Single-row angular contact ball bearings are self-retaining units with solid outer and inner rings and ball retainers made of polyamide, sheet metal, or brass cages. The raceways of the inner and outer rings are offset relative to the bearing axis. These bearings are available in open and sealed designs. Their angular adjustability is very limited. Many sizes of angular contact ball bearings come in X-life design. Bearings with X-life quality feature improved raceway geometry and optimized surfaces, significantly increasing the bearing’s fatigue limit load rating.
Double-row angular contact ball bearings consist of solid outer and inner rings and ball retainers made of polyamide, brass, or steel sheet cages. Their design corresponds to pairs of single-row angular contact bearings arranged in an O configuration but are somewhat narrower than these. They differ in the size of their contact angle and in the design of the bearing rings. The bearings are available open and sealed. Due to manufacturing processes, open bearings may have grooves in the outer ring for seals or covers. Sealed bearings are maintenance-free, thus offering particularly economical solutions. The angular adjustability of angular contact ball bearings is very limited.