HK2020 bearing: complete specifications & equivalents
The HK2020 is a ISO 3245 radial bearing sized 20 x 26 x 20 mm (bore x OD x width). Verify dimensions against the official catalog before ordering.
Specification table
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Brand | SKF |
| Bore diameter d | 20 mm |
| Outer diameter D | 26 mm |
| Width B | 20 mm |
| Material | GCr15 |
| Seal / shield | open |
| Internal clearance | CN |
| Tolerance class | P0 |
| Cage | none |
| Basic dynamic load rating C | 15.1 kN |
| Basic static load rating C0 | 26.5 kN |
| Fatigue load limit Pu | 3.15 kN |
| Reference speed (thermal) | 12000 rpm |
| Limiting speed (mechanical) | 14000 rpm |
| Operating temperature | -40 to +120 °C |
| Mass | 24 g |
| Manufacturer designation | HK 2020 |
| Standard | ISO 3245 |
| Catalog version | SKF PUB BU/P1 17000/1 EN (Oct 2018), ch. 7.2 drawn cup needle roller bearings |
| Last verified | 2026-09-26 |
Source: catalog reference (SKF PUB BU/P1 17000/1 EN (Oct 2018), ch. 7.2 drawn cup needle roller bearings) · extracted 2026-09-26
Parameters extracted from the official SKF Rolling Bearings catalogue (SKF PUB BU/P1 17000/1 EN (Oct 2018), ch. 7.2 drawn cup needle roller bearings); 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.
Dimensions in inches & HK-series range
| Bore d | 0.787 in |
|---|---|
| Outer diameter D | 1.024 in |
| Width B | 0.787 in |
| ISO bore code | 20 |
| Radial section height (D−d)/2 | 3 mm |
| Smallest bore in HK-series | 3 mm |
| Largest outer diameter in HK-series | 68 mm |
| Width range across HK-series | 6–38 mm |
| Bore position in HK-series (smallest first) | 16 of 26 |
| Bore above smallest HK-series size | 17 mm |
Cross references & equivalents
| Equivalent model | Brand | Match level | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| HK2020-2RS | SKF | partial Main dimensions match; tolerances, seals or internal clearance differ. | Same 20×26×20 mm envelope, but catalogue C/C0 differ between the executions (15.1/26.5 vs 12.3/20.4 kN) — boundary dimensions match, not a load-rating equivalent. |
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 HK2020 model number is decoded
For a 20 mm shaft in a thin housing wall, SKF catalogue execution HK 2020 offers a 20 mm wide, 26 mm diameter pressed shell with caged needle rollers — the classic minimal-section drawn cup solution. The designation HK 2020 encodes geometry only — there is no bore code to decode, since the 20 mm Fw is printed directly in the first digits and the cup width 20 mm in the last two. Open caged execution: the standard HK drawn cup with steel cage, relubricable through the shaft where the housing allows. The shell itself is the outer ring: hardened sheet steel, closed at neither end (open type), so the shaft can pass through and lubricant can be fed axially along the journal. Catalogue mass 24 g at 20×26×20 mm makes this one of the highest capacity-per-gram choices in the drawn cup needle roller bearings, open end; the limit is usually the shaft's ability to serve as a raceway, not the rolling contact itself. Open ends mean the housing must do the sealing; where that is impossible, the 2RS execution with its integrated seals and grease fill replaces sealing rings that would not fit the 20 mm section.
Typical equipment & failure modes
Common applications
- office equipment and power tool gear trains
- steering column and pedal-box pivots in passenger cars
- idler gears and pulleys in small appliance drives
- spindle clusters of drilling and tapping units
Known failure patterns
- needle edge loading and raceway denting when the shaft deflects beyond the compensation range
- drawn-cup shell distortion or splitting from a careless press-in without a seating mandrel
- grease starvation at the roller ends when relubrication intervals are stretched in dirty duty
- electrical erosion on VFD-driven shafts without brush or insulated mounting
Selection pitfalls — read before you substitute
- On a 20 mm seat the housing bore quality dominates life: a bore 0.02 mm out of round pinches the 26 mm ring or cup into a lobed shape, and the rollers then trace the housing's geometry error, not the design load.
- Contamination, not fatigue, kills most small needle bearings: with raceways this narrow, one hard particle dents a full-width line — seal the housing even when the bearing execution itself is open.
- Do not interchange envelope-identical needle families blindly: HK 2020 shares its 20×26×20 mm outline with inner-ring and sealed siblings whose ratings differ — the family letters are part of the specification, not decoration.
- The 15.1/26.5 kN ratings and 24 g mass are SKF catalogue values transcribed from ch. 7.2 of PUB BU/P1 17000 (PDF table page 622); combined-type axial ratings appear in the text above because the structured record carries radial values only.
Frequently asked questions
Is the HK 2020 sealed?
No — the open-end HK cup has no seals: the housing must keep contamination out and grease in. The 2RS execution of the same code adds both-side contact seals with a grease fill.
Which dimensions does the HK 2020 have?
A HK 2020 measures 20 mm bore/Fw × 26 mm outside diameter × 20 mm width (0.787 × 1.024 × 0.787 in). From SKF catalogue PUB BU/P1 17000: radial dynamic rating C 15.1 kN, static C0 26.5 kN, fatigue limit Pu 3.15 kN, limiting speed 14,000 r/min, reference speed 12,000 r/min, mass about 24 g.
What does HK 2020 mean in SKF part numbering?
HK = open-end drawn cup needle roller bearing (ISO 3245); the first two digits give Fw 20 mm, the last two the width 20 mm, the shell OD 26 mm follows the plan. 2RS adds both-side contact seals, TN the polymer cage.
Does the HK 2020 need a hardened and ground shaft?
No. In this execution the 20 mm shaft journal is the inner raceway: it must be ground and hardened to 58–64 HRC (with matching housing bore quality on the outside). If the shaft cannot meet that, order the inner-ring sibling (NKI/NA execution) plus its ground inner ring instead.
Reviewed & verified by the MPN Base engineering desk against source catalog SKF PUB BU/P1 17000/1 EN (Oct 2018), ch. 7.2 drawn cup needle roller bearings on 2026-09-26. Read our editorial & correction policy.