16004-NTN bearing: complete specifications & equivalents

Specification table

Source: catalog reference (NTN Ball and Roller Bearings CAT.No.2203-3/E (2024)) · extracted 2026-09-25

Parameters extracted from the official NTN Ball and Roller Bearings catalogue (NTN Ball and Roller Bearings CAT.No.2203-3/E (2024)); NTN® is a trademark of NTN Corporation, used here for identification only — mpnbase is not an authorized NTN distributor. Boundary dimensions are ISO 15 interchangeable; current production values may differ, verify at ntnglobal.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 16004-NTN model number is decoded

16004 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 04 by five gives the 20 mm bore; the 42 mm outside diameter and 8 mm width follow the same boundary-dimension plan. For a rotating inner ring on a 20 mm shaft under normal load, catalogue practice seats it on a k5 shaft fit with an H7 housing bore — confirm against the actual load direction and magnitude before committing. In the NTN catalogue this open execution carries the bare designation; protected variants are ordered separately with suffixes ZZ (shields), LLB/LLF (non-contact seals), LLH (low-torque contact seal) and LLU (contact seal).

Typical equipment & failure modes

Selection pitfalls — read before you substitute

• A 20 mm shaft for 16004 should be finished to Ra ≤ 1.6 µm with square seating faces; at this bore a scored or oval journal shows up directly as running noise and early raceway damage.
• Because the 160xx narrow section shares the 42 mm OD of the 6004 at 20 mm bore but is only 8 mm wide, a housing machined for the wider bearing needs a spacer or relocated circlip — never assume width interchangeability.
• Storage matters for open bearings: 16004-NTN leaves the factory with rust preventive only, so clean it and apply the service grease at assembly even if the rings look oily from the wrapper.
• 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 16004 units.
• Grease compatibility is not guaranteed between fills: mixing lithium and polyurea thickeners in a 16000-series position can soften the mixture and leak — clean out the old fill before switching grease types.
• The housing bore for the 42 mm OD should be round within IT7; an oval bore pinches the outer ring of 16004-NTN and shows up later as two-point loaded raceway wear.
• The open 16004 has no integral sealing; in the NTN 2203 catalogue the protected variants carry suffixes ZZ (non-contact steel shields), LLB/LLF (non-contact rubber seals), LLU (contact rubber seals) and LLH (a low-torque contact seal with higher speed capability than LLU). A JR or JRX suffix (printed for some thin-section sizes) denotes a pressed-steel cage, not a seal.
• The 20 mm bore puts 16004 in NTN's light industrial range; the standard pressed-steel cage and CN clearance cover most fractional-horsepower motor and small-pump duty, but for continuous high-speed use specify the LLH low-torque seal (not LLU) and confirm the housing allows the listed limiting speed.
• NTN rates 16004 at 18000 r/min grease limiting speed — this is a high-speed electric-motor range; keep the grease fill at 20–30% of the free bearing volume and avoid mixing grease thickener types if regreasing through the housing.
• NTN rates 16004 at 8.75 kN dynamic (C) and 4.5 kN static (C0), 0.35 kN fatigue load limit Cu; this light-to-medium rating suits fractional-horsepower drives and instruments — for conveying or gearbox duty with shock loads, verify the equivalent dynamic load stays well below C.
• At 51 g, 16004 is light enough for hand assembly but should be pressed on with a fitting sleeve against the inner ring; do not strike the outer ring or cage with a hammer.
• The 20×42×8 mm envelope of 16004 gives a D/d ratio of 2.10 and 11.0 mm radial section height — a heavy section built 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 8.75/4.5 kN load ratings, 0.35 kN fatigue load limit Cu NTN lists the grease limiting speed at 18000 r/min for this designation; oil-mist or jet lubrication raises the ceiling but requires a sealed-housing review. and 51 g mass here are NTN Ball and Roller Bearings CAT.No.2203-3/E figures for 16004 on the 20×42×8 mm ISO 15 envelope; internal geometry and ratings legitimately differ between brands, so re-verify before substituting another manufacturer's 16004 in a rated drive.
• Two NTN bearings of the same designation from different production lots can carry minor internal-geometry revisions; for paired or preloaded arrangements on one shaft, order a single lot through the NTN distributor.
• Standard catalogue stock of 16004 is the general-purpose execution; for low-noise motor duty NTN offers low-torque seal and special-grease variants in this size class, which are separate order numbers.