51164-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 51164-M model number is decoded

51164 M is SKF's 320 mm-bore single-direction thrust ball bearing in the 51100 series to the ISO 104 dimension plan, with a flat housing seating surface, measuring 320×400×63 mm. The separable set comprises a shaft washer (ground bore, tight fit on the shaft), a loose-bore housing washer and one ball-cage assembly, reacting axial force in one direction and carrying no radial load. in the 51xxx designation the first 1 marks a single-direction bearing with a flat housing seating surface; the third digit 1–4 grades the dimension series from the light 511 section through the heavy 514 section. the final two digits 64 encode the bore as 320 mm (code 64 × 5), the standard SKF bore-code rule shared with radial bearings. suffix M identifies a one-piece machined brass cage, ball-centred: the large-size and heavy-section option for higher speeds, shock loads and thin-film lubrication where a pressed cage would distort. Envelope 320×400×63 mm (12.598×15.748×2.48 in), 40.0 mm radial section, C 371 kN, C0 1860 kN, Pu 36.5 kN. reference speed 800 r/min (thermal) and limiting speed 1,100 r/min (mechanical), catalogue mass 19000 g. Speed band width for this size is 300 r/min between reference and limiting (1.38× ratio); lubrication, preload and heat removal decide where inside that band 51164 M can actually run. Imperial cross-check for procurement drawings: 12.598 in bore, 15.748 in OD, 2.48 in height, and the 19000 g catalogue mass converts to 19.000 kg (670.2 oz). Minimum-load arithmetic: with dm ≈ 360.0 mm and factor A 18, Fam ≈ A·(n·dm/1000)² at the 800 r/min reference speed is about 1493.0 kN for 51164 M; below that preload the balls skid and smear the tracks. Load balance: C0 1860 kN against C 371 kN gives a 5.01 ratio — thrust ball bearings are chosen on static rating and F_a/C0 far more often than on L10 life, while Pu 36.5 kN enters the adjusted-life check. At the printed limiting speed of 1,100 r/min the mean pitch diameter dm ≈ 360.0 mm implies a dn value around 396k mm·r/min; the 800 r/min reference speed is the thermal-planning value under catalogue load. 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. At 19000 g the machined brass cage represents a meaningful fraction of total mass; balancing checks on high-speed 320 mm vertical shafts should use the actual M-execution weight, not the lighter pressed-cage catalogue value.

Typical equipment & failure modes

Selection pitfalls — read before you substitute

• 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 63 mm stack; thrust-ball bearings on horizontal shafts should have the shaft washer (the tight one) against the rotating element.
• The third digit grades the section: 511 light, then 512, 513 and 514 progressively taller and heavier at the same bore — select from 371/1860 kN and the available 400 mm OD, never substitute a lighter series for a heavier one without rechecking C and C0.
• The three components are separable and interchangeable within the ISO 104 size, but keep this bearing's parts together in service and never combine washers from different manufacturers or a worn washer with a new ball set.
• Identify the washers before fitting: the shaft washer has the ground, smaller bore and takes an interference fit on the 320 mm shaft, while the housing washer bore is larger and runs loose; swapping them locks the ball set and burns the tracks.
• Catalogue ratings are SKF PUB BU/P1 17000 figures for 51164 M as the single flat brass execution; other order numbers of the 51164 size are different products and may carry different ratings or seating geometry — always quote the full designation when purchasing.