NK26-16-XL bearing: complete specifications & equivalents

Specification table

Source: catalog reference (HR1 2026-09-25) · extracted 2026-09-30

Parameters extracted from the official FAG Rolling Bearings catalogue (HR1 2026-09-25); 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 NK26-16-XL model number is decoded

envelope 26×34×16 mm: 26 mm seat is the hardened and ground shaft journal itself — there is no inner ring, with a thin 4.0 mm radial section packed with small-diameter needle rollers C is 17.3 kN and C0 23.6 kN at the 26 mm seat; the C/C0 ratio of 0.73 is characteristic of a needle bearing — high static rating relative to dynamic in a compact 34 mm outside diameter the fatigue load limit Cur is 4.45 kN, the limiting speed 17,200 r/min and the thermal reference speed 10,300 r/min; for small needle bearings the reference speed can exceed the kinematic limit, so the lower of the two governs the application dynamic capacity per millimetre of bore is 0.67 kN/mm and per millimetre of width 1.08 kN/mm — the reason 16 mm-wide needle bearings routinely replace much larger ball or roller positions mass is 34 g, just 0.06 g per mm² of projected 34×16 mm envelope, which keeps unbalanced forces low in fast-actuating linkages the 26 mm bore falls in the small band, the workhorse size for gearbox planetary positions, hydraulic pumps and general cam and linkage duty Omitting the inner ring frees radial space — at a 26 mm shaft the outer diameter is only 34 mm and the width 16 mm, yet C is 17.3 kN This bearing accepts axial displacement between shaft and housing because the rollers rotate on the free journal; it locates nothing axially and must be flanked by guide faces The -XL suffix is the Schaeffler X-life mark: interchangeable envelope with the basic bearing, but higher load capacity and lower running temperature at the 17,200 r/min limit. Typical applications include copying and printing machine mechanisms, gearbox selector and change linkages and hydraulic and pneumatic pump eccentrics, where the 34 mm outside diameter and 17.3 kN dynamic rating match the duty. In copying and printing machine mechanisms the unit fits a compact 26 mm seat, and in gearbox selector and change linkages the 34 g mass keeps unbalanced forces low in fast linkages. Designers also specify it for hydraulic and pneumatic pump eccentrics, relying on the 16 mm width and the published 23.6 kN static rating. Without an inner ring the shaft is the raceway: 58–64 HRC and a ground, polished journal are mandatory, not recommendations. Needle bearings are pure-radial units — any thrust must be taken by separate washers or an adjacent bearing, especially on flangeless RNAO/NAO.

Typical equipment & failure modes

Selection pitfalls — read before you substitute

• Without an inner ring the shaft is the raceway: 58–64 HRC and a ground, polished journal are mandatory, not recommendations.
• Needle bearings are pure-radial units — any thrust must be taken by separate washers or an adjacent bearing, especially on flangeless RNAO/NAO.
• Do not press an RNA/NK assembly in through the outer ring when mounting it on a shaft, and vice versa — rolling forces through the wrong ring bruises the raceways.