51152-M 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 51152-M model number is decoded

Listed in SKF 17000 chapter 5, 51152 M is an ISO 104 single-direction thrust ball bearing, 260 mm bore and 320 mm OD on a flat housing seat, standing 45 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 52: bore 260 mm (code 52 × 5) for this single-direction size, via the standard exceptions 00/01/02/03 and ×5 above them. M-cage execution: brass machined from solid and ball-centred, giving heavier guidance than the standard pressed retainer at the top end of the thrust-ball range. Envelope 260×320×45 mm (10.236×12.598×1.772 in), 30.0 mm radial section, C 238 kN, C0 1100 kN, Pu 24 kN. reference speed 1,100 r/min (thermal) and limiting speed 1,500 r/min (mechanical), catalogue mass 8100 g. At the printed limiting speed of 1,500 r/min the mean pitch diameter dm ≈ 290.0 mm implies a dn value around 435k mm·r/min; the 1,100 r/min reference speed is the thermal-planning value under catalogue load. Rating split for documentation: dynamic 238 kN (L10 life), static 1100 kN (safety factor s0), fatigue limit 24 kN (adjusted life) — three different uses of three different numbers for 51152 M, none interchangeable with another. Sizing arithmetic on the 260 mm bore: 238 kN C over the 30.0 mm radial section gives 7.9 kN per section millimetre, and the 45 mm stack height is 1.50× that section — proportions typical of a 51100 thrust section. Load balance: C0 1100 kN against C 238 kN gives a 4.62 ratio — thrust ball bearings are chosen on static rating and F_a/C0 far more often than on L10 life, while Pu 24 kN enters the adjusted-life check. Selection figures for 51152 M: the C0/C ratio is 4.62, Pu 24 kN is about 10 % of C, and the catalogue mass works out to roughly 31 g per millimetre of bore; the printed minimum-load factor is A 6.3. Machined-cage order-number note: the M brass cage is a one-piece ball-centred window cage, chosen at the heavy end of the section for speed and shock duty; it is heavier and stiffer than the pressed-steel execution of the smaller sizes and tolerates interrupted lubrication far better, which is why the catalogue restricts the M suffix to the large bores. At 8100 g the machined brass cage represents a meaningful fraction of total mass; balancing checks on high-speed 260 mm vertical shafts should use the actual M-execution weight, not the lighter pressed-cage catalogue value.

Typical equipment & failure modes

Selection pitfalls — read before you substitute

• The 51152 M is a pure axial bearing: it must never be subjected to radial load — any radial force on the 260 mm shaft has to be carried by a radial bearing mounted alongside it.
• Keep the applied thrust above Fam ≈ A·(n·dm/1000)² with the printed factor A 6.3; for 51152 M 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.
• Identify the washers before fitting: the shaft washer has the ground, smaller bore and takes an interference fit on the 260 mm shaft, while the housing washer bore is larger and runs loose; swapping them locks the ball set and burns the tracks.
• Heat the shaft washer to at most 120 °C for mounting, or press it via a sleeve on its ground bore — force applied through the housing washer or the ball set brinells the 238 kN track before first rotation.
• Catalogue ratings are SKF PUB BU/P1 17000 figures for 51152 M as the single flat brass execution; other order numbers of the 51152 size are different products and may carry different ratings or seating geometry — always quote the full designation when purchasing.