51102-SKF bearing: complete specifications & equivalents

Specification table

Source: catalog reference (SKF PUB BU/P1 17000/1 EN (Oct 2018)) · extracted 2026-09-28

Parameters extracted from the official SKF Rolling Bearings catalogue (SKF PUB BU/P1 17000/1 EN (Oct 2018)); 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 51102-SKF model number is decoded

Listed in SKF 17000 chapter 5, 51102 is an ISO 104 single-direction thrust ball bearing, 15 mm bore and 28 mm OD on a flat housing seat, standing 9 mm high before installation. The bearing is delivered as separate, interchangeable parts: a ground-bore shaft washer, a loose-bore housing washer and the ball-cage assembly between them, designed for one axial load direction only. 51xxx breaks down as 5 for thrust ball, 1 for one load direction on a flat seat, a section digit 1–4 light-to-heavy, then the two-digit bore code. reading the ending 02: bore 15 mm for this single-direction size, via the standard exceptions 00/01/02/03 and ×5 above them. no cage suffix means the standard stamped steel retainer — a pressed sheet-metal ball-cage assembly that covers the bulk of the thrust-ball assortment. Envelope 15×28×9 mm (0.591×1.102×0.354 in), 6.5 mm radial section, C 10.6 kN, C0 18.3 kN, Pu 0.67 kN. reference speed 8,500 r/min (thermal) and limiting speed 12,000 r/min (mechanical), catalogue mass 23 g. Selection figures for 51102: the C0/C ratio is 1.73, Pu 0.67 kN is about 6 % of C, and the catalogue mass works out to roughly 2 g per millimetre of bore; the printed minimum-load factor is A 0.0017. Envelope economics: the 9 mm axial height over a 6.5 mm radial section yields 1.2 kN of dynamic capacity per height millimetre, and the bearing weighs 23 g for 10.6 kN C — about 2 g per rated kN. Washer-annulus check: the π/4·(D²−d²) contact annulus of 51102 covers about 439 mm², distributing C0 18.3 kN over a mean track circle of π·dm ≈ 68 mm. Load balance: C0 18.3 kN against C 10.6 kN gives a 1.73 ratio — thrust ball bearings are chosen on static rating and F_a/C0 far more often than on L10 life, while Pu 0.67 kN enters the adjusted-life check. Section proportions: the 6.5 mm radial section compares with 15 mm of bore (section/bore ≈ 0.43) and the 9 mm height is 1.38× that section — the proportions that identify the 51100 envelope at a glance. Execution note for this order number: the flat housing seating surface must be machined square to the shaft axis and supported across the full washer face — unlike the sphered 53-series execution this pressed-cage 51-series bearing has no self-aligning capability at all, so seat squareness is checked at mounting, not compensated in service. On this 15 mm size the pressed cage and separable washers make the bearing interchangeable across brands on the ISO 104 plan, but the SKF ratings 10.6/18.3 kN are this catalogue's figures — confirm the replacement order's ratings rather than swapping on envelope alone.

Typical equipment & failure modes

Selection pitfalls — read before you substitute

• The three components are separable and interchangeable within the ISO 104 size, but keep this bearing's parts together in service and never combine washers from different manufacturers or a worn washer with a new ball set.
• Identify the washers before fitting: the shaft washer has the ground, smaller bore and takes an interference fit on the 15 mm shaft, while the housing washer bore is larger and runs loose; swapping them locks the ball set and burns the tracks.
• A 51-series bearing reacts thrust in one direction only — reversing positions need a mirrored single-direction pair or a 52-series double-direction unit; fitting a single 51102 against two-way load lifts the loose washer off its raceway.
• Keep the applied thrust above Fam ≈ A·(n·dm/1000)² with the printed factor A 0.0017; for 51102 a spring preload or the rotor weight is part of the selection at light load and high speed, because unloaded balls skid rather than roll.
• The 10.6/18.3 kN figures belong to 51102 specifically (the single flat pressed steel execution of 51102); suffixed, sphered and counterpart-series order numbers are separate articles, so write the complete designation on the order and the maintenance record.