6208-2RS-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 6208-2RS-FAG model number is decoded

6208-2RS is closed by two contacting elastomer lips over a lifetime grease fill; the lips add friction, so the speed ceiling sits below the open execution. Within the light 62xx section (diameter series 2 of ISO 15), multiplying bore code 08 by five gives the 40 mm bore; the 80 mm outside diameter and 18 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. Schaeffler HR 1 catalogues the lip-contact sealed version as 6208-C-2HRS (FAG suffix 2RSR), mapped here from the industry-neutral -2RS spelling; it is greased for life and the contacting lip lowers the speed ceiling versus the open bearing.

Typical equipment & failure modes

Selection pitfalls — read before you substitute

• A 40 mm shaft for 6208 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 62xx light series is the default general-purpose section at 40 mm bore; before upgrading to a 6308 for extra capacity, confirm the housing accepts a 80 mm OD and 18 mm width — it is not a drop-in swap.
• Contact seals add drag and heat: 6208-2RS-FAG runs slower and cooler-limited than the open 6208; rubber lips are generally limited to roughly 80–110 °C continuous depending on grease, and C3 clearance is the common hot-duty choice.
• Never wash a sealed 6208-2RS-FAG in solvent or press it home via the outer ring; solvent destroys the grease thickener and mounting force through the seal deforms the lip.
• Suffixes stack in a defined order — clearance follows the seal code, e.g. 6208-2RS-FAG-C3. No clearance suffix means normal CN clearance.
• Vibration during standstill brinells the raceways of a 40 mm bearing at ball spacing; if the machine sits idle next to running equipment, turn the shaft over periodically or isolate the arrangement.
• Schaeffler HR 1 lists the lip-contact sealed version as 6208-C-2HRS (FAG suffix 2RSR), mapped here from the industry-neutral -2RS spelling; it is greased for life and the contacting lip lowers the speed ceiling versus the open bearing. FAG's RSR lip material is NBR as standard — above roughly 100 °C continuous, consult Schaeffler for higher-temperature seal options.
• At 7800 r/min mechanical limiting speed, 6208 covers medium-duty industrial drives; the 2RSR lip-contact seal is the practical speed limiter — for continuous operation near the ceiling use the open or 2RZ variant with external housing sealing.
• The 40 mm bore puts 6208 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.
• At 31.5 kN dynamic load rating (C) and 17.8 kN static (C0), 6208 is a medium-load FAG bearing for most electric-motor and pump duty; check the static safety factor against C0 for preloaded or thrust-loaded arrangements.
• At 365 g, 6208 requires a soft-jaw vise or arbor press for mounting — never hammer it onto the shaft, and support the opposite ring to avoid brinelling the raceways.
• The 40×80×18 mm envelope of 6208 gives a D/d ratio of 2.00 and 20.0 mm radial section height — a heavy FAG section for high-load, lower-speed duty; specifying it in a high-rpm motor generates excess heat and shortens grease life, so prefer a 62/63-series there.
• The 31.5/17.8 kN load ratings, mass 365 g here are Schaeffler HR 1 Rolling Bearings (Jan 2020) catalogue figures for 6208-C-2HRS on the 40×80×18 mm ISO 15 envelope; internal geometry and ratings legitimately differ between brands, so re-verify before substituting another manufacturer's 6208 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.
• Mixing old and new FAG generations of the same designation in one arrangement is dimensionally acceptable, but where ratings matter — preloaded or matched sets — order both positions from the same generation and lot.
• 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.