6003-FAG 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 6003-FAG model number is decoded

6003 is supplied open, without shields or seals, so the arrangement around it must supply and retain the lubricant. Within the extra-light 60xx section (diameter series 0 of ISO 15), multiplying bore code 17 by five gives the 17 mm bore; the 35 mm outside diameter and 10 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

• Mount this 17 mm bore bearing by heating the inner ring (induction heater, max 120 °C) — never drive it home through the outer ring or balls, that brinells the raceways.
• Choosing the 60xx extra-light section saves radial space at 17 mm bore, but the trade-off is rating: if the drive sees shock or frequent start-stop cycles, re-check the L10 life against a 6217 before committing to the smaller envelope.
• Storage matters for open bearings: 6003-FAG 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 6000-series but need a defined regreasing interval; run-to-failure lubrication is the dominant cause of early failure in open 6003 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 10 mm-wide ring of 6003-FAG drags the lip and overheats it.
• The open 6003 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 6003 at the top of the HR 1 deep-groove speed range (thermal reference speed 20300 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 6003 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 6003 at 6.4 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 38 g, 6003 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 17×35×10 mm envelope of 6003 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 6.4/3.25 kN load ratings, mass 38 g here are Schaeffler HR 1 Rolling Bearings (Jan 2020) catalogue figures for 6003-FAG on the 17×35×10 mm ISO 15 envelope; internal geometry and ratings legitimately differ between brands, so re-verify before substituting another manufacturer's 6003 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.
• Schaeffler's medias/eKatalog is the live source for the current execution of 6003: cage material, seal lip design and ratings can be revised between catalogue generations without any designation change.