Overview
ISO 24652:2023 - Spherical plain bearings - Spherical plain bearings rod ends for hydraulic fluid power cylinders defines the design, dimensions, tolerances and technical requirements for spherical plain bearing rod ends used on hydraulic fluid power cylinders. The standard covers both welded and threaded rod-end variants and applies to finished rod ends before any coating, plating, ring splitting or fracturing. It is intended to ensure interchangeability, safe function under oscillatory and tilting motion, and compatibility with common sliding-material combinations (e.g., steel/steel, steel/bronze, steel/PTFE).
Key topics and technical requirements
ISO 24652:2023 organizes requirements across design, dimensional data and performance criteria. Major technical topics include:
- Design variants: welded-type and threaded-type rod ends, with multiple housing shapes and thread/locking options.
- Dimensions and symbols: nominal dimensions, centre heights, bore and sphere diameters, chamfers and flange features - with identification codes aligned to cylinder accessory dimensions.
- Tolerances: tolerance classes for bores, inner rings and thread fits; specified deviations for centre height and inner-ring widths; tolerance values apply to finished parts before surface treatments.
- Materials and heat treatment: material/heat-treatment expectations for inner rings, outer rings and housings to support required load and wear properties.
- Radial internal clearances and surface roughness: clearances and surface finish criteria tailored to bearing material combinations and lubrication regimes.
- Surface treatments and sealing: requirements and options for coatings, plating and seals (note: tolerance values referenced to pre-treatment condition).
- Rotation and oscillation flexibility: permitted angle of tilt and functional motion characteristics.
- Load ratings and life: guidance on load capacity and expected service life parameters for hydraulic cylinder applications.
- Informative annexes: symbol/identification codes, retaining-ring fixation, mounting examples and surface feature illustrations.
Practical applications and typical users
ISO 24652:2023 is used by:
- Hydraulic cylinder OEMs and designers specifying rod ends for mobile and industrial hydraulic cylinders.
- Bearing manufacturers producing spherical plain bearing rod ends to standardized dimensions.
- Quality engineers and inspectors for dimensional and tolerance verification.
- Procurement and specification writers creating parts lists and procurement documents.
- Maintenance and service teams selecting replacement rod ends for agricultural, construction, mining, material handling and industrial equipment.
Note: while focused on hydraulic fluid power cylinders, these rod ends can also be applied in other mechanical linkages requiring oscillatory rotational and tilting movement.
Related standards
Key normative references and related standards cited in ISO 24652:2023 include:
Using ISO 24652:2023 helps ensure compatibility, safety and predictable performance of spherical plain bearing rod ends in hydraulic fluid power systems.