32038 bearing: complete specifications & equivalents

Specification table

Source: catalog reference (SKF PUB BU/P1 17000/1 EN (Oct 2018), ch. 8.1 metric single-row TRB) · extracted 2026-09-28

Parameters extracted from the official SKF Rolling Bearings catalogue (SKF PUB BU/P1 17000/1 EN (Oct 2018), ch. 8.1 metric single-row TRB); 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 32038 model number is decoded

In SKF catalogue PUB BU/P1 17000, 32038 appears as SKF 32038 X: an open, single-row tapered roller bearing in the low-friction section of the 32000 dimension series, supplied with a pressed-steel cage as standard.On the SKF nameplate, 32038 follows the ISO 355 convention: 3 for the tapered-roller type, 20 for the low-friction section, final digits 38 for the 190 mm bore. In SKF suffix language a bare 32038 is the standard execution; B marks a larger contact angle and Q or J2 mark clearance/cage variants, all quoted separately. The 112 kN Pu figure feeds the adjusted-life equation at contaminated or partial-film conditions, and the 1.49 C0/C balance shows this execution is tuned to thrust-heavy combined loads rather than pure radial running. Because the contact line is tapered, one 32038 reacts thrust in a single direction; bidirectional shafts need an O or X pair, and a rotating cone on a 190 mm shaft typically takes a m6 seat with an H7 housing bore. Journal and housing interface: the 190 mm bore takes a m6 shaft seat (upper deviation ~0.380 mm for this diameter range) and the 290 mm outside diameter pairs with an H7 housing bore tolerance band of 290.000/290.020 mm; the 64 mm width defines the shoulder depth, and the 15000 g cone-plus-cup assembly is the dead load on the shaft during thermal expansion calculations.

Typical equipment & failure modes

Selection pitfalls — read before you substitute

• At 190 mm bore the cone mass is high enough that cocking during mounting damages the cage and rib; guide the ring square, confirm seat contact around the full circumference, and re-check setting after the first thermal cycle of the paired set.
• The 320 series at 190 mm bore (290×64 mm) is the low-friction, higher-speed section; it carries less thrust than a 30238 of the same bore, so verify the axial load share before swapping.
• Setting is a design value, not an assembly feel: excessive preload in the 32038 pair raises operating temperature and can trigger thermal runaway, while too little lets the rollers skid and smear the raceway under light load.
• The tapered contact angle creates an induced axial load under pure radial force; include it in the 32038 rating calculation (and account for it in both bearings of a pair) or the unloaded bearing skids its rollers.
• The 15000 g mass and 64 mm width mean spacer and abutment faces must be square to the axis within the bearing's own P0 tolerance; a tilted spacer tilts the contact angle and concentrates load on one rib of 32038.
• The 806/1200 kN ratings are SKF catalogue 17000 values for the basic execution; SKF can revise internal geometry without changing the order number, so keep the catalogue version (PUB BU/P1 17000/1 EN, 2018) with the specification and re-verify for critical drives.
• SKF lists several executions of 32038 (basic, B steeper angle, Q/J2 clearance variants); they are not interchangeable order numbers — quote the full SKF 32038 X designation when purchasing and match the execution to the mounting arrangement.