface combination 

can be used for operating temperatures ranging 

from –40 to +75 °C. For brief periods, temperatures 

up to 110 °C can be tolerated. However, 

keep in mind that the load carrying capacity of 

the bearing is reduced at temperatures that 

exceed 50 °C. For additional information, 


5 

Table 1 

Dimensional tolerances for thrust spherical plain bearings 

Nominal diameter Shaft washer Housing washer Bearing height 

d, D D dmp D Bs D Dmp D Cs D 1) Ts 

over incl. high low high low high low high low high low 

mm µm µm µm µm µm 

– 18 0 –8 0 –240 – – – – +250 –400 

18 30 0 –10 0 –240 – – – – +250 –400 

30 50 0 –12 0 –240 0 –11 0 –240 +250 –400 

50 80 0 –15 0 –300 0 –13 0 –300 +250 –500 

80 120 0 –20 0 –400 0 –15 0 –400 +250 –600 

120 150 – – – – 0 –18 0 –500 – – 

150 180 – – – – 0 –25 0 –500 – – 

180 230 – – – – 0 –30 0 –600 – – 

1) The tolerance of the bearing height is dependent on d. 

161

Special designs 

Special operating conditions may require thrust 

spherical plain bearings with a steel/steel or 

steel/PTFE fabric sliding contact combination, 

which are available on request. 

Steel/steel bearings († fig. 3) are typically 

used in applications where operating temperatures 

or load frequencies are high, or where 

heavy loads or shock loads occur. Steel/steel 

bearings must be provided with an adequate 

supply of lubricant. Depending on the operating 

conditions, the sliding surface of the outer ring 

may be equipped with various multi-groove 

patterns. 

Bearings with a maintenance-free 

steel/PTFE fabric sliding contact surface 

(† fig. 4) should be used when lubricant-free 

operation is specified. These bearings can 

accommodate heavy loads, preferably in 

a constant direction. 

Thrust spherical plain bearing, steel/steel, requiring 

maintenance 

Maintenance-free thrust spherical plain bearing, 

steel/PTFE fabric 

Fig. 3 

Fig. 4 

162

163 

5

Maintenance-free thrust spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE FRP 

d 17 – 120 mm 

d 1 

s 

d k 

r 1 

T C 

D 1 

B 

a 

r 1 

d 

D 

GX .. F 



d D T a C C 0 


17 47 16 5 36,5 58,5 0,14 GX 17 F 

20 55 20 5 46,5 73,5 0,25 GX 20 F 

25 62 22,5 5 69,5 112 0,42 GX 25 F 

30 75 26 5 95 153 0,61 GX 30 F 

35 90 28 6 134 216 0,98 GX 35 F 

40 105 32 6 173 275 1,50 GX 40 F 

45 120 36,5 6 224 355 2,25 GX 45 F 

50 130 42,5 6 275 440 3,15 GX 50 F 

60 150 45 6 375 600 4,65 GX 60 F 

70 160 50 5 475 750 5,40 GX 70 F 

80 180 50 5 570 915 6,95 GX 80 F 

100 210 59 5 735 1 180 11,0 GX 100 F 

120 230 64 4 880 1 430 14,0 GX 120 F 

164

d a 

r a 

r a 

D a 

Dimensions 


d d k d 1 D 1 B C r 1 s d a D a r a 

min min max max 

mm 

mm 

17 52 43,5 27 11,8 11,2 0,6 11 34 37 0,6 

20 60 50 31 14,5 13,8 1 12,5 40 44 1 

25 68 58,5 34,5 16,5 16,7 1 14 45 47 1 

30 82 70 42 19 19 1 17,5 56 59 1 

35 98 84 50,5 22 20,7 1 22 66 71 1 

40 114 97 59 27 21,5 1 24,5 78 84 1 

45 128 110 67 31 25,5 1 27,5 89 97 1 

50 139 120 70 33 30,5 1 30 98 105 1 

60 160 140 84 37 34 1 35 109 120 1 

70 176 153 94,5 42 36,5 1 35 121 125 1 

80 197 172 107,5 43,5 38 1 42,5 135 145 1 

100 222 198 127 51 46 1 45 155 170 1 

120 250 220 145 53,5 50 1 52,5 170 190 1 

5.1 

165

Rod ends requiring 

maintenance 

Dimensions..................................................................................................................................... 168 

Tolerances....................................................................................................................................... 168 

Radial internal clearance................................................................................................................ 169 

Materials......................................................................................................................................... 169 


Fatigue strength.............................................................................................................................. 171 

Relubrication facilities..................................................................................................................... 171 


6.1 Rod ends with a female thread, steel/steel............................................................................ 172 

6.2 Rod ends with a female thread, for hydraulic cylinders, steel/steel...................................... 174 

6.3 Rod ends with a male thread, steel/steel............................................................................... 178 

6.4 Rod ends with a cylindrical section welding shank, steel/steel............................................. 180 

6.5 Rod ends with a rectangular section welding shank, steel/steel........................................... 182 

6.6 Rod ends with a female thread, steel/bronze........................................................................ 184 

6.7 Rod ends with a male thread, steel/bronze........................................................................... 186 

6 

167

Rod ends requiring maintenance 

SKF manufactures rod ends requiring maintenance 

with a steel/steel or a steel/bronze sliding 

contact surface combination. 

Steel/steel rod ends consist of a rod end 

housing and a steel/steel radial spherical plain 

bearing from the standard assortment, where 

the outer ring is secured in the housing. These 

rod ends are available with a female thread 

(† fig. 1), male thread († fig. 2) or a welding 

shank († fig. 3). 

Steel/bronze rod ends consist of a rod end 

housing and a steel/bronze spherical plain bearing. 

These bearings have an inner ring made of 

steel and an outer ring made of bronze. The 

bearing is held in position by staking the housing 

on both sides of the outer ring. These rod 

ends are available with a male or female thread. 

SKF supplies rod ends with a threaded shank 

with a right-hand thread as standard. With the 

exception of rod ends with the designation suffix 

VZ019, all rod ends are also available with a 

left-hand thread. They are identified by the designation 

prefix L. 

Rod end with a female thread 

Rod end with a male thread 

Fig. 1 

Fig. 2 

Dimensions 

The dimensions of SKF rod ends requiring 

maintenance are in accordance with the standards 

listed in table 1. 

Male and female threads of SKF rod ends are 

in accordance with ISO 965-1:1998, except for 

rod ends with female thread having the designation 

suffix /VZ019, which is in accordance 

with ISO 8139:2009. 

Tolerances 

SKF rod end inner ring dimensional tolerances 

are in accordance with ISO 12240-4:1998. The 

tolerances for the steel/steel rod end inner rings 

are listed in table 3 and the tolerances for steel/ 

bronze rod end inner rings are listed in table 2. 

The symbols used in these tables are 




the nominal 



Rod ends with a welding shank 

Fig. 3 

cylindrical 

section 

rectangular 

section 

168


The clearance values for steel/steel rod ends are 

in accordance with dimension series E and EH of 

ISO 12240-4:1998, as far as they have been 

standardized. The values are listed in table 4 on 

page 170. 

The clearance values for steel/bronze rod 

ends are in accordance with dimensions series K 

of ISO 12240-4:1998 and are listed in table 5 

on page 170. 

Materials 

SKF rod end housings for bearings that require 

maintenance are made of the materials listed in 

table 6 on page 170. 

The materials used for steel/steel radial 

spherical plain bearings incorporated in SKF rod 

ends are provided in the section Materials on 

page 102. 

The bearings incorporated in the steel/bronze 

rod ends have an outer ring made of bronze and 

an inner ring made of bearing steel which has 

been hardened and ground. 

Standards 

Series 

Standards 

Table 1 

SA(A) ISO 12240-4:1998 dimension series E, EH 

SI(A) ISO 12240-4:1998 dimension series E, EH 

SC 

ISO 12240-4:1998 dimension series E 

SCF – 

SIJ ISO 8133:2006 

SIR – 

SIQG ISO 8132:2006 

SAKAC ISO 12240-4:1998 dimension series K 

SIKAC ISO 12240-4:1998 dimension series K 

SIKAC/VZ019 ISO 8139:2009, ISO 12240-4:1998 

Table 2 

Inner ring dimensional tolerances for steel/bronze rod 

ends 

Bore SIKAC and SAKAC series 

diameter 

d D dmp D Bs 

over incl. high low high low 

mm µm µm 

– 6 12 0 0 –120 

6 10 15 0 0 –120 

10 18 18 0 0 –120 

18 30 21 0 0 –120 

6 

Table 3 

Inner ring dimensional tolerances for steel/steel rod ends 

Bore diameter SA(A), SI(A), SIJ, SIR, SIQG series 

SC and SCF series 

d D dmp D Bs D dmp D Bs 



– 10 0 –8 0 –120 – – – – 

10 18 0 –8 0 –120 18 0 0 –180 

18 30 0 –10 0 –120 21 0 0 –210 

30 50 0 –12 0 –120 25 0 0 –250 

50 80 0 –15 0 –150 30 0 0 –300 

80 120 0 –20 0 –200 35 0 0 –350 

120 180 0 –25 0 –250 40 0 0 –400 

180 250 0 –30 0 –300 46 0 0 –460 

169

Rod ends requiring maintenance 

Permissible 

operating temperature range 


for SKF rod ends requiring maintenance 

depends on the rod end housing, the bearing, 

the bearing seals and the grease used for lubrication. 

The values for the permissible operating 

temperature range are listed in table 7. 

The load carrying capacity of the rod end is 

reduced at temperatures above 100 °C. For 

temperatures below 0 °C, check to be sure that 

the fracture toughness of the rod end housing is 

adequate for the intended application. 

Table 4 

Radial internal clearance for steel/steel rod ends 

Bore 


diameter 

clearance 

d 

Normal 


mm µm 

Table 5 

Radial internal clearance for steel/bronze rod ends 

Bore 


diameter 

clearance 

d 

Normal 


mm µm 

– 12 16 68 

12 20 20 82 

20 35 25 100 

35 60 30 120 

60 90 36 142 

90 140 42 165 

140 240 50 192 

– 6 5 50 

6 10 7 61 

10 18 8 75 

18 30 10 92 

Table 6 

Housing materials for rod ends requiring maintenance 

Series Size Material Material No. 

SA(A) 6 to 80 Heat treatable steel C45V 1.0503 

zinc coated and chromatized 

SI(A) 6 to 80 Heat treatable steel C45V 1.0503 


SC 20 to 80 Construction steel S 355 J2G3 (St 52-3 N) 1.0570 

SCF 20 to 80 Construction steel S 355 J2G3 (St 52-3 N) 1.0570 

SIQG 12 to 63 Heat treatable steel C45 1.0503 

70 to 200 EN-GJS-400-15 – 

SIJ 12 to 50 Heat treatable steel C45 1.0503 

60 to 100 EN-GJS-400-15 – 

SIR 25 to 80 Heat treatable steel C45 1.0503 

90 to 120 EN-GJS-400-15 – 

SAKAC 5 to 12 Free-machining steel 9 SMnPb 28 K 1.0718 


14 to 30 Heat treatable steel C35N 1.0501 


SIKAC 5 to 12 Free-machining steel 9 SMnPb 28 K 1.0718 


14 to 30 Heat treatable steel C35N 1.0501 


SKF reserves the right to use similar material or material of higher strength. 

170

Fatigue strength 

In all applications where a rod end is subjected 

to alternating loads, loads that vary in magnitude 

or where failure of a rod end is dangerous, 

make sure that the selected rod end has sufficient 

fatigue strength. 

Relubrication facilities 

SKF rod ends requiring maintenance are provided 

with a grease fitting or a lubrication hole 

in the rod end housing. Relubrication via the pin 

is also possible. Exceptions are steel/steel rod 

ends in the SA .. E and SI .. E series and a few 

smaller rod ends as indicated in the product 

tables. The type and design of relubrication 

facilities in the rod end housing are listed in 

table 8. 

Table 7 

Permissible operating temperature range for rod ends 


Series 

Permissible operating 

temperature range 1) 

from incl. 

– °C 

Steel/steel rod ends 

SA .. E(S) –50 +200 

SA(A) .. ES-2RS –30 +130 

SI .. E(S) –50 +200 

SI(A) .. ES-2RS –30 +130 

SIQG .. ES –50 +200 

SIJ .. ES –50 +200 

SIR .. ES –50 +200 

SC(F) .. ES –50 +200 

Steel/bronze rod ends 

SAKAC .. M –30 +180 

SIKAC .. M (/VZ 019) –30 +180 

1) Permissible operating temperature range of the grease 

must be considered. 

Table 8 

Relubrication facilities for rod ends requiring maintenance 

Series Size Relubrication facilities 

Design 

6 

Steel/steel rod ends 

SA .. ES 15 to 20 Lubrication hole 

SI .. ES 15 to 20 diameter 2,5 mm 

SI .. ES 15 to 20 

SIJ .. ES 16 to 20 

SC .. ES 20 

SA(A) .. ES(-2RS) 25 to 80 Grease fitting in accordance 

SI(A) .. ES(-2RS) 25 to 80 with DIN 71412: 1987 

SIJ .. ES 25 to 100 

SIR .. ES 25 to 120 

SIQG .. ES(A) 12 to 200 

SC .. ES 25 to 80 

SCF .. ES 20 to 80 

Steel/bronze rod ends 

SAKAC .. M 6 to 30 Grease fitting in accordance 

SIKAC .. M(/VZ 019) 6 to 30 with DIN 3405: 1986 

171

Rod ends with a female thread, steel/steel 

d 6 – 80 mm 

B 

C 1 

a 

d 2 

l 4 

d k d 

r 1 

l 3 

G 

w 

SI(L) .. E 

d 4 

l 5 

l 7 

h 1 


of tilt dynamic static Rod end with 

right-hand left-hand 

d d 2 G B C 1 h 1 a C C 0 thread thread 

max 6H max 


6 22 M 6 6 4,5 30 13 3,4 8,15 0,023 SI 6 E 1) SIL 6 E 1) 

8 25 M 8 8 6,5 36 15 5,5 12,9 0,036 SI 8 E 1) SIL 8 E 1) 

10 30 M 10 9 7,5 43 12 8,15 19 0,065 SI 10 E 1) SIL 10 E 1) 

12 35 M 12 10 8,5 50 10 10,8 25,5 0,11 SI 12 E 1) SIL 12 E 1) 

15 41 M 14 12 10,5 61 8 17 37,5 0,18 SI 15 ES SIL 15 ES 

17 47 M 16 14 11,5 67 10 21,2 44 0,25 SI 17 ES SIL 17 ES 

20 54 M 20¥1,5 16 13,5 77 9 30 57 0,36 SI 20 ES SIL 20 ES 

25 65 M 24¥2 20 18 94 7 48 90 0,65 SI 25 ES SIL 25 ES 

30 75 M 30¥2 22 20 110 6 62 116 1,00 SI 30 ES SIL 30 ES 

35 84 M 36¥3 25 22 130 6 80 134 1,40 SI 35 ES-2RS SIL 35 ES-2RS 

40 94 M 39¥3 28 24 142 6 100 166 2,20 SIA 40 ES-2RS SILA 40 ES-2RS 

94 M 42¥3 28 24 145 6 100 166 2,30 SI 40 ES-2RS SIL 40 ES-2RS 











1) No relubrication facilities. 

172

SI(L) .. ES 

d ≤ 20 mm 

d ≥ 25 mm 

SI(L)A .. ES-2RS 

SI(L) .. ES-2RS 

Dimensions 

d d k d 4 l 3 l 4 l 5 l 7 r 1 w 

≈ min max ≈ min min h14 

mm 

6 10 11 11 43 8 10 0,3 9 

8 13 13 15 50 9 11 0,3 11 

10 16 16 15 60 11 13 0,3 14 

12 18 19 18 69 12 17 0,3 17 

15 22 22 21 83 14 19 0,3 19 

17 25 25 24 92 15 22 0,3 22 

20 29 28 30 106 16 24 0,3 24 

25 35,5 35 36 128 18 30 0,6 30 

30 40,7 42 45 149 19 34 0,6 36 

35 47 49 60 174 25 40 0,6 41 

40 53 58 65 191 25 46 0,6 50 

53 58 65 194 25 46 0,6 50 

45 60 65 65 199 30 50 0,6 55 

60 65 65 219 30 50 0,6 55 

50 66 70 68 219 30 58 0,6 60 

66 70 68 254 30 58 0,6 60 

60 80 82 70 246 35 73 1 70 

80 82 70 296 35 73 1 70 

70 92 92 80 284 40 85 1 80 

92 92 80 349 40 85 1 80 

80 105 105 85 324 45 98 1 90 

105 105 85 389 45 98 1 90 

6.1 

173

Rod ends with a female thread, for hydraulic cylinders, steel/steel 

d 12 – 70 mm 

B 

C 1 

a 

d 2 

l 4 

d k d 

r 1 

l 3 

l 7 

h 1 

A 

B 

N 1 

G 

d 4 

N 

A - B 

SI(L)J .. ES 




d d 2 G B C 1 h 1 a C C 0 thread thread 1) 

max 6H max 


12 36 M 10¥1,25 10 8 42 3 10,8 21,2 0,14 SIJ 12 E 2) SILJ 12 E 2) 

33 M 12¥1,25 12 11 38 4 10,8 22 0,11 SIQG 12 ESA 3) SILQG 12 ESA 3) 

16 45 M 12¥1,25 14 11 48 3 21,2 23,5 0,25 SIJ 16 ES SILJ 16 ES 

41 M 14¥1,5 16 14 44 4 17,6 32,5 0,21 SIQG 16 ES SILQG 16 ES 

20 55 M 14¥1,5 16 13 58 3 30 51 0,40 SIJ 20 ES SILJ 20 ES 

48 M 16¥1,5 20 17,5 52 4 30 43 0,40 SIQG 20 ES SILQG 20 ES 

25 65 M 16¥1,5 20 17 68 3 48 73,5 0,68 SIJ 25 ES SILJ 25 ES 

57 M 16¥1,5 20 23,5 50 7 48 52 0,49 SIR 25 ES SILR 25 ES 

59 M 20¥1,5 25 22 65 4 48 69,5 0,66 SIQG 25 ES SILQG 25 ES 

30 80 M 20¥1,5 22 19 85 3 62 112 1,35 SIJ 30 ES SILJ 30 ES 

65 M 22¥1,5 22 28,5 60 6 62 78 0,77 SIR 30 ES SILR 30 ES 

32 71 M 27¥2 32 28 80 4 65,5 100 1,20 SIQG 32 ES SILQG 32 ES 

35 79 M 28¥1,5 25 30,5 70 6 80 118 1,20 SIR 35 ES SILR 35 ES 

40 98 M 27¥2 28 23 105 3 100 146 2,40 SIJ 40 ES SILJ 40 ES 

95 M 35¥1,5 28 35,5 85 7 100 200 2,10 SIR 40 ES SILR 40 ES 

90 M 33¥2 40 34 97 4 100 176 2,00 SIQG 40 ES SILQG 40 ES 

50 122 M 33¥2 35 30 130 3 156 216 3,80 SIJ 50 ES SILJ 50 ES 

118 M 45¥1,5 35 40,5 105 6 156 280 3,60 SIR 50 ES SILR 50 ES 


60 160 M 42¥2 44 38 150 3 245 405 8,50 SIJ 60 ES SILJ 60 ES 

132 M 58¥1,5 44 50,5 130 6 245 325 6,00 SIR 60 ES SILR 60 ES 

63 134 M 48¥2 63 53,5 140 4 255 375 6,80 SIQG 63 ES SILQG 63 ES 

70 156 M 65¥1,5 49 55,5 150 6 315 450 9,40 SIR 70 ES SILR 70 ES 

1) Check availability of rod ends with left-hand thread. 


3) Can only be relubricated via the outer ring. 

174

B 

C1 

a 

d 2 

C 1 

B 

a 

d k d 

r 1 

l 7 

h 1 

l 4 

d 

r 1 

l 7 

h 1 

l 4 

l 3 

G 

d 4 

N 

d k 

l 3 

G 

d 4 

d 2 

175 

N 

SI(L)QG .. ES 

SI(L)R .. ES 

Dimensions 

Cylinder bolt 

with internal hexagon 

(ISO 4762:1998) 

d d k d 4 l 3 l 4 l 7 N N 1 r 1 Size Tightening 

max min max min max max min torque 

mm – Nm 

12 18 17 15 62 16 40 13 0,3 M 6 10 

18 17 17 55 13 33 11 0,3 M 5 5,5 

16 25 21 17 70,5 20 45 13 0,3 M 6 10 

23 22 19 64,5 17 41 14 0,3 M 6 9,5 

20 29 25 19 85,5 25 55 17 0,3 M 8 25 

29 26,5 23 77 21 48 18 0,3 M 8 23 

25 35,5 30 23 100,5 30 62 17 0,6 M 8 25 

35,5 26 17 79,5 27 42 23,5 0,6 M 8 23 

35,5 31 29 97 26 55 18 0,6 M 8 23 

30 40,7 36 29 125 35 80 19 0,6 M 10 45 

40,7 33 23 93,5 29 47 28,5 0,6 M 8 23 

32 43 38 37 116,5 31 67 23 0,6 M 10 46 

35 47 41,5 29 110,5 37 59 30,5 0,6 M 10 46 

40 53 45 37 155 45 90 23 0,6 M 10 45 

53 50,5 36 133,5 44 67 35,5 0,6 M 10 46 

53 47 46 143 40 81 28 0,6 M 10 46 

50 66 55 46 192,5 58 105 30 0,6 M 12 80 

66 62,5 46 164,5 54 89 40,5 0,6 M 12 1) 79 1) 

66 58 57 175,5 49 97,5 33 0,6 M 12 79 

60 80 68 57 230 68 134 38 1 M 16 160 

80 76,5 59 202,5 64 91 50,5 1 M 16 1) 46 1) 

63 83 70 64 213,5 61 116 40 1 M 16 1) 195 1) 

70 92 87,5 66 234,5 74 101 55,5 1 M 16 1) 79 1) 

6.2 

1) Bolts, position of bolts, and tightening torque may vary.

Rod ends with a female thread, for hydraulic cylinders, steel/steel 

d 80 – 200 mm 

B 

C 1 

a 

d 2 

l 4 

d k d 

r 1 

l 3 

l 7 

h 1 

A 

B 

N 1 

G 

d 4 

N 

A - B 

SI(L)J .. ES 





max 6H max 


80 205 M 48¥2 55 47 185 3 400 610 14,5 SIJ 80 ES SILJ 80 ES 

178 M 80¥2 55 60,5 170 6 400 560 13,0 SIR 80 ES SILR 80 ES 


100 240 M 64¥3 70 57 240 3 610 780 29,5 SIJ 100 ES SILJ 100 ES 

232 M 110¥2 70 70,5 235 7 610 950 30,0 SIR 100 ES SILR 100 ES 

212 M 80¥3 100 85,5 210 4 610 930 28,0 SIQG 100 ES SILQG 100 ES 

120 343 M 130¥3 85 90,5 310 6 950 2 450 84,0 SIR 120 ES SILR 120 ES 

125 268 M 100¥3 125 105 260 4 950 1 430 43,0 SIQG 125 ES SILQG 125 ES 

160 328 M 125¥4 160 133 310 4 1 370 2 200 80,0 SIQG 160 ES SILQG 160 ES 

200 420 M 160¥4 200 165 390 4 2 120 3 400 165 SIQG 200 ES SILQG 200 ES 

176

B 

C1 

a 

d 2 

C 1 

B 

a 

d 2 

d k d 

r 1 

l 7 

h 1 

l 4 

d 

r 1 

l 7 

h 1 

l 4 

l 3 

G 

d 4 

N 

d k 

l 3 

G 

d 4 

N 

SI(L)QG .. ES 

SI(L)R .. ES 

Dimensions 

Cylinder bolt 

with internal hexagon 

(ISO 4762:1998) 

d d k d 4 l 3 l 4 l 7 N N 1 r 1 Size Tightening 

max min max min max max min torque 

mm – Nm 

80 105 90 64 287,5 92 156 47 1 M 20 310 

105 103,5 81 267,5 79 126 60,5 1 M 20 1) 195 1) 

105 91 86 272,5 77 150 50 1 M 20 1) 390 1) 

100 130 110 86 360 116 190 57 1 M 24 530 

130 140 111 362,5 103 167 70,5 1 M 24 1) 390 1) 

130 110 96 324 97 180 65 1 M 24 1) 670 1) 

120 160 175 135 493 138 257 86 1 M 24 1) 670 1) 

125 160 135 113 407 118 202 75 1 M 24 1) 670 1) 

160 200 165 126 490 148 252 85 1 M 24 1) 670 1) 

200 250 215 161 623 193 323 106 1,1 M 30 1) 1 350 1) 

6.2 

1) Bolts, position of bolts, and tightening torque may vary. 

177

Rod ends with a male thread, steel/steel 

d 6 – 80 mm 

B 

C 1 

d k d 

r 1 

l 1 

a 

d 2 

l 7 

h 

l 2 

G 

SA(L) .. E 

SA(L) .. ES 

d ≤ 20 mm 

d ≥ 25 mm 




d d 2 G B C 1 h a C C 0 thread thread 

max 6g max 


6 22 M 6 6 4,5 36 13 3,4 8,15 0,017 SA 6 E 1) SAL 6 E 1) 

8 25 M 8 8 6,5 42 15 5,5 12,9 0,029 SA 8 E 1) SAL 8 E 1) 

10 30 M 10 9 7,5 48 12 8,15 18,3 0,053 SA 10 E 1) SAL 10 E 1) 

12 35 M 12 10 8,5 54 10 10,8 24,5 0,078 SA 12 E 1) SAL 12 E 1) 

15 41 M 14 12 10,5 63 8 17 28 0,13 SA 15 ES SAL 15 ES 

17 47 M 16 14 11,5 69 10 21,2 31 0,19 SA 17 ES SAL 17 ES 

20 54 M 20¥1,5 16 13,5 78 9 30 42,5 0,32 SA 20 ES SAL 20 ES 

25 65 M 24¥2 20 18 94 7 48 78 0,53 SA 25 ES SAL 25 ES 

30 75 M 30¥2 22 20 110 6 62 81,5 0,90 SA 30 ES SAL 30 ES 

35 84 M 36¥3 25 22 130 6 80 110 1,30 SA 35 ES-2RS SAL 35 ES-2RS 

40 94 M 39¥3 28 24 150 6 100 140 1,85 SAA 40 ES-2RS SALA 40 ES-2RS 

94 M 42¥3 28 24 145 6 100 140 1,90 SA 40 ES-2RS SAL 40 ES-2RS 












178

SA(L)A .. ES-2RS 

Dimensions 

d d k l 1 l 2 l 7 r 1 

min max min min 

mm 

6 10 16 49 10 0,3 

8 13 21 56 11 0,3 

10 16 26 65 13 0,3 

12 18 28 73 17 0,3 

15 22 34 85 19 0,3 

17 25 36 94 22 0,3 

20 29 43 107 24 0,3 

25 35,5 53 128 30 0,6 

30 40,7 65 149 34 0,6 

35 47 82 174 40 0,6 

40 53 86 199 46 0,6 

53 90 194 46 0,6 

45 60 92 217 50 0,6 

60 95 219 50 0,6 

50 66 104 244 58 0,6 

66 110 254 58 0,6 

60 80 115 281 73 1 

80 120 296 73 1 

70 92 125 319 85 1 

92 132 349 85 1 

80 105 140 364 98 1 

105 147 389 98 1 

6.3 

179

Rod ends with a cylindrical section welding shank, steel/steel 

d 20 – 80 mm 

B 

C 1 

d k d 

r 1 

d 5 

a 

l 8 

d 2 

d 6 

45° 

l 7 

h2 

6 

l 6 

SC .. ES 

d = 20 mm 

d ≥ 25 mm 



d d 2 B C 1 h 2 a C C 0 

max 

max 


20 54 16 13,5 38 9 30 46,5 0,20 SC 20 ES 

25 65 20 18 45 7 48 73,5 0,45 SC 25 ES 

30 75 22 20 51 6 62 96,5 0,65 SC 30 ES 

35 84 25 22 61 6 80 112 1,00 SC 35 ES 

40 94 28 24 69 7 100 134 1,30 SC 40 ES 

45 104 32 28 77 7 127 180 1,90 SC 45 ES 

50 114 35 31 88 6 156 220 2,50 SC 50 ES 

60 137 44 39 100 6 245 335 4,60 SC 60 ES 

70 162 49 43 115 6 315 455 6,80 SC 70 ES 

80 182 55 48 141 6 400 550 9,70 SC 80 ES 

180

Dimensions 

d d k d 5 d 6 l 6 l 7 r 1 l 8 

max max min min 

mm 

20 29 29 4 66 24 0,3 2 

25 35,5 35 4 78 30 0,6 3 

30 40,7 42 4 89 34 0,6 3 

35 47 49 4 104 40 0,6 3 

40 53 54 4 118 46 0,6 4 

45 60 60 6 132 50 0,6 4 

50 66 64 6 150 58 0,6 4 

60 80 72 6 173 73 1 4 

70 92 82 6 199 85 1 5 

80 105 97 6 237 98 1 5 

6.4 

181

Rod ends with a rectangular section welding shank, steel/steel 

d 20 – 80 mm 

C 1 

a 

B 

d k d 

r 1 

d 2 

h 2 

l 6 

SCF .. ES 



d d 2 B C 1 h 2 a C C 0 

max max js13 


20 51,5 16 20 38 9 30 63 0,35 SCF 20 ES 

25 56,5 20 24 45 7 48 65,5 0,53 SCF 25 ES 

30 66,5 22 29 51 6 62 110 0,87 SCF 30 ES 

35 85 25 31 61 6 80 183 1,55 SCF 35 ES 

40 102 28 36,5 69 7 100 285 2,45 SCF 40 ES 

45 112 32 41,5 77 7 127 360 3,40 SCF 45 ES 

50 125,5 35 41,5 88 6 156 415 4,45 SCF 50 ES 

60 142,5 44 51,5 100 6 245 530 7,00 SCF 60 ES 

70 166,5 49 57 115 6 315 680 10,0 SCF 70 ES 

80 182,5 55 62 141 6 400 750 15,0 SCF 80 ES 

90 228,5 60 67 150 5 490 1 290 23,5 SCF 90 ES 

100 252,5 70 72 170 7 610 1 430 31,5 SCF 100 ES 

110 298 70 83 185 6 655 2 200 48,0 SCF 110 ES 

120 363 85 92,5 210 6 950 3 250 79,5 SCF 120 ES 

182

Dimensions 

d d k l 6 r 1 

max min 

mm 

20 29 64 0,3 

25 35,5 73,5 0,6 

30 40,7 85 0,6 

35 47 103,5 0,6 

40 53 120 0,6 

45 60 133 0,6 

50 66 151 0,6 

60 80 171,5 1 

70 92 198,5 1 

80 105 232,5 1 

90 115 264,5 1 

100 130 296,5 1 

110 140 334 1 

120 160 391,5 1 

6.5 

183

Rod ends with a female thread, steel/bronze 

d 5 – 30 mm 

B 

C 1 

a 

d 2 

d k 

d 

r 1 

l 3 

l 7 

h 1 

l 4 

l 5 

G 

w 

d 3 

d 4 

SI(L)KAC .. M(/VZ019) 

d ≥ 6 mm 





max 6H max 


5 19 M 5 8 7,5 27 13 3,25 5,4 0,017 SIKAC 5 M 1) SILKAC 5 M 1) 

19 M 4 8 7,5 27 13 3,25 5,4 0,017 SIKAC 5 M/VZ019 1) – 

6 21 M 6 9 7,5 30 13 4,3 5,4 0,025 SIKAC 6 M SILKAC 6 M 

8 25 M 8 12 9,5 36 14 7,2 9,15 0,043 SIKAC 8 M SILKAC 8 M 

10 29 M 10 14 11,5 43 13 10 12,2 0,072 SIKAC 10 M SILKAC 10 M 

29 M 10¥1,25 14 11,5 43 13 10 12,2 0,072 SIKAC 10 M/VZ019 – 

12 33 M 12 16 12,5 50 13 13,4 14 0,11 SIKAC 12 M SILKAC 12 M 

33 M 12¥1,25 16 12,5 50 13 13,4 14 0,11 SIKAC 12 M/VZ019 – 

14 37 M 14 19 14,5 57 16 17 20,4 0,16 SIKAC 14 M SILKAC 14 M 

16 43 M 16 21 15,5 64 15 21,6 29 0,22 SIKAC 16 M SILKAC 16 M 

43 M 16¥1,5 21 15,5 64 15 21,6 29 0,22 SIKAC 16 M/VZ019 – 

18 47 M 18¥1,5 23 17,5 71 15 26 35,5 0,30 SIKAC 18 M SILKAC 18 M 

20 51 M 20¥1,5 25 18,5 77 14 31,5 35,5 0,40 SIKAC 20 M SILKAC 20 M 

22 55 M 22¥1,5 28 21 84 15 38 45 0,50 SIKAC 22 M SILKAC 22 M 

25 61 M 24¥2 31 23 94 15 47,5 53 0,65 SIKAC 25 M SILKAC 25 M 

30 71 M 30¥2 37 27 110 17 64 69,5 1,15 SIKAC 30 M SILKAC 30 M 

71 M 27¥2 37 27 110 17 64 69,5 1,15 SIKAC 30 M/VZ019 – 


184

Dimensions 

d d k d 3 d 4 l 3 l 4 l 5 l 7 r 1 w 

ª max min max ª min min h14 

mm 

5 11,1 9 12 8 38 4 9 0,3 9 

11,1 9 12 10 38 4 9 0,3 9 

6 12,7 10 14 9 42 5 10 0,3 11 

8 15,8 12,5 17 12 50 5 12 0,3 14 

10 19 15 20 15 59 6,5 14 0,3 17 

19 15 20 20 59 6,5 14 0,3 17 

12 22,2 17,5 23 18 68 6,5 16 0,3 19 

22,2 17,5 23 22 68 6,5 16 0,3 19 

14 25,4 20 27 21 77 8 18 0,3 22 

16 28,5 22 29 24 87 8 21 0,3 22 

28,5 22 29 28 87 8 21 0,3 22 

18 31,7 25 32 27 96 10 23 0,3 27 

20 34,9 27,5 37 30 105 10 25 0,3 30 

22 38,1 30 40 33 114 12 27 0,3 32 

25 42,8 33,5 44 36 127 12 30 0,3 36 

30 50,8 40 52 45 148 15 35 0,3 41 

50,8 40 52 51 148 15 35 0,3 41 

6.6 

185

Rod ends with a male thread, steel/bronze 

d 5 – 30 mm 

B 

C 1 

a 

d 2 

d k d 

r 1 

l 1 

h 

I 2 

G 

SA(L)KAC .. M 

d ≥ 6 mm 





max 6g max 


5 19 M 5 8 6 33 13 3,25 4,8 0,013 SAKAC 5 M 1) SALKAC 5 M 1) 

6 21 M 6 9 6,75 36 13 4,3 4,8 0,020 SAKAC 6 M SALKAC 6 M 

8 25 M 8 12 9 42 14 7,2 8 0,032 SAKAC 8 M SALKAC 8 M 

10 29 M 10 14 10,5 48 13 10 10,8 0,054 SAKAC 10 M SALKAC 10 M 

12 33 M 12 16 12 54 13 12,2 12,2 0,085 SAKAC 12 M SALKAC 12 M 

14 37 M 14 19 13,5 60 16 17 17,3 0,13 SAKAC 14 M SALKAC 14 M 

16 43 M 16 21 15 66 16 21,6 23,2 0,19 SAKAC 16 M SALKAC 16 M 

18 47 M 18¥1,5 23 16,5 72 16 26 29 0,26 SAKAC 18 M SALKAC 18 M 

20 51 M 20¥1,5 25 18 78 16 29 29 0,34 SAKAC 20 M SALKAC 20 M 

22 55 M 22¥1,5 28 20 84 16 38 39 0,44 SAKAC 22 M SALKAC 22 M 

25 61 M 24¥2 31 22 94 15 46,5 46,5 0,60 SAKAC 25 M SALKAC 25 M 

30 71 M 30¥2 37 25 110 17 61 61 1,05 SAKAC 30 M SALKAC 30 M 


186

Dimensions 

d d k l 1 l 2 r 1 

min max min 

mm 

5 11,1 19 44 0,3 

6 12,7 21 48 0,3 

8 15,8 25 56 0,3 

10 19 28 64 0,3 

12 22,2 32 72 0,3 

14 25,4 36 80 0,3 

16 28,5 37 89 0,3 

18 31,7 41 97 0,3 

20 34,9 45 106 0,3 

22 38,1 48 114 0,3 

25 42,8 55 127 0,3 

30 50,8 66 148 0,3 

6.7 

187


Dimensions..................................................................................................................................... 190 

Tolerances....................................................................................................................................... 191 


Materials......................................................................................................................................... 192 


Fatigue strength.............................................................................................................................. 192 


7.1 Maintenance-free rod ends with a female thread, steel/PTFE sintered bronze ................. 194 

7.2 Maintenance-free rod ends with a male thread, steel/PTFE sintered bronze..................... 196 

7.3 Maintenance-free rod ends with a female thread, steel/PTFE fabric .................................. 198 

7.4 Maintenance-free rod ends with a male thread, steel/PTFE fabric ..................................... 200 

7.5 Maintenance-free rod ends with a female thread, steel/PTFE FRP..................................... 202 

7.6 Maintenance-free rod ends with a male thread, steel/PTFE FRP........................................ 204 

7 

189


SKF manufactures maintenance-free rod ends 

with three different sliding contact surface combinations 

in different series: 

Fig. 1 

Maintenance-free rod end, steel/PTFE sintered bronze 

• Steel/PTFE sintered bronze († fig. 1): 

– SI(L) .. C series 

– SA(L) .. C series 

• Steel/PTFE fabric († fig. 2): 

– SI(L) .. TXE-2LS series 

– SI(L)A .. TXE-2LS series 

– SA(L) .. TXE-2LS series 

– SA(L)A .. TXE-2LS series 

• Steel/PTFE FRP († fig. 3): 

– SI(L)KB .. F series 

– SA(L)KB .. F series 

Rod ends with either a steel/PTFE sintered 

bronze or steel/PTFE fabric sliding contact surface 

combination contain a bearing from the 

standard assortment. The outer ring is staked in 

place in the housing. 

Rod ends with a steel/PTFE FRP sliding contact 

surface combination consist of a rod end 

housing and a spherical plain bearing inner ring. 

Between the housing and the inner ring, a sliding 

layer of fibre reinforced polymer, containing 

PTFE, is moulded to the housing. 

SKF supplies maintenance-free rod ends with 

a threaded shank with a right-hand thread as 

standard. With the exception of rod ends with 

the designation suffix VZ019, all rod ends are 

also available with a left-hand thread. They are 

identified by the designation prefix L. 

Maintenance-free rod end, steel/PTFE fabric 

Fig. 2 

Dimensions 

The dimensions of SKF maintenance-free rod 

ends are in accordance with ISO 12240-4:1998. 

Male and female threads of SKF rod ends are 

in accordance with ISO 965-1:1998, except for 

rod ends with female thread having the designation 

suffix /VZ019, which is in accordance 

with ISO 8139:2009. 

Maintenance-free rod end, steel/PTFE FRP 

Fig. 3 

190

Tolerances 

SKF rod end inner ring dimensional tolerances 

are in accordance with ISO 12240-1:1998. The 

tolerances are listed in table 1. 

The symbols used in table 1 are explained in 

the following: 



the nominal 




Depending on their design, SKF maintenancefree 

rod ends may have a radial internal clearance 

or a light preload. Table 2 lists maximum 

values for the radial internal clearance as well as 

for the frictional moment in the circumferential 

direction caused by preload. 

Radial internal clearance and frictional moment for 

maintenance-free rod ends 

Bore diameter Radial Frictional 

d internal moment 

clearance 

over incl. max max 

mm µm Nm 

Sliding surface steel/PTFE sintered bronze 

(designation suffix C) 

– 12 28 0,15 

12 20 35 0,25 

20 30 44 0,40 

Sliding surface steel/PTFE fabric 

(designation suffix TXE-2LS) 

35 80 50 – 

Sliding surface steel/PTFE FRP 

(designation suffix F) 

5 50 0,20 

6 50 0,25 

8 50 0,30 

10 75 0,40 

12 75 0,50 

14 75 0,60 

16 75 0,70 

18 85 0,80 

20 100 1 

22 100 1,2 

Table 2 

Table 1 

Inner ring dimensional tolerances for maintenance-free rod ends 

Bore diameter SA(A) and SI(A) series SAKB and SIKB series 

d D dmp D Bs D dmp D Bs 



7 

– 6 0 –8 0 –120 12 0 0 –120 

6 10 0 –8 0 –120 15 0 0 –120 

10 18 0 –8 0 –120 18 0 0 –120 

18 30 0 –10 0 –120 21 0 0 –120 

30 50 0 –12 0 –120 _ _ _ _ 

50 80 0 –15 0 –150 _ _ _ _ 

191


Materials 

SKF rod end housings for maintenance-free 

bearings are made of materials as listed in 

table 3. 

Details of the materials used for the maintenance-free 

radial spherical plain bearings incorporated 

in the rod ends are listed in table 3 on 

pages 128 to 129. 

The inner ring of rod ends with a steel/PTFE 

FRP sliding contact surface combination is made 

of bearing steel. The ring is through-hardened 

and ground. The sliding contact surface of the 

inner ring is hard chromium plated. The sliding 

layer consists of a fibre reinforced polymer, containing 

PTFE. 

Table 3 

Housing materials for maintenance-free rod ends 

Series Size Material Material No. 

SA(A) 6 to 80 Heat treatable 1.0503 

SI(A) 

steel C45V, 

zinc coated and 

chromatized 

SAKB 5 to 12 Free-machining steel, 1.0718 

SIKB 


chromatized 

14 to 22 Heat treatable 1.0501 

steel C35N, 


chromatized 


range 


for SKF maintenance-free rod ends depends on 

the rod end housing, the incorporated bearing 

and the bearing seals. The values for the permissible 

operating temperature range are listed 

in table 4. 

The load carrying capacity of the rod end is 

reduced at temperatures above 100 °C. For 

temperatures below 0 °C, check to be sure that 

the fracture toughness of the rod end housing is 

adequate for the intended application. 

Fatigue strength 

In all applications where a rod end is subjected 

to alternating loads, loads that vary in magnitude 

or where failure of a rod end is dangerous, 

make sure that the selected rod end has sufficient 

fatigue strength. 

Table 4 

Permissible operating temperature range for 

maintenance-free rod ends 

Rod end sliding Permissible Reduced 

contact surface operating load carrying 

combination temperature capacity 

range 1) 

from incl. from 

– °C °C 

Steel/PTFE –50 +150 +80 

sintered bronze 

Steel/PTFE fabric –40 +110 +65 

Steel/PTFE FRP –40 +75 +50 

1) For temperatures below 0 °C, make sure that the fracture 

toughness of the rod end housing is adequate for the 

intended application. 

192

193 

7

Maintenance-free rod ends with a female thread, steel/PTFE sintered bronze 

d 6 – 30 mm 

B 

C 1 

a 

d 2 

d k d 

r 1 

l 3 

l 5 

l 7 

h 1 

l 4 

G 

w 

SI(L) .. C 

d 4 





max 6H max 


6 22 M 6 6 4,5 30 13 3,6 8,15 0,023 SI 6 C SIL 6 C 

8 25 M 8 8 6,5 36 15 5,8 12,9 0,036 SI 8 C SIL 8 C 

10 30 M 10 9 7,5 43 12 8,65 19 0,065 SI 10 C SIL 10 C 

12 35 M 12 10 8,5 50 10 11,4 25,5 0,11 SI 12 C SIL 12 C 

15 41 M 14 12 10,5 61 8 18 37,5 0,18 SI 15 C SIL 15 C 

17 47 M 16 14 11,5 67 10 22,4 46,5 0,25 SI 17 C SIL 17 C 

20 54 M 20¥1,5 16 13,5 77 9 31,5 57 0,35 SI 20 C SIL 20 C 

25 65 M 24¥2 20 18 94 7 51 90 0,65 SI 25 C SIL 25 C 

30 75 M 30¥2 22 20 110 6 65,5 118 1,05 SI 30 C SIL 30 C 

194

Dimensions 

d d k d 4 l 3 l 4 l 5 l 7 r 1 w 

ª min max ª min min h14 

mm 

6 10 11 11 43 8 10 0,3 9 

8 13 13 15 50 9 11 0,3 11 

10 16 16 15 60 11 13 0,3 14 

12 18 19 18 69 12 17 0,3 17 

15 22 22 21 83 14 19 0,3 19 

17 25 25 24 92 15 22 0,3 22 

20 29 28 30 106 16 24 0,3 24 

25 35,5 35 36 128 18 30 0,6 30 

30 40,7 42 45 149 19 34 0,6 36 

7.1 

195

Maintenance-free rod ends with a male thread, steel/PTFE sintered bronze 

d 6 – 30 mm 

B 

C 1 

d k d 

r 1 

l 1 

a 

d 2 

l 7 

h 

l 2 

G 

SA(L) .. C 





max 6g max 


6 22 M 6 6 4,5 36 13 3,6 8,15 0,017 SA 6 C SAL 6 C 

8 25 M 8 8 6,5 42 15 5,85 12,9 0,030 SA 8 C SAL 8 C 

10 30 M 10 9 7,5 48 12 8,65 18,3 0,053 SA 10 C SAL 10 C 

12 35 M 12 10 8,5 54 10 11,4 24,5 0,078 SA 12 C SAL 12 C 

15 41 M 14 12 10,5 63 8 18 34,5 0,13 SA 15 C SAL 15 C 

17 47 M 16 14 11,5 69 10 22,4 42,5 0,19 SA 17 C SAL 17 C 

20 54 M 20¥1,5 16 13,5 78 9 31,5 51 0,32 SA 20 C SAL 20 C 

25 65 M 24¥2 20 18 94 7 51 78 0,57 SA 25 C SAL 25 C 

30 75 M 30¥2 22 20 110 6 65,5 104 0,90 SA 30 C SAL 30 C 

196

Dimensions 

d d k l 1 l 2 l 7 r 1 


mm 

6 10 16 49 10 0,3 

8 13 21 56 11 0,3 

10 16 26 65 13 0,3 

12 18 28 73 17 0,3 

15 22 34 85 19 0,3 

17 25 36 94 22 0,3 

20 29 43 107 24 0,3 

25 35,5 53 128 30 0,6 

30 40,7 65 149 34 0,6 

7.2 

197

Maintenance-free rod ends with a female thread, steel/PTFE fabric 

d 35 – 80 mm 

B 

C 1 

a 

d 2 

d k d 

r 1 

l 3 

l 5 

l 7 

h 1 

l 4 

G 

w 

SI(L) .. TXE-2LS 

d 4 

SI(L)A .. TXE-2LS 

Principal dimensions Angle Basic load ratings 1) Mass Designations 




max 6H max 


35 84 M 36¥3 25 22 130 6 224 134 1,40 SI 35 TXE-2LS SIL 35 TXE-2LS 

40 94 M 39¥3 28 24 142 7 280 166 2,20 SIA 40 TXE-2LS SILA 40 TXE-2LS 

94 M 42¥3 28 24 145 7 280 166 2,30 SI 40 TXE-2LS SIL 40 TXE-2LS 







70 162 M 72¥4 49 43 265 6 880 530 10,5 SI 70 TXE-2LS SIL 70 TXE-2LS 

80 182 M 80¥4 55 48 295 5 1 140 655 19,0 SI 80 TXE-2LS SIL 80 TXE-2LS 

1) Dynamic load rating of the bearing to be used for basic rating life calculation only. Check suitability of the rod end against its static 

load rating in all cases. The dynamic load applied on the rod end must not exceed its static load rating. 

198

Dimensions 

d d k d 4 l 3 l 4 l 5 l 7 r 1 w 

ª min max ª min min h14 

mm 

35 47 49 60 174 25 40 0,6 41 

40 53 58 65 191 25 46 0,6 50 

53 58 65 194 25 46 0,6 50 

45 60 65 65 199 30 50 0,6 55 

60 65 65 219 30 50 0,6 55 

50 66 70 68 219 30 58 0,6 60 

66 70 68 254 30 58 0,6 60 

60 80 82 70 246 35 73 1 70 

80 82 70 296 35 73 1 70 

70 92 92 80 349 40 85 1 80 

80 105 105 85 389 40 98 1 90 

7.3 

199

Maintenance-free rod ends with a male thread, steel/PTFE fabric 

d 35 – 80 mm 

B 

C 1 

a 

d 2 

d k d 

r 1 

l 7 

l 2 

h 

I 1 

G 

SA(L) .. TXE-2LS 

SA(L)A .. TXE-2LS 

Principal dimensions Angle Basic load ratings 1) Mass Designations 




max 6g max 


35 84 M 36¥3 25 22 130 6 224 110 1,30 SA 35 TXE-2LS SAL 35 TXE-2LS 

40 94 M 39¥3 28 24 150 6 280 140 1,85 SAA 40 TXE-2LS SALA 40 TXE-2LS 

94 M 42¥3 28 24 145 6 280 140 1,90 SA 40 TXE-2LS SAL 40 TXE-2LS 







70 162 M 72¥4 49 43 265 6 880 490 10,0 SA 70 TXE-2LS SAL 70 TXE-2LS 

80 182 M 80¥4 55 48 295 5 1 140 585 14,5 SA 80 TXE-2LS SAL 80 TXE-2LS 

1) Dynamic load rating of the bearing to be used for basic rating life calculation only. Check suitability of the rod end against its static 

load rating in all cases. The dynamic load applied on the rod end must not exceed its static load rating. 

200

Dimensions 

d d k l 1 l 2 l 7 r 1 


mm 

35 47 82 174 40 0,6 

40 53 86 199 46 0,6 

53 90 194 46 0,6 

45 60 92 217 50 0,6 

60 95 219 50 0,6 

50 66 104 244 58 0,6 

66 110 254 58 0,6 

60 80 115 281 73 1 

80 120 296 73 1 

70 92 132 349 85 1 

80 105 147 389 98 1 

7.4 

201

Maintenance-free rod ends with a female thread, steel/PTFE FRP 

d 5 – 22 mm 

B 

C 1 

a 

d 2 

d k d 

r 1 

l 7 

h 1 

l 4 

l 3 

G 

w 

SI(L)KB .. F 

l 5 

d 3 

d 4 





max 6H max 


5 19 M 5 8 6 27 13 3,25 5,3 0,019 SIKB 5 F SILKB 5 F 

6 21 M 6 9 6,75 30 13 4,25 6,8 0,028 SIKB 6 F SILKB 6 F 

8 25 M 8 12 9 36 14 7,1 11,4 0,047 SIKB 8 F SILKB 8 F 

10 29 M 10 14 10,5 43 13 9,8 14,3 0,079 SIKB 10 F SILKB 10 F 

29 M 10¥1,25 14 10,5 43 13 9,8 14,3 0,079 SIKB 10 F/VZ019 – 

12 33 M 12 16 12 50 13 13,2 17 0,12 SIKB 12 F SILKB 12 F 

33 M 12¥1,25 16 12 50 13 13,2 17 0,12 SIKB 12 F/VZ019 – 

14 37 M 14 19 13,5 57 16 17 27,5 0,16 SIKB 14 F SILKB 14 F 

16 43 M 16 21 15 64 15 21,4 34,5 0,23 SIKB 16 F SILKB 16 F 

43 M 16¥1,5 21 15 64 15 21,4 34,5 0,23 SIKB 16 F/VZ019 – 

18 47 M 18¥1,5 23 16,5 71 15 26 41,5 0,33 SIKB 18 F SILKB 18 F 

20 51 M 20¥1,5 25 18 77 14 31 50 0,38 SIKB 20 F SILKB 20 F 

22 55 M 22¥1,5 28 20 84 15 38 61 0,52 SIKB 22 F SILKB 22 F 

202

Dimensions 

d d k d 3 d 4 l 3 l 4 l 5 l 7 r 1 w 

ª max min max ª min min h14 

mm 

5 11,1 9 12 8 37 4 9 0,3 9 

6 12,7 10 14 9 41 5 10 0,3 11 

8 15,8 12,5 17 12 49 5 12 0,3 14 

10 19 15 20 15 58 6,5 14 0,3 17 

19 15 20 20 58 6,5 14 0,3 17 

12 22,2 17,5 23 18 67 6,5 16 0,3 19 

22,2 17,5 23 22 67 6,5 16 0,3 19 

14 25,4 20 27 21 76 8 18 0,3 22 

16 28,5 22 29 24 86 8 21 0,3 22 

28,5 22 29 28 86 8 21 0,3 22 

18 31,7 25 32 27 95 10 23 0,3 27 

20 34,9 27,5 37 30 103 10 25 0,3 30 

22 38,1 30 40 33 114 12 27 0,3 32 

7.5 

203

Maintenance-free rod ends with a male thread, steel/PTFE FRP 

d 5 – 22 mm 

B 

C 1 

d k d 

r 1 

l 1 

a 

d 2 

h 

l 2 

G 

SA(L)KB ..F 





max 6g max 


5 19 M 5 8 6 33 13 3,25 5,3 0,015 SAKB 5 F SALKB 5 F 

6 21 M 6 9 6,75 36 13 4,25 6,8 0,021 SAKB 6 F SALKB 6 F 

8 25 M 8 12 9 42 14 7,1 10 0,035 SAKB 8 F SALKB 8 F 

10 29 M 10 14 10,5 48 13 9,8 12,5 0,059 SAKB 10 F SALKB 10 F 

12 33 M 12 16 12 54 13 13,2 15 0,10 SAKB 12 F SALKB 12 F 

14 37 M 14 19 13,5 60 16 17 25,5 0,13 SAKB 14 F SALKB 14 F 

16 43 M 16 21 15 66 15 21,4 34,5 0,20 SAKB 16 F SALKB 16 F 

18 47 M 18¥1,5 23 16,5 72 15 26 41,5 0,26 SAKB 18 F SALKB 18 F 

20 51 M 20¥1,5 25 18 78 14 31 50 0,37 SAKB 20 F SALKB 20 F 

22 55 M 22¥1,5 28 20 84 15 38 58,5 0,46 SAKB 22 F SALKB 22 F 

204

Dimensions 

d d k l 1 l 2 r 1 

min max min 

mm 

5 11,1 19 44 0,3 

6 12,7 21 48 0,3 

8 15,8 25 56 0,3 

10 19 28 64 0,3 

12 22,2 32 72 0,3 

14 25,4 36 80 0,3 

16 28,5 37 89 0,3 

18 31,7 41 97 0,3 

20 34,9 45 106 0,3 

22 38,1 48 114 0,3 

7.6 

205

Other SKF plain bearings and 

special solutions 

Spherical plain bearings for road vehicles..................................................................................... 208 

Plain bearings for railway vehicles................................................................................................. 208 

Bushing units for off highway vehicles.......................................................................................... 208 

Spherical plain bearings and rod ends for the aircraft industry................................................... 209 

Bushings, thrust washers and strips............................................................................................. 209 

Rod ends for the food industry....................................................................................................... 210 

8 

207

Other SKF plain bearings and special solutions 

Spherical plain bearings for road 

vehicles 

SKF spherical plain bearings or bearing units 

are also available for special applications. Therefore, 

SKF works closely with the customer to 

develop customized products, e.g. solutions for 

centring propeller shafts or gear shifts. 

Plain bearings for railway vehicles 

The SKF assortment of plain bearings for railway 

vehicles includes bogie swivel bearings for 

trams and heavy-duty goods wagons as well as 

spherical plain bearings and rod ends for transverse 

stabilizers, tilting mechanisms etc. 

Bushing units for off-highway vehicles 

Many off-highway vehicles have bushings made 

of steel or bronze that require relubrication. SKF 

has developed state-of-the-art bushing units 

with seals. As these units do not require grease, 

costs are reduced and product ivity is increased. 

208

Spherical plain bearings and rod ends 

for the aircraft industry 

SKF supplies a wide assortment of special 

spherical plain bearings and rod ends in various 

designs and materials for aerospace applications 

worldwide. The main applications are airframe 

bearings for the transmission of rotating, 

tilting and oscillating movements as used in 

undercarriages, spoilers, height and side 

rudders, wing flaps etc. 

Bushings, thrust washers and strips 

SKF offers a wide assortment of bushings available 

from stock. Bushings are suitable for rotating, 

oscillating and linear movements and are 

available as cylindrical or flanged designs. 

Thrust washers are intended for applications 

where axial space is limited, maintenance is not 

possible and where lubricant starvation can 

occur. 

SKF also supplies strips made of the same 

materials as thrust washers. They can be bent, 

pressed or coined to form flat linear guides, e.g. 

L-shaped or V-shaped profiles, or other types 

of dry sliding components. 

Different materials meet different 

requirements: 

• solid bronze, the traditional robust material 

• sintered bronze with oil impregnation, 

for high sliding velocities 

• wrapped bronze with lubrication pockets, 

for contaminated environments 

• PTFE composite with reduced friction, 

for long service life 

• POM composite, for minimal maintenance 

under arduous conditions 

• PTFE polyamide, cost-effective and 

maintenance-free 

• filament wound, for extreme conditions 

8 

209

Other SKF plain bearings and special solutions 

Rod ends for the food industry 

The food and beverage processing industries 

have unique requirements. Depending on the 

application, equipment has to withstand the 

following influences: 

• hot, cold or wet environments 

• frequent wash downs 

• exposure to harsh cleaning agents 

• food and liquid contaminants 

• a variety of chemicals 

To deal with these challenging operating conditions, 

SKF offers rod ends with a stainless steel 

housing or with a composite housing. Both 

series are equipped with a stainless steel inner 

ring and an injection moulded PTFE FRP dry 

sliding layer. The used materials provide the 

following properties: 

• corrosion resistant 

• good wear resistance 

• low friction 

• cost-effective 

210

211 

8

Product index 

Designation Product Product Page 

table 

GAC .. F ............Maintenance-free angular contact spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE FRP ............ 4.1 156 

GE .. C .............Maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE sintered bronze, metric sizes . . 3.1 132 

GE .. CJ2 ...........Maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE sintered bronze, metric sizes . . 3.1 132 

GE .. E .............Radial spherical plain bearings requiring maintenance, steel/steel, metric sizes .......... 2.1 104 

GE .. ES ............Radial spherical plain bearings requiring maintenance, steel/steel, metric sizes .......... 2.1 104 

GE .. ES-2LS ........Radial spherical plain bearings requiring maintenance, steel/steel, metric sizes .......... 2.1 104 

GE .. ES-2RS ........Radial spherical plain bearings requiring maintenance, steel/steel, metric sizes .......... 2.1 104 

GE .. TXA-2LS .......Maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE fabric, metric sizes ......... 3.2 134 

GE .. TXE-2LS .......Maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE fabric, metric sizes ......... 3.2 134 

GE .. TXG3A-2LS ....Maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE fabric, metric sizes ......... 3.2 134 

GE .. TXG3E-2LS ....Maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE fabric, metric sizes ......... 3.2 134 

GE .. TXGR ..........Maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE fabric, metric sizes ......... 3.2 134 

GEC .. FBAS .........Maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE FRP, metric sizes .......... 3.4 144 

GEC .. TXA-2RS. . . . . . Maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE fabric, metric sizes ......... 3.2 134 

GEG .. ES ...........Radial spherical plain bearings requiring maintenance, steel/steel, 

with an extended inner ring, metric sizes ........................................ 2.3 116 

GEG .. ESA ..........Radial spherical plain bearings requiring maintenance, steel/steel, 


GEH .. C ............Maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE sintered bronze, metric sizes . . 3.1 132 

GEH .. ES-2LS ......Radial spherical plain bearings requiring maintenance, steel/steel, metric sizes .......... 2.1 104 

GEH .. ES-2RS ......Radial spherical plain bearings requiring maintenance, steel/steel, metric sizes .......... 2.1 104 

GEH .. TXA-2LS .....Maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE fabric, metric sizes ......... 3.2 134 

GEH .. TXE-2LS .....Maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE fabric, metric sizes ......... 3.2 134 

GEH .. TXG3A-2LS ...Maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE fabric, metric sizes ......... 3.2 134 

GEH .. TXG3E-2LS ...Maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE fabric, metric sizes ......... 3.2 134 

GEM .. ES-2LS 

Radial spherical plain bearings requiring maintenance, steel/steel, 


GEM .. ES-2RS ......Radial spherical plain bearings requiring maintenance, steel/steel, 


GEP .. FS ...........Maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE FRP, metric sizes .......... 3.4 144 

GEZ .. ES ...........Radial spherical plain bearings requiring maintenance, steel/steel, inch sizes ............ 2.2 110 

GEZ .. ES-2LS .......Radial spherical plain bearings requiring maintenance, steel/steel, inch sizes ............ 2.2 110 

GEZ .. ES-2RS. . . . . . . Radial spherical plain bearings requiring maintenance, steel/steel, inch sizes ............ 2.2 110 

GEZ .. TXA-2LS ......Maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE fabric, inch sizes ........... 3.3 140 

GEZ .. TXE-2LS ......Maintenance-free radial spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE fabric, inch sizes ........... 3.3 140 

GEZH .. ES .........Radial spherical plain bearings requiring maintenance, steel/steel, inch sizes ............ 2.2 110 

GEZH .. ES-2LS .....Radial spherical plain bearings requiring maintenance, steel/steel, inch sizes ............ 2.2 110 

GEZH .. ES-2RS .....Radial spherical plain bearings requiring maintenance, steel/steel, inch sizes ............ 2.2 110 

GEZM .. ES .........Radial spherical plain bearings requiring maintenance, steel/steel, 

with an extended inner ring, inch sizes .......................................... 2.4 120 

GEZM .. ES-2LS .....Radial spherical plain bearings requiring maintenance, steel/steel, 


GEZM .. ES-2RS .....Radial spherical plain bearings requiring maintenance, steel/steel, 


GX .. F .............Maintenance-free thrust spherical plain bearings, steel/PTFE FRP ................... 5.1 164 

SA .. C .............Maintenance-free rod ends, male thread, steel/PTFE sintered bronze ................. 7.2 196 

SA .. E .............Rod ends requiring maintenance, male thread, steel/steel ........................... 6.3 178 

SA .. ES ............Rod ends requiring maintenance, male thread, steel/steel ........................... 6.3 178 

SA .. ES-2RS ........Rod ends requiring maintenance, male thread, steel/steel ........................... 6.3 178 

SA .. TXE-2LS .......Maintenance-free rod ends, male thread, steel/PTFE fabric ......................... 7.4 200 

SAA .. ES-2RS .......Rod ends requiring maintenance, male thread, steel/steel ........................... 6.3 178 

SAA .. TXE-2LS ......Maintenance-free rod ends, male thread, steel/PTFE fabric ......................... 7.4 200 

SAKAC .. M .........Rod ends requiring maintenance, male thread, steel/bronze ......................... 6.7 186 

SAKB .. F ...........Maintenance-free rod ends, male thread, steel/PTFE FRP .......................... 7.6 204 

SAL .. C ............Maintenance-free rod ends, male thread, steel/PTFE sintered bronze ................. 7.2 196 

SAL .. E ............Rod ends requiring maintenance, male thread, steel/steel ........................... 6.3 178 

9 

213

Product index 

Designation Product Product Page 

table 

SAL .. ES ...........Rod ends requiring maintenance, male thread, steel/steel ........................... 6.3 178 

SAL .. ES-2RS .......Rod ends requiring maintenance, male thread, steel/steel ........................... 6.3 178 

SAL .. TXE-2LS ......Maintenance-free rod ends, male thread, steel/PTFE fabric ......................... 7.4 200 

SALA .. ES-2RS .....Rod ends requiring maintenance, male thread, steel/steel ........................... 6.3 178 

SALA .. TXE-2LS .....Maintenance-free rod ends, male thread, steel/PTFE fabric ......................... 7.4 200 

SALKAC .. M ........Rod ends requiring maintenance, male thread, steel/bronze ......................... 6.7 186 

SALKB .. F ..........Maintenance-free rod ends, male thread, steel/PTFE FRP .......................... 7.6 204 

SC .. ES ............Rod ends requiring maintenance, cylindrical section welding shank, steel/steel .......... 6.4 180 

SCF .. ES ...........Rod ends requiring maintenance, rectangular section welding shank, steel/steel ......... 6.5 182 

SI .. C ..............Maintenance-free rod ends, female thread, steel/PTFE sintered bronze ................ 7.1 194 

SI .. E ..............Rod ends requiring maintenance, female thread, steel/steel ......................... 6.1 172 

SI .. ES. . . . . . . . . . . . . Rod ends requiring maintenance, female thread, steel/steel ......................... 6.1 172 

SI .. ES-2RS ........Rod ends requiring maintenance, female thread, steel/steel ......................... 6.1 172 

SI .. TXE-2LS .......Maintenance-free rod ends, female thread, steel/PTFE fabric ........................ 7.3 198 

SIA .. ES-2RS .......Rod ends requiring maintenance, female thread, steel/steel ......................... 6.1 172 

SIA .. TXE-2LS ......Maintenance-free rod ends, female thread, steel/PTFE fabric ........................ 7.3 198 

SIJ .. E .............Rod ends requiring maintenance for hydraulic cylinders, female thread, steel/steel ....... 6.2 174 

SIJ .. ES ............Rod ends requiring maintenance for hydraulic cylinders, female thread, steel/steel ....... 6.2 174 

SIKAC .. M ..........Rod ends requiring maintenance, female thread, steel/bronze. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.6 184 

SIKAC .. M/VZ019 ....Rod ends requiring maintenance, female thread, 

steel/bronze, thread differs from standard ....................................... 6.6 184 

SIKB .. F Maintenance-free rod ends, female thread, steel/PTFE FRP ......................... 7.5 202 

SIKB .. F/VZ019 

Maintenance-free rod ends, female thread, steel/PTFE FRP, 

thread differs from standard .................................................. 7.5 202 

SIL .. C .............Maintenance-free rod ends, female thread, steel/PTFE sintered bronze ................ 7.1 194 

SIL .. E .............Rod ends requiring maintenance, female thread, steel/steel ......................... 6.1 172 

SIL .. ES ...........Rod ends requiring maintenance, female thread, steel/steel ......................... 6.1 172 

SIL .. ES-2RS .......Rod ends requiring maintenance, female thread, steel/steel ......................... 6.1 172 

SIL .. TXE-2LS ......Maintenance-free rod ends, female thread, steel/PTFE fabric ........................ 7.3 198 

SILA .. ES-2RS ......Rod ends requiring maintenance, female thread, steel/steel ......................... 6.1 172 

SILA .. TXE-2LS .....Maintenance-free rod ends, female thread, steel/PTFE fabric ........................ 7.3 198 

SILJ .. E ............Rod ends requiring maintenance for hydraulic cylinders, female thread, steel/steel ....... 6.2 174 

SILJ .. ES ..........Rod ends requiring maintenance for hydraulic cylinders, female thread, steel/steel ....... 6.2 174 

SILKAC .. M .........Rod ends requiring maintenance, female thread, steel/bronze. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.6 184 

SILKB .. F ..........Maintenance-free rod ends, female thread, steel/PTFE FRP ......................... 7.5 202 

SILQG .. ES .........Rod ends requiring maintenance for hydraulic cylinders, female thread, steel/steel ....... 6.2 174 

SILQG .. ESA ........Rod ends requiring maintenance for hydraulic cylinders, female thread, steel/steel ....... 6.2 174 

SILR .. ES ..........Rod ends requiring maintenance for hydraulic cylinders, female thread, steel/steel ....... 6.2 174 

SIQG .. ES ..........Rod ends requiring maintenance for hydraulic cylinders, female thread, steel/steel ....... 6.2 174 

SIQG .. ESA .........Rod ends requiring maintenance for hydraulic cylinders, female thread, steel/steel ....... 6.2 174 

SIR .. ES ...........Rod ends requiring maintenance for hydraulic cylinders, female thread, steel/steel ....... 6.2 174 

214

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SKF - Spherical Plain Bearings and Rod Ends

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