Angular contact ball bearings have raceways in the inner and outer rings that are displaced with respect to each other in the direction of the bearing axis. This means that they are designed to accommodate combined loads, i.e. simultaneously acting radial and axial loads.

The axial load carrying capacity of angular contact ball bearings increases with increasing contact angle. The contact angle ¦Á is defined as the angle between the line joining the points of contact of the ball and the raceways in the radial plane, along which the load is transmitted from one raceway to another, and a line perpendicular to the bearing axis

Angular contact ball bearings are particularly suitable for carrying combined (axial and radial) loads. Sometimes, they also can carry pure axial load and operate in higher speed. Under radial load, axial component force will be produced which must be counteracted. So the bearings are normally adjust against a second bearing.

Single row angular contact ball bearings can carry axial load acting in one direction only. In many applications, angular contact ball bearings in pairs or muti-arrangement should be used. The axial load carrying capacity of angular contact ball bearings increase with the increase of contact angle.