7208 bearing: complete specifications & equivalents

Specification table

Source: catalog reference (SKF PUB BU/P1 17000/1 EN (Oct 2018), ch. 3.1 single-row ACBB) · extracted 2026-09-26

Parameters extracted from the official SKF Rolling Bearings catalogue (SKF PUB BU/P1 17000/1 EN (Oct 2018), ch. 3.1 single-row ACBB); SKF® and SKF Explorer® are trademarks of AB SKF, used here for identification only — mpnbase is not an authorized SKF distributor. Boundary dimensions are ISO 15 interchangeable; current production values may differ, verify at skf.com.

Cross references & equivalents

Interchange levels: full standard interchange · partial verify parameters · verify manual confirmation required. Links resolve to the equivalent model's specification page where available.

How the 7208 model number is decoded

SKF 7208 (7208 BEP) is the light (7200) series angular-contact choice for a 40 mm shaft — one row of balls on a steepened, asymmetric raceway giving a nominal 40° contact angle inside the 80×18 mm ISO 15 envelope.The code breaks down as type prefix 7 (angular contact), diameter series 2 (the light section), and bore code 08 = 40 mm; dimensions 40×80×18 mm therefore match the 6208 deep-groove envelope even though the internal design is different. The suffix decodes as B for the 40° contact-angle execution, E for SKF's enhanced internal design with larger/fewer balls, and P for the glass-fibre reinforced PA66 ball-centred cage (continuous temperature ceiling 120 °C). At 10,000 r/min reference speed the 20.0 mm-section 7208 is governed thermally by preload and lubricant flow; oil-air or grease pack selection should be made against that value, with 10,000 r/min as the mechanical ceiling. Note the minimum-axial-load requirement: at light radial load and high speed the balls of 7208 must still be held into the contact ellipse, which is another reason the catalogue recommends paired mounting with controlled preload on 40 mm shaft positions.

Typical equipment & failure modes

Selection pitfalls — read before you substitute

• On this 40 mm bore, interference and temperature rise consume clearance inside a preloaded pair; calculate the residual clearance after mounting and at operating temperature — an over-tight 7208 pair heats, loses preload control and smears the raceways.
• The 72xx light section at 40 mm bore is the general-purpose angular-contact envelope (80×18 mm); stepping up to a 7308 changes OD, width and heat generation — it is not a drop-in swap when the housing and speed are fixed.
• Do not mix execution classes inside one 7208 pair — universal-matchable (CB) bearings are ground for arbitrary pairing, but a CB unit paired with an unmatched basic BEP bearing will not share preload evenly.
• When the outer ring rotates, reverse the fit logic and provide outer-ring location; the steep 40° contact of 7208 pushes the rings apart under load, so a non-located outer ring walks its seat even when the shaft is fixed.
• Shaft and housing fillets must clear the bearing chamfer so the 18 mm-wide ring seats square; use an undercut or withdrawal groove rather than an oversized radius that locks on the ring face.
• The 34.5/24 kN ratings are SKF catalogue 17000 values for the 7208 BEP execution; SKF can revise internal geometry without changing the order number, so keep the catalogue version (PUB BU/P1 17000/1 EN, 2018) with the specification and re-verify for critical drives.
• SKF lists several executions of 7208 (BEP basic, BECBP universally matchable, BE-2RZP sealed, BECBM brass-cage, ACC-series at 25°); they are not interchangeable order numbers — quote the full 7208 BEP designation when purchasing and match the execution to the mounting arrangement.
• A plain 7208 BEP is a single open bearing, not a universally matchable one; to mount a defined DB/DF pair order the BECBP (CB) execution — pairing two unmatched basic units gives uncontrolled preload because the side faces are not ground for set mounting.