16003 bearing: complete specifications & equivalents

Specification table

Source: catalog reference (HR 1 Rolling Bearings (Jan 2020)) · extracted 2026-09-25

Parameters extracted from the official FAG Rolling Bearings catalogue (HR 1 Rolling Bearings (Jan 2020)); FAG® is a trademark of Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG, used here for identification only — mpnbase is not an authorized FAG/Schaeffler distributor. Boundary dimensions are ISO 15 interchangeable; current production values may differ, verify at schaeffler.com.

Cross references & equivalents

Interchange levels: full standard interchange · partial verify parameters · verify manual confirmation required. Links resolve to the equivalent model's specification page where available.

How the 16003 model number is decoded

16003 is supplied open, without shields or seals, so the arrangement around it must supply and retain the lubricant. Within the narrow 160xx section of the ISO 15 general plan, multiplying bore code 17 by five gives the 17 mm bore; the 35 mm outside diameter and 8 mm width follow the same boundary-dimension plan. For a rotating inner ring on a 17 mm shaft under normal load, catalogue practice seats it on a j5 shaft fit with an H7 housing bore — confirm against the actual load direction and magnitude before committing. In the Schaeffler HR 1 catalogue this open execution carries the bare designation; protected variants are ordered separately with suffixes 2Z (steel shields), 2RZ (non-contact rubber seals) and 2RSR (lip-contact rubber seals).

Typical equipment & failure modes

Selection pitfalls — read before you substitute

• At 17 mm bore the ring mass is significant: heat 16003 on an induction heater (max 120 °C), never over an open flame, and plan puller access or a withdrawal sleeve now for the day it has to come off again.
• The 160xx narrow section at 17 mm bore shares the 35 mm outside diameter of the 6017 but is only 8 mm wide; a 6017 in an 8 mm-wide seat is loose axially and the reverse swap will not fit — match width as well as bore and outside diameter.
• The open 16003 has no lubricant retention: grease escapes and contaminants migrate straight into the 17×35×8 mm raceway, so specify a sealed arrangement for dusty or washdown duty.
• Open bearings tolerate the highest speeds in the 16000-series but need a defined regreasing interval; run-to-failure lubrication is the dominant cause of early failure in open 16003 units.
• Vibration during standstill brinells the raceways of a 17 mm bearing at ball spacing; if the machine sits idle next to running equipment, turn the shaft over periodically or isolate the arrangement.
• Axial location must clamp the ring face, not the seal area: a shoulder or circlip bearing on the seal side of the 8 mm-wide ring of 16003 drags the lip and overheats it.
• The open 16003 has no integral sealing; in the Schaeffler HR 1 catalogue the protected variants carry suffixes 2Z (two steel shields), 2RZ (two non-contact rubber seals) and 2RSR (two lip-contact rubber seals). Do not confuse FAG's 2RZ with a contact seal — the RZ lip does not touch the inner ring, which is why its speed capability stays close to the open bearing.
• The 31000 r/min mechanical limiting speed puts 16003 at the top of the HR 1 deep-groove speed range (thermal reference speed 17700 r/min); at these speeds cage design and grease shear dominate — run open with oil-mist or air-over-oil lubrication and verify the thermal reference speed for the actual load before committing.
• At 17 mm bore the 16003 sits in Schaeffler's small-bore range; HR 1 ships these sizes with a pressed steel or plastic cage and P0 tolerance as standard — for instrument or spindle accuracy order the P6/P5 variant explicitly, since P0 runout figures will not hold.
• FAG rates 16003 at 6 kN dynamic (C) and 3.25 kN static (C0); this light-to-medium rating suits fractional-horsepower drives and instruments — verify the equivalent dynamic load stays well below C for conveying or gearbox duty with shock.
• At only 32 g, 16003 is a lightweight FAG bearing that can be handled by hand; still press it onto the shaft with a sleeve against the inner ring — never through the balls or outer ring.
• The 17×35×8 mm envelope of 16003 gives a D/d ratio of 2.06 and 9.0 mm radial section height — a heavy FAG section for high-load, lower-speed duty; specifying it in a high-rpm motor generates excess heat and shortens grease life, so prefer a 62/63-series there.
• The 6/3.25 kN load ratings, mass 32 g here are Schaeffler HR 1 Rolling Bearings (Jan 2020) catalogue figures for 16003 on the 17×35×8 mm ISO 15 envelope; internal geometry and ratings legitimately differ between brands, so re-verify before substituting another manufacturer's 16003 in a rated drive. Where FAG has since released an X-life version of this size, its expanded C/C0 ratings supersede the HR 1 print values quoted here.
• FAG standard tolerance for this size is P0 (PN); P6/P5 precision executions exist for spindle-adjacent duty but carry different order numbers in the Schaeffler system — they are not a selectable sorting of standard stock.
• For hot shafts above roughly 100 °C continuous, consult Schaeffler about seal material and grease options for the 2RSR execution of 16003; the standard NBR lip is the economical general-duty choice, not the high-temperature one.