53206 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 53206 model number is decoded

53206 is SKF's 30 mm-bore single-direction thrust ball bearing in the 53200 series to the ISO 104 dimension plan, with a sphered housing washer paired to a U seat washer, measuring 30×52×17.8 mm U 206 seat washer companion included in the mounted H1 dimension. The separable set comprises a shaft washer (ground bore, tight fit on the shaft), a loose-bore housing washer and one ball-cage assembly, reacting axial force in one direction and carrying no radial load. in the 53xxx designation the 3 marks a single-direction bearing whose housing washer has a sphered (convex) seating surface, intended to run against the matching U seat washer; the third digit 2–4 grades the section. the final two digits 06 encode the bore as 30 mm (code 06 × 5), the standard SKF bore-code rule shared with radial bearings. with no cage suffix this is the standard execution with a stamped sheet-steel ball-cage assembly (pressed cage) — the light, quiet and economical cage for small and medium thrust-ball sizes. Envelope 30×52×17.8 mm (1.181×2.047×0.701 in), 11.0 mm radial section, C 25.1 kN, C0 51 kN, Pu 1.86 kN. Mounted height H1 20 mm includes the U 206 seat washer; the bearing alone is 17.8 mm high. reference speed 4,500 r/min (thermal) and limiting speed 6,300 r/min (mechanical), catalogue mass 180 g. Load balance: C0 51 kN against C 25.1 kN gives a 2.03 ratio — thrust ball bearings are chosen on static rating and F_a/C0 far more often than on L10 life, while Pu 1.86 kN enters the adjusted-life check. Washer-annulus check: the π/4·(D²−d²) contact annulus of 53206 covers about 1,417 mm², distributing C0 51 kN over a mean track circle of π·dm ≈ 129 mm. Light-load floor: Pu = 1.86 kN is the equivalent-load threshold below which the SKF adjusted-life equation credits very long life for 53206; the number is 7 % of the 25.1 kN dynamic rating. Sizing arithmetic on the 30 mm bore: 25.1 kN C over the 11.0 mm radial section gives 2.3 kN per section millimetre, and the 17.8 mm stack height is 1.62× that section — proportions typical of a 53200 thrust section. Track-circle loading: per millimetre of mean track circumference the 25.1 kN dynamic rating corresponds to roughly 0.19 kN/mm of π·dm track, a useful comparison against the other dimension series of the 30 mm bore. Sphered-seating order-number note: the convex back face of the housing washer is finish-ground spherical and is delivered to mate with the separately ordered U seat washer, which presents a flat face to the housing and a concave face to the washer; together they accommodate initial static misalignment, but the pair must be kept clean, greased at the spherical interface and never replaced by a washer-on-flat-steel makeshift. The aligning angle is set by how far the sphered back of the 52 mm washer can tilt inside the U 206 seat; check the actual tilt allowance in the mounting drawing, since the 2.2 mm washer thickness step does not by itself quantify it.

Typical equipment & failure modes

Selection pitfalls — read before you substitute

• Keep the sphered interface clean and lightly greased: scale, paint or grit between the washer back and U 206 locks the aligning function and frets under load; re-grease the contact at every overhaul.
• The spherical seat accommodates INITIAL static misalignment between shaft and housing; it is not a swivel for continuous oscillation, and the bearing still carries pure axial load with no radial capacity.
• Dimension the housing to the 20 mm mounted height H1 (bearing plus U 206), not the 17.8 mm bearing height H — confusing the two is a recurring drawing error for the 53-series.
• Minimum axial load still applies with factor A 0.013: a self-aligning seat does not prevent ball skidding, so provide spring preload or sufficient rotor weight at light load and speed.
• Catalogue ratings are SKF PUB BU/P1 17000 figures for 53206 as the single sphered pressed steel execution; other order numbers of the 53206 size are different products and may carry different ratings or seating geometry — always quote the full designation including the U 206 seat washer when purchasing.