Single row angular contact ball bearings can accommodate axial loads acting in one direction only. Under radial loads a force acting in the axial direction is produced in the bearing, and this force must be counteracted. Consequently the bearing is normally adjusted against a second bearing.
Normally single row angular contact ball bearings have one high and one low shoulder. Some bearings, particularly those of Diameter Series 8 and 9, have an inner ring with two high shoulders as in a deep groove ball bearing. The low shoulder on one or both rings enables a large number of balls to be incorporated in the bearing, thus giving the bearings a relatively high load carrying capacity. They are of non-separable design.
The contact angle α is 40°, designation suffix B, for the most common sizes. For larger bearings contact angles of 25° and 30° are the most common, designation suffixes AC and A respectively.
