6203-2RS-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 6203-2RS-FAG model number is decoded

6203-2RS is closed by two contacting elastomer lips over a lifetime grease fill; the lips add friction, so the speed ceiling sits below the open execution. Within the light 62xx section (diameter series 2 of ISO 15), multiplying bore code 17 by five gives the 17 mm bore; the 40 mm outside diameter and 12 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. Schaeffler HR 1 catalogues the lip-contact sealed version as 6203-C-2HRS (FAG suffix 2RSR), mapped here from the industry-neutral -2RS spelling; it is greased for life and the contacting lip lowers the speed ceiling versus the open bearing.

Typical equipment & failure modes

Selection pitfalls — read before you substitute

• Large bores like the 17 mm of 6203-2RS-FAG demand clean, burr-free seats; one raised burr under a ring this size cocks the bearing and concentrates load at the raceway edge, cutting life drastically.
• At 17 mm bore the 62xx light series is the workhorse section; its 40×12 mm envelope is what most motor and gearbox seats are machined for, so any alternative section must be checked against both this OD and this width, not the bore alone.
• Contact seals add drag and heat: 6203-2RS-FAG runs slower and cooler-limited than the open 6203; rubber lips are generally limited to roughly 80–110 °C continuous depending on grease, and C3 clearance is the common hot-duty choice.
• Never wash a sealed 6203-2RS-FAG in solvent or press it home via the outer ring; solvent destroys the grease thickener and mounting force through the seal deforms the lip.
• Never mix components between two 6203-2RS-FAG units: rings, cage and balls are factory-matched and are not field-interchangeable, even between identical designations.
• 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.
• Schaeffler HR 1 lists the lip-contact sealed version as 6203-C-2HRS (FAG suffix 2RSR), mapped here from the industry-neutral -2RS spelling; it is greased for life and the contacting lip lowers the speed ceiling versus the open bearing. FAG's RSR lip material is NBR as standard — above roughly 100 °C continuous, consult Schaeffler for higher-temperature seal options.
• FAG rates 6203 at 16900 r/min mechanical limiting speed — electric-motor territory; prefer the open or 2Z execution (sealed 2RSR variants lose roughly a third of the thermal speed) and confirm grease life at the reference speed for continuous running.
• At 17 mm bore the 6203 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 6203 at 11 kN dynamic (C) and 4.75 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 66 g, 6203 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 17×40×12 mm envelope of 6203 gives a D/d ratio of 2.35 and 11.5 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 11/4.75 kN load ratings, mass 66 g here are Schaeffler HR 1 Rolling Bearings (Jan 2020) catalogue figures for 6203-C-2HRS on the 17×40×12 mm ISO 15 envelope; internal geometry and ratings legitimately differ between brands, so re-verify before substituting another manufacturer's 6203 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 sealed units arrive greased for life with a lithium-soap fill; Schaeffler quotes a shelf life for greased bearings and recommends running stock first-in-first-out rather than re-greasing aged sealed units.
• Mixing old and new FAG generations of the same designation in one arrangement is dimensionally acceptable, but where ratings matter — preloaded or matched sets — order both positions from the same generation and lot.