DIN 471 External Spring Retaining Ring

The DIN 471 spring retaining ring is designed to secure various parts on a shaft, axle or rod. It is made as an open ring with flattened ends fitted with holes. The requirements of the German standard DIN 471 are closest to the provisions of the Russian standard GOST 13492-86. However, products manufactured to these two documents should not be mistakenly considered full equivalents.

They may have some differences, so when selecting fasteners, carefully check the retaining ring’s data sheet against the assembly drawings and specifications. If you have difficulty selecting the right fastener, contact FLOK specialists — this helps avoid selection errors.

What materials are DIN 471 spring retaining rings made of

According to the recommendations of DIN 471 and GOST 13492-86, external retaining rings can be made from several types of steel: spring steel, electro-galvanized carbon steel, and stainless steel. Alongside these materials, manufacturers also widely use bronze.

Thanks to careful selection of raw materials and strict adherence to every stage of the manufacturing process, the final product — the retaining ring — acquires the specified technical characteristics: high strength, spring properties, and resistance to corrosion and aggressive environmental effects.

DIN 471 spring retaining rings differ not only in the material they are made of. They are also classified by circle size, cross-section, and deformation force.

How a retaining ring works

To secure a part and prevent its axial movement, the shaft or rod is fitted with a special groove, produced by turning or milling. The width of the groove should slightly exceed the thickness of the spring ring.

The ends of the retaining fastener are spread apart, the ring is fitted into the groove, and then released. As it tries to return to its original shape, the ring tightly grips the axle. The retaining ring sits almost entirely inside the groove, with only its rim protruding. This rim performs the function of holding the secured part in place — preventing it from moving along the axis.

The DIN 471 external retaining ring is a reusable fastener. Special tools — retaining ring pliers — are used for removal. There are many models of ring pliers, but they all share two common features: handles joined by a pivot and working tips that extend from the handles.

To remove the external ring, the tool’s working tips are brought to the fastener’s lugs and the handles are squeezed together. This spreads the tips apart, stretching the ring and increasing its internal perimeter. The ring leaves the groove and releases the secured part.

Criteria for choosing the right pliers for external retaining rings

When choosing pliers for external retaining rings, including those made to DIN 471, the following parameters should be taken into account:

1. Tip length. A key factor when working with fasteners in hard-to-reach areas. As this parameter increases, the clamping force may decrease.
2. Handle length affects ease of use and the maximum force available for spreading the ring’s tips apart.
3. The tip configuration can be straight or bent at a certain angle. Bent tips are convenient for working at depth. A reverse-bend variant is convenient for engaging with external retaining fasteners.
4. The tip thickness should be as close as possible to the diameter of the holes in the ring’s lugs: a tip that is too large will not fit into the hole, while one that is too thin may break or slip out.

Universal models with a set of tips of different diameters are convenient, as are tools with force limiters that allow this parameter to be adjusted and prevent deformation of the fastener.

Applications of the DIN 471 external spring retaining ring

The DIN 471 retaining ring is used across industries and manufacturing sectors where individual components need to be secured on moving axles: mechanical engineering, including automotive manufacturing, the assembly of agricultural and construction machinery, and equipment for the oil, gas and chemical industries.

FLOK supplies DIN 471 external retaining rings. You can place an order through the cart by filtering the product range by size, material and working force.

DIN 471 external retaining ring dimensions for shafts (normal type), mm

d₁	s	d₃	a	b	d₅	d₂	m	n	d₄
3	0.4	2.7	1.9	0.8	1	2.8	0.5	0.3	7
4	0.4	3.7	2.2	0.9	1	3.8	0.5	0.3	8.6
5	0.6	4.7	2.5	1.1	1	4.8	0.7	0.3	10.3
6	0.7	5.6	2.7	1.3	1.2	5.7	0.8	0.5	11.7
7	0.8	6.5	3.1	1.4	1.2	6.7	0.9	0.5	13.5
8	0.8	7.4	3.2	1.5	1.2	7.6	0.9	0.6	14.7
9	1	8.4	3.3	1.7	1.2	8.6	1.1	0.6	16
10	1	9.3	3.3	1.8	1.5	9.6	1.1	0.6	17
11	1	10.2	3.3	1.8	1.5	10.5	1.1	0.8	18
12	1	11	3.3	1.8	1.7	11.5	1.1	0.8	19
13	1	11.9	3.4	2	1.7	12.4	1.1	0.9	20.2
14	1	12.9	3.5	2.1	1.7	13.4	1.1	0.9	21.4
15	1	13.8	3.6	2.2	1.7	14.3	1.1	1.1	22.6
16	1	14.7	3.7	2.2	1.7	15.2	1.1	1.2	23.8
17	1	15.7	3.8	2.3	1.7	16.2	1.1	1.2	25
18	1.2	16.5	3.9	2.4	2	17	1.3	1.5	26.2
19	1.2	17.5	3.9	2.5	2	18	1.3	1.5	27.2
20	1.2	18.5	4	2.6	2	19	1.3	1.5	28.4
d₁	s	d₃	a	b	d₅	d₂	m	n	d₄
21	1.2	19.5	4.1	2.7	2	20	1.3	1.5	29.6
22	1.2	20.5	4.2	2.8	2	21	1.3	1.5	30.8
24	1.2	22.2	4.4	3	2	22.9	1.3	1.7	33.2
25	1.2	23.2	4.4	3	2	23.9	1.3	1.7	34.2
26	1.2	24.2	4.5	3.1	2	24.9	1.3	1.7	35.5
28	1.5	25.9	4.7	3.2	2	26.6	1.6	2.1	37.9
29	1.5	26.9	4.8	3.4	2	27.6	1.6	2.1	39.1
30	1.5	27.9	5	3.5	2	28.6	1.6	2.1	40.5
32	1.5	29.6	5.2	3.6	2.5	30.3	1.6	2.6	43
34	1.5	31.5	5.4	3.8	2.5	32.3	1.6	2.6	45.4
35	1.5	32.2	5.6	3.9	2.5	33	1.6	3	46.8
36	1.75	33.2	5.6	4	2.5	34	1.85	3	47.8
38	1.75	35.2	5.8	4.2	2.5	36	1.85	3	50.2
40	1.75	36.5	6	4.4	2.5	37.5	1.85	3.8	52.6
42	1.75	38.5	6.5	4.5	2.5	39.5	1.85	3.8	55.7
45	1.75	41.5	6.7	4.7	2.5	42.5	1.85	3.8	59.1
48	1.75	44.5	6.9	5	2.5	45.5	1.85	3.8	62.5
50	2	45.8	6.9	5.1	2.5	47	2.15	4.5	64.5
d₁	s	d₃	a	b	d₅	d₂	m	n	d₄
52	2	47.8	7	5.2	2.5	49	2.15	4.5	66.7
55	2	50.8	7.2	5.4	2.5	52	2.15	4.5	70.2
56	2	51.8	7.3	5.5	2.5	53	2.15	4.5	71.6
58	2	53.8	7.3	5.6	2.5	55	2.15	4.5	73.6
60	2	55.8	7.4	5.8	2.5	57	2.15	4.5	75.6
62	2	57.8	7.5	6	2.5	59	2.15	4.5	77.8
63	2	58.8	7.6	6.2	2.5	60	2.15	4.5	79
65	2.5	60.8	7.8	6.3	3	62	2.65	4.5	81.4
68	2.5	63.5	8	6.5	3	65	2.65	4.5	84.8
70	2.5	65.5	8.1	6.6	3	67	2.65	4.5	87
72	2.5	67.5	8.2	6.8	3	69	2.65	4.5	89.2
75	2.5	70.5	8.4	7	3	72	2.65	4.5	92.7
78	2.5	73.5	8.6	7.3	3	75	2.65	4.5	96.1
80	2.5	74.5	8.6	7.4	3	76.5	2.65	5.3	98.1
82	2.5	76.5	8.7	7.6	3	78.5	2.65	5.3	100.3
85	3	79.5	8.7	7.8	3.5	81.5	3.15	5.3	103.3
88	3	82.5	8.8	8	3.5	84.5	3.15	5.3	106.5
90	3	84.5	8.8	8.2	3.5	86.5	3.15	5.3	108.5
100	3	94.5	9.6	9	3.5	96.5	3.15	5.3	120.2
d₁	s	d₃	a	b	d₅	d₂	m	n	d₄
105	4	98	9.9	9.3	3.5	101	4.15	6	125.8
110	4	103	10.1	9.6	3.5	106	4.15	6	131.2
115	4	108	10.6	9.8	3.5	111	4.15	6	137.3
120	4	113	11	10.2	3.5	116	4.15	6	143.1
125	4	118	11.4	10.4	4	121	4.15	6	149
130	4	123	11.6	10.7	4	126	4.15	6	154.4
135	4	128	11.8	11	4	131	4.15	6	159.8
140	4	133	12	11.2	4	136	4.15	6	165.2
145	4	138	12.2	11.5	4	141	4.15	6	170.6
150	4	142	13	11.8	4	145	4.15	7.5	177.3
155	4	146	13	12	4	150	4.15	7.5	182.3
160	4	151	13.3	12.2	4	155	4.15	7.5	188
165	4	155.5	13.5	12.5	4	160	4.15	7.5	193.4
170	4	160.5	13.5	12.9	4	165	4.15	7.5	198.4
175	4	165.5	13.5	12.9	4	170	4.15	7.5	203.4
180	4	170.5	14.2	13.5	4	175	4.15	7.5	210
185	4	175.5	14.2	13.5	4	180	4.15	7.5	215
d₁	s	d₃	a	b	d₅	d₂	m	n	d₄
190	4	180.5	14.2	14	4	185	4.15	7.5	220
195	4	185.5	14.2	14	4	190	4.15	7.5	225
200	4	190.5	14.2	14	4	195	4.15	7.5	230
210	5	198	14.2	14	4	204	5.15	9	240
220	5	208	14.2	14	4	214	5.15	9	250
230	5	218	14.2	14	4	224	5.15	9	260
240	5	228	14.2	14	4	234	5.15	9	270
250	5	238	14.2	14	4	244	5.15	9	280
260	5	245	16.2	16	5	252	5.15	12	294
270	5	255	16.2	16	5	262	5.15	12	304
280	5	265	16.2	16	5	272	5.15	12	314
290	5	275	16.2	16	5	282	5.15	12	324
300	5	285	16.2	16	5	292	5.15	12	334
d₁	s	d₃	a	b	d₅	d₂	m	n	d₄

DIN 471 external retaining ring dimensions for shafts (heavy type), mm

d₁	s	d₃	a	b	d₅	d₂	m	n	d₄
15	1.5	13.8	4.8	2.4	2	14.3	1.6	1.1	25.1
16	1.5	14.7	5	2.5	2	15.2	1.6	1.2	26.5
20	1.75	18.5	5.5	3	2	19	1.85	1.5	31.6
25	2	23.2	6.4	3.4	2	23.9	2.15	1.7	38.5
30	2	27.9	6.5	4.1	2	28.6	2.15	2.1	43.7
35	2.5	32.2	6.7	4.2	2.5	33	2.65	3	49.1
40	2.5	36.5	7	4.4	2.5	37.5	2.65	3.8	54.7
45	2.5	41.5	7.5	4.7	2.5	42.5	2.65	3.8	60.8
50	3	45.8	8	5.1	2.5	47	3.15	4.5	66.8
55	3	50.8	8.5	5.4	2.5	52	3.15	4.5	72.9
60	3	55.8	9	5.8	2.5	57	3.15	4.5	78.9

Designations:

d₁ - shaft diameter

s - ring thickness

d₃ - ring inner diameter

a - lug width

b - max. ring width

d₅ - hole diameter

m - groove width

n - lug height

d₄ - circle diameter

DIN 471 retaining ring dimensions table

Shaft dimensions				Ring dimensions in free state
d1	d2	m	n	s	d3	amax	∼b	d5min
4	3.8	0.50	0.3	0.4	3.7	2.2	0.9	1
5	4.8	0.70	0.3	0.6	4.7	2.5	1.1	1
6	5.7	0.80	0.5	0.7	5.6	2.7	1.3	1.2
7	6.7	0.90	0.5	0.8	6.5	3.1	1.4	1.2
8	7.6	0.90	0.6	0.9	7.4	3.2	1.5	1.2
9	8.8	1.10	0.6	1	8.4	3.3	1.7	1.2
10	9.6	1.10	0.6	1	9.3	3.3	1.8	1.5
11	10.5	1.10	0.8	1	10.2	3.3	1.8	1.5
12	11.5	1.10	0.8	1	11.0	3.3	1.8	1.7
13	12.4	1.10	0.9	1	11.9	3.4	2.0	1.7
14	13.4	1.10	0.9	1	12.9	3.5	2.1	1.7
15	14.3	1.10	1.1	1	13.8	3.6	2.2	1.7
16	15.2	1.10	1.2	1	14.7	3.7	2.2	1.7
17	16.2	1.10	1.2	1	15.7	3.8	2.3	1.7
18	17.0	1.30	1.5	1.2	16.5	3.9	2.4	1.7
19	18.0	1.30	1.5	1.2	17.5	3.9	2.5	2
20	19.0	1.30	1.5	1.2	18.5	4.0	2.6	2
21	20.0	1.30	1.5	1.2	19.5	4.1	2.7	2
22	21.0	1.30	1.5	1.2	20.5	4.2	2.8	2
23	22.0	1.30	1.7	1.2	21.5	4.3	2.9	2