23238 bearing: complete specifications & equivalents

Specification table

Source: catalog reference (SKF PUB BU/P1 17000/1 EN (Oct 2018), ch. 9.1 spherical roller bearings) · extracted 2026-09-26

Parameters extracted from the official SKF Rolling Bearings catalogue (SKF PUB BU/P1 17000/1 EN (Oct 2018), ch. 9.1 spherical roller bearings); 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 23238 model number is decoded

23238 CC/W33 belongs to the SKF spherical roller range — the 190 mm bore entry in the 23200-series series (dimension series 32 (medium OD, extra wide)), dimensioned 340 mm OD and 120 mm wide. Reading the designation: the leading 2 marks a spherical roller bearing, the 32 is the ISO 15 dimension series (dimension series 32 (medium OD, extra wide)), and the last two digits encode the 190 mm bore; the 340 mm OD and 120 mm width follow the ISO 15 general plan. In SKF suffix language, E marks the optimized high-capacity design and CC/W33 the pressed-steel-cage execution with relubrication groove; both are open bearings — the sealed variant carries the 2CS5 suffix and the vibrating-screen execution VA405. At 1,300 r/min reference speed the 75.0 mm-section 23238 is governed thermally by lubricant flow through the W33 groove and the two-row roller complement; grease or oil selection should be made against that value, with 1,800 r/min as the mechanical ceiling. Mount with the spherical bearing's self-alignment in mind: it compensates ≈ 0.5–2.5° of misalignment depending on series, but the shaft and housing seats still set the datum — a rotating inner ring on a 190 mm shaft typically takes a m6 seat with an H7 housing bore.

Typical equipment & failure modes

Selection pitfalls — read before you substitute

• At 190 mm bore the ring mass makes cocking during mounting a real risk; guide the bearing square, confirm seat contact around the full circumference, and re-check the self-aligning swing after the housing cap is torqued down.
• The 23200-series series at 190 mm bore (340×120 mm) adds still more width for shock-loaded and vibratory loads; it does not interchange with a 231 bearing of the same bore because the 120 mm width changes abutment spacing, even though the 340 mm OD matches.
• Never use the tapered-bore EK/K variant's drive-up figures on this cylindrical-bore 23238; clearance reduction targets differ, and over-driving a cylindrical bore onto an oversized journal cracks the inner ring.
• Catalogue reference speed and limiting speed are different limits: the 1,300 r/min reference is a thermal criterion under load, while the 1,800 r/min limiting value is the mechanical ceiling — observe both.
• The 1759/2400 kN ratings are SKF catalogue values for this exact execution (23238 CC/W33); SKF can revise internal geometry without changing the order number, so keep the catalogue version (SKF catalogue PUB BU/P1 17000) with the specification and re-verify for critical drives.
• SKF lists several executions of 23238 (cylindrical bore as listed, tapered-bore 23238 CCK/W33 variant, plus sealed and vibrating-screen options in the same envelope); they are not interchangeable order numbers — quote the full 23238 CC/W33 designation when purchasing.