6203-2RS bearing: complete specifications & equivalents

Specification table

Source: catalog reference (SKF PUB BU/P1 17000/1 EN (Oct 2018)) · extracted 2026-09-24

Parameters extracted from the official SKF Rolling Bearings catalogue (SKF PUB BU/P1 17000/1 EN (Oct 2018)); SKF® and SKF Explorer® are trademarks of AB SKF, used here for identification only — mpnbase is not an authorized SKF distributor. Boundary dimensions are ISO 15 interchangeable; current production values may differ, verify at skf.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 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), its bore code 03 comes from the 10/12/15/17 mm exception table, giving a 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. SKF's contact-seal catalogue number is 6203-2RSH (older text: -2RS1), mapped here from the industry-neutral -2RS spelling.

Typical equipment & failure modes

Selection pitfalls — read before you substitute

• Bore codes 00–03 use the exception table: 6203 fits a 17 mm shaft — the code × 5 mnemonic does not apply below code 04 (it would imply 0 mm for code 00).
• 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 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.
• Heat is the enemy of the sealed 6203-2RS: sustained running near the lip temperature limit hardens the rubber, after which grease escapes and dirt tracks in — watch the housing temperature in hot drives.
• Assign fits by which ring rotates: an interference shaft fit for a rotating inner ring; if the outer ring rotates instead, reverse the logic — a loose rotating ring creeps and frets its seat.
• 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.
• SKF catalogues the contact-sealed version as 6203-2RSH (older printings may read -2RS1); it is shipped pre-greased and its 12000 r/min limiting speed is set by seal-lip drag and grease life versus the open bearing's 38000 r/min thermal reference speed. The single-seal catalogue number is 6203-RSH, used where one shaft side needs external relubrication.
• A one-seal execution 6203-RSH exists for arrangements that lubricate through the open side; fitting 6203-2RSH instead means lifetime grease and no external oil supply — mixing the two in the same shaft can starve the sealed position.
• The 9.95/4.75 kN ratings here are SKF Explorer-class figures from catalogue PUB BU/P1 17000/1 EN (Oct 2018); SKF can revise internal geometry and ratings without changing the designation, so treat the catalogue version and date as part of the specification and re-verify for critical drives.