23956 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 23956 model number is decoded

In SKF catalogue PUB BU/P1 17000, 23956 appears as 23956 CC/W33: an open, double-row spherical roller bearing, self-aligning by virtue of the sphered outer raceway, sized 280×380×75 mm to the ISO 15 boundary plan. Digit by digit, 23956 reads as bearing type 2 (spherical roller, two barrel-roller rows), dimension series 39, and bore reference 56 resolving to 280 mm; 380 mm OD and 75 mm width are the matching ISO 15 boundary values. The suffix chain reads CC (two pressed-steel cages with a floating guide ring between the roller rows) plus W33 (annular groove and three lubrication holes in the outer ring for relubrication); CCK/W33 is the 1:12 tapered-bore counterpart. At 1,600 r/min reference speed the 50.0 mm-section 23956 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 1,700 r/min as the mechanical ceiling. The cylindrical-bore execution here seats directly on the shaft journal; if the application calls for an adapter sleeve, order the tapered-bore 23956 CCK/W33 variant instead and measure the drive-up or clearance reduction, not the nut torque.

Typical equipment & failure modes

Selection pitfalls — read before you substitute

• At 280 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 23900-series series at 280 mm bore (380×75 mm) is the slim-OD envelope: it buys radial space but gives up capacity against a 222-series bearing of the same bore — confirm the L10 margin before downsizing into it.
• The 23956 shares its ISO 15 envelope across brands, but internal geometry differs — SKF load ratings in this row are 1016/1760 kN; another maker's same-size bearing may rate higher or lower, so do not interchange on envelope alone.
• The self-aligning feature is not a license to ignore alignment: beyond ≈ 0.5–2.5° (series-dependent) the edge loading eats the fatigue margin, and seal drag grows as the rings tilt.
• The 1016/1760 kN ratings are SKF catalogue values for this exact execution (23956 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 23956 (cylindrical bore as listed, tapered-bore 23956 CCK/W33 variant, plus sealed and vibrating-screen options in the same envelope); they are not interchangeable order numbers — quote the full 23956 CC/W33 designation when purchasing.