61908-FAG bearing: complete specifications & equivalents

Specification table

Source: catalog reference (HR 1 Rolling Bearings (Jan 2020)) · extracted 2026-09-25

Parameters extracted from the official FAG Rolling Bearings catalogue (HR 1 Rolling Bearings (Jan 2020)); FAG® is a trademark of Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG, used here for identification only — mpnbase is not an authorized FAG/Schaeffler distributor. Boundary dimensions are ISO 15 interchangeable; current production values may differ, verify at schaeffler.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 61908-FAG model number is decoded

61908 is supplied open, without shields or seals, so the arrangement around it must supply and retain the lubricant. Within the thin 619xx section (diameter series 9 of ISO 15), multiplying bore code 08 by five gives the 40 mm bore; the 62 mm outside diameter and 12 mm width follow the same boundary-dimension plan. For a rotating inner ring on a 40 mm shaft under normal load, catalogue practice seats it on a k5 shaft fit with an H7 housing bore — confirm against the actual load direction and magnitude before committing. In the Schaeffler HR 1 catalogue this open execution carries the bare designation; protected variants are ordered separately with suffixes 2Z (steel shields), 2RZ (non-contact rubber seals) and 2RSR (lip-contact rubber seals).

Typical equipment & failure modes

Selection pitfalls — read before you substitute

• A 40 mm shaft for 61908 should be finished to Ra ≤ 1.6 µm with square seating faces; at this bore a scored or oval journal shows up directly as running noise and early raceway damage.
• The 619xx thin section at 40 mm bore (11.0 mm section height) cannot shrug off the misalignment a standard section tolerates; keep the housing bores round and aligned, or edge contact will spall the raceways early.
• The open 61908-FAG has no lubricant retention: grease escapes and contaminants migrate straight into the 40×62×12 mm raceway, so specify a sealed arrangement for dusty or washdown duty.
• Storage matters for open bearings: 61908-FAG leaves the factory with rust preventive only, so clean it and apply the service grease at assembly even if the rings look oily from the wrapper.
• Deep-groove ball bearings tolerate only minutes of misalignment; if the 62 mm housing cannot be aligned, switch to a self-aligning type rather than shimming 61908-FAG.
• Do not quieten a noisy bearing by preloading it: the 61900-series is a deep-groove design, not angular-contact; axial preload raises temperature and shortens grease life.
• The open 61908 has no integral sealing; in the Schaeffler HR 1 catalogue the protected variants carry suffixes 2Z (two steel shields), 2RZ (two non-contact rubber seals) and 2RSR (two lip-contact rubber seals). Do not confuse FAG's 2RZ with a contact seal — the RZ lip does not touch the inner ring, which is why its speed capability stays close to the open bearing.
• FAG rates 61908 at 15800 r/min mechanical limiting speed (thermal reference speed 10000 r/min) — electric-motor territory; prefer the open or 2Z execution (sealed 2RSR variants lose roughly a third of the thermal speed) and confirm grease life at the reference speed for continuous running.
• The 40 mm bore puts 61908 in Schaeffler's general-purpose industrial range; the standard cage and CN clearance cover most electric-motor and pump duty, and FAG's X-life generation of these sizes carries higher ratings than legacy HR 1 printings — check the current eKatalog listing before reordering.
• FAG rates 61908 at 14.5 kN dynamic (C) and 9.9 kN static (C0); this light-to-medium rating suits fractional-horsepower drives and instruments — verify the equivalent dynamic load stays well below C for conveying or gearbox duty with shock.
• At 115 g, 61908 is light enough for hand assembly but should be pressed on with a fitting sleeve against the inner ring; do not strike the outer ring or cage with a hammer.
• The 40×62×12 mm envelope of 61908 gives a D/d ratio of 1.55 and 11.0 mm radial section height — a thin FAG section that saves space but is sensitive to misalignment and shock; keep the housing round within IT7 and the shaft deflection below the raceway contact envelope.
• The 14.5/9.9 kN load ratings, mass 115 g here are Schaeffler HR 1 Rolling Bearings (Jan 2020) catalogue figures for 61908-FAG on the 40×62×12 mm ISO 15 envelope; internal geometry and ratings legitimately differ between brands, so re-verify before substituting another manufacturer's 61908 in a rated drive. Where FAG has since released an X-life version of this size, its expanded C/C0 ratings supersede the HR 1 print values quoted here.
• Schaeffler has moved many HR 1 sizes to the X-life generation with higher C/C0 ratings; the designation is unchanged, so a current eKatalog listing for 61908 may quote higher values than the HR 1 print figures on this page — the envelope is identical either way.
• FAG standard tolerance for this size is P0 (PN); P6/P5 precision executions exist for spindle-adjacent duty but carry different order numbers in the Schaeffler system — they are not a selectable sorting of standard stock.