51160-M bearing: complete specifications & equivalents

Specification table

Source: catalog reference (SKF PUB BU/P1 17000/1 EN (Oct 2018)) · extracted 2026-09-28

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 51160-M model number is decoded

Listed in SKF 17000 chapter 5, 51160 M is an ISO 104 single-direction thrust ball bearing, 300 mm bore and 380 mm OD on a flat housing seat, standing 62 mm high before installation. The bearing is delivered as separate, interchangeable parts: a ground-bore shaft washer, a loose-bore housing washer and the ball-cage assembly between them, designed for one axial load direction only. 51xxx breaks down as 5 for thrust ball, 1 for one load direction on a flat seat, a section digit 1–4 light-to-heavy, then the two-digit bore code. reading the ending 60: bore 300 mm (code 60 × 5) for this single-direction size, via the standard exceptions 00/01/02/03 and ×5 above them. M-cage execution: brass machined from solid and ball-centred, giving heavier guidance than the standard pressed retainer at the top end of the thrust-ball range. Envelope 300×380×62 mm (11.811×14.961×2.441 in), 40.0 mm radial section, C 364 kN, C0 1760 kN, Pu 35.5 kN. reference speed 850 r/min (thermal) and limiting speed 1,200 r/min (mechanical), catalogue mass 17500 g. Bore-to-OD planning: OD 380 over bore 300 is a 1.27× step for this size, and the 62 mm height gives a bore/height ratio of 4.84; use these ratios when the housing recess around the 300 mm shaft is the first constraint. Envelope economics: the 62 mm axial height over a 40.0 mm radial section yields 5.9 kN of dynamic capacity per height millimetre, and the bearing weighs 17500 g for 364 kN C — about 48 g per rated kN. Section proportions: the 40.0 mm radial section compares with 300 mm of bore (section/bore ≈ 0.13) and the 62 mm height is 1.55× that section — the proportions that identify the 51100 envelope at a glance. Speed band width for this size is 350 r/min between reference and limiting (1.41× ratio); lubrication, preload and heat removal decide where inside that band 51160 M can actually run. Washer-annulus check: the π/4·(D²−d²) contact annulus of 51160 M covers about 42,726 mm², distributing C0 1760 kN over a mean track circle of π·dm ≈ 1,068 mm. Machined-cage order-number note: the M brass cage is a one-piece ball-centred window cage, chosen at the heavy end of the section for speed and shock duty; it is heavier and stiffer than the pressed-steel execution of the smaller sizes and tolerates interrupted lubrication far better, which is why the catalogue restricts the M suffix to the large bores. The M cage of 51160 M adds a small amount of mass and cage strength without changing the 300×380×62 mm ISO 104 envelope, so the pressed-cage execution drops into the same recess but should not be assumed equal under the 1,200 r/min ceiling.

Typical equipment & failure modes

Selection pitfalls — read before you substitute

• The 51160 M is a pure axial bearing: it must never be subjected to radial load — any radial force on the 300 mm shaft has to be carried by a radial bearing mounted alongside it.
• When the housing seat cannot be machined square to the 300 mm shaft, the sphered 53-series execution of this size with its U seat washer is the self-aligning counterpart of this flat 51100 bearing.
• On vertical shafts retain the loose housing washer positively with a cover or ring and verify the grease fill does not drain out of the 62 mm stack; thrust-ball bearings on horizontal shafts should have the shaft washer (the tight one) against the rotating element.
• Heat the shaft washer to at most 120 °C for mounting, or press it via a sleeve on its ground bore — force applied through the housing washer or the ball set brinells the 364 kN track before first rotation.
• Catalogue ratings are SKF PUB BU/P1 17000 figures for 51160 M as the single flat brass execution; other order numbers of the 51160 size are different products and may carry different ratings or seating geometry — always quote the full designation when purchasing.