7 mm nominal
7 mm circlips — which one do you need?
"7 mm circlip" describes 2 different parts. They are not interchangeable — one expands over a shaft, the other compresses into a bore. Measure the feature the ring sits in, not the old ring.
Available in 7 mm
Telling them apart
Look at where the groove is, not at the ring you removed. A groove machined around the outside of a shaft takes an external ring, which has to be expanded to pass over the shaft. A groove machined inside a housing or bore takes an internal ring, which has to be compressed to pass in.
The nominal size is the shaft or bore it fits, so measuring an old ring across its widest point gives a number that appears nowhere in the catalogue. Measure the shaft or the bore beside the groove instead, take three readings at different angles, and use the mean — shafts wear oval.
Common questions
Is a 7 mm circlip internal or external?
Both exist. The 7 mm external circlip is DIN 471 and fits a 7 mm shaft. The 7 mm E-clip is DIN 6799 and fits a 7 mm shaft groove. Measure the feature the ring sits in: a groove around the outside of a shaft needs the external ring, a groove inside a housing or bore needs the internal one.
What size shaft does a 7 mm circlip fit?
A 7 mm external circlip to DIN 471 fits a 7 mm shaft — the nominal size is the shaft diameter, not any dimension of the ring. An internal circlip of the same nominal size fits a 7 mm bore instead, so the number alone does not identify the part.
Can I use an external circlip in a 7 mm bore?
No. External rings are sprung to be expanded over a shaft and internal rings to be compressed into a bore. They work in opposite directions and are not interchangeable, whatever the nominal size says.
Nearby sizes
Not this size?
Imperial sizes, obsolete references and anything outside the listed range go through the trade desk. Send the shaft, bore or groove dimension and the quantity you need.