32218-SKF 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 32218-SKF model number is decoded

32218 is a single-row tapered roller bearing in the ISO 32200 dimension series: a separable cone-and-cup design for combined radial and one-direction axial load, listed by SKF in SKF catalogue PUB BU/P1 17000.Numbering ties the bearing to its envelope: 32218 means tapered-roller type 3, heavy section series 22, 90 mm bore — which is why the 160×42.5 mm outline swaps dimensionally with other ISO 355 bearings of the same code. In SKF suffix language a bare 32218 is the standard execution; B marks a larger contact angle and Q or J2 mark clearance/cage variants, all quoted separately. Speed planning uses two different ceilings: 3,400 r/min thermal reference and 4,000 r/min mechanical limiting speed. Mounting practice for 32218: the rotating cone takes the interference fit (k5 on a 90 mm shaft), the cup slides for axial location, and reversing-thrust duty demands a paired O/X set rather than one bearing. Cross-section geometry: the 35.0 mm half-section ((160−90)/2) of this 32200-series unit places the roller large-end pitch diameter at roughly 125 mm, and the 42.5 mm axial width is split between cone (23 mm) and cup rib (19 mm) — a geometry that sets the contact angle and, with the 3350 g rotating cone mass, the critical speed at which cage-roller imbalance begins.

Typical equipment & failure modes

Selection pitfalls — read before you substitute

• Mount the 90 mm bore 32218 by induction heating of the cone (max 120 °C — the pressed-steel cage sets the ceiling, not the steel); driving it home through the cup or rollers brinells the tapered raceway.
• The 322 series at 90 mm bore (160×42.5 mm) is a wider, higher-capacity section than 30218; do not substitute without re-checking shaft shoulder diameters and pair setting.
• Do not mix brands or executions inside one 32218 pair — matched sets are ground for a specific setting, and pairing a SKF basic unit with a different suffix variant will not share the setting evenly.
• The tapered contact angle creates an induced axial load under pure radial force; include it in the 32218 rating calculation (and account for it in both bearings of a pair) or the unloaded bearing skids its rollers.
• Catalogue reference speed and limiting speed are different limits: the 3,400 r/min reference is a thermal criterion under load, while the 4,000 r/min limiting value is the mechanical ceiling — observe both.
• The 309/340 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 32218 (basic, B steeper angle, Q/J2 clearance variants); they are not interchangeable order numbers — quote the full SKF 32218 designation when purchasing and match the execution to the mounting arrangement.