6208-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-FAG model number is decoded

6208 is supplied open, without shields or seals, so the arrangement around it must supply and retain the lubricant. 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. 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 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.
• Storage matters for open bearings: 6208-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.
• Open bearings tolerate the highest speeds in the 6200-series but need a defined regreasing interval; run-to-failure lubrication is the dominant cause of early failure in open 6208 units.
• Axial location must clamp the ring face, not the seal area: a shoulder or circlip bearing on the seal side of the 18 mm-wide ring of 6208-FAG drags the lip and overheats it.
• A 40 mm bore listing showing the right d/D/B but no standard or precision-class reference may be a loose-tolerance import; measure bore/OD spread before fitting it to a machined shaft.
• The open 6208 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 6208 at 13600 r/min mechanical limiting speed (thermal reference speed 10500 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 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 347 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 347 g here are Schaeffler HR 1 Rolling Bearings (Jan 2020) catalogue figures for 6208-C 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.
• 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 6208 may quote higher values than the HR 1 print figures on this page — the envelope is identical either way.
• 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.