there are actually 3 sizes of 5203 rs bearings.. all with same number.. exactly the same number. one with 17,5 mill deep then 20 mill deep and then another deeper yet.. i was told the one you want is 17x40x17.5.. someone correct me as i could be off... i just ordered one today, and had my old one measured up, so i get exact one,book said 3 diffrent depths. i talked to bdx and they say leave seals on and good idea to pack them, then put seals on again, install, add bdx oil, and i always run an ounce of lucas oil stabilizer as it clings to yer balls, lol
DD wide bearing
- Thread starter bacobits
- Start date
What brands had the different size 5203's? When you say you had your old one measured up, were you measuring a 5203 and if so I'm curious why you are replacing it.
As for packing them, the SKF bearing site has info which states the bearings are intentionally manufactured with anywhere from 25-35% (IIRC) grease packing and that is to optimize bearing performance and life. I don't think I'd risk damaging the seal to add a little more grease, and even then I'd worry that I'm adding a grease which isn't compatible with the stuff that is in there. Just saying.
Thanks.
peer , and rbl both had 3 diffrent sizes on the width, they were all double row brgs, peer is what bdx uses, ans is the brg in every arctic cat from what i understand after talking with bdx. bdx sells the diamond drive to cat... so they must know there product..
i am not saing i wouls remove the greese seals and try packing more grease in them, that is just what bdx said, it may help prolong the life, as oil doesnt really get near that brg when its being opperated,
you ask y i replaced mine? the same reason y everybody else changes them,,, it was f***ked..., i could tell cus it had a wierd clunking noise when moving slow and letting off the throttle, it would clunk,
also be aware, there is a reason y bdx uses these cheap china brgs.... you guys can do what you want, you can replace it with a 14 dollar peer or rbl. etc... that has a plastic ball retainer in them..... or you can replace it with a 45 dollar fag, ntn, skf brg that has a steel ball retainer and think its WAYY BETTER... well lets have a thought about it... if the cheap plastic falls apart, you get plastic going through your geer set,... it will get eaten up and prally get away with noo damage other than a oil change and a simple brg replacement.,,,,,,, or you can spend your 45 dollars, get the steel retainer one, and when it blows up, your gunna have steel shrapnell going through your planitery, and gear sets.... you wont be getting away with a simple oil change and 14 dollar brg replace are you... hopefully this gives you all somthing to concider.. i would rather the 14 dollar one and change oil and open case one even two times a year, than to have to buy a 45 dollar brg and then have to spend 2 grand on a new d.d or part your sled out ??? CHEERS
i am not saing i wouls remove the greese seals and try packing more grease in them, that is just what bdx said, it may help prolong the life, as oil doesnt really get near that brg when its being opperated, you ask y i replaced mine? the same reason y everybody else changes them,,, it was f***ked..., i could tell cus it had a wierd clunking noise when moving slow and letting off the throttle, it would clunk,
also be aware, there is a reason y bdx uses these cheap china brgs.... you guys can do what you want, you can replace it with a 14 dollar peer or rbl. etc... that has a plastic ball retainer in them..... or you can replace it with a 45 dollar fag, ntn, skf brg that has a steel ball retainer and think its WAYY BETTER... well lets have a thought about it... if the cheap plastic falls apart, you get plastic going through your geer set,... it will get eaten up and prally get away with noo damage other than a oil change and a simple brg replacement.,,,,,,, or you can spend your 45 dollars, get the steel retainer one, and when it blows up, your gunna have steel shrapnell going through your planitery, and gear sets.... you wont be getting away with a simple oil change and 14 dollar brg replace are you... hopefully this gives you all somthing to concider.. i would rather the 14 dollar one and change oil and open case one even two times a year, than to have to buy a 45 dollar brg and then have to spend 2 grand on a new d.d or part your sled out ??? CHEERS
JUST DID SOME LOOKIN ON THE WEB,,, HERES WHAT I FOUND, I WILL SEE IF I GET A CHANCE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS TO GO TO THE BEARING SHOP. I WILL GET A PRINT OUT OF THE 3 SIZES THAT ALL HAVE 5203 STAMPED ON THEM,,, MAKES NO SENCE TO NE, BUT WHEN I ORDERED A 5203, IT TOOK 3 TIMES TO GET THE CORRECT ONE, ANYWAYS,, HERES A COUPLE DIFFRENT ONES,
TIMKIN 5203, THERES 5 OF THEM, DIFFRENT SEAL OPTIONS, BUT ALL SAME SIZES,....
17X40X17.40
NATIONWIDE BRG, UNSHURE OF BRG MANUFACTURER, BUT THIS IS WHAT THEY HAVE LISTED...
5203- 5203ZZ- 5203 2RS 17X40X 17.462
SKF 5203 17X40X17.500
NACHI... 5203,... 17X40X17.500
MAKES NO SENCE TO ME, BUT, THE BOOK THAT WE LOOKED AT THE BRG SHOP, EVEN HAD 17X40X18 AND 17X40X20... ALONG WITH THE 17X40X 17.5 THAT I USED...LOL...
TIMKIN 5203, THERES 5 OF THEM, DIFFRENT SEAL OPTIONS, BUT ALL SAME SIZES,....
17X40X17.40
NATIONWIDE BRG, UNSHURE OF BRG MANUFACTURER, BUT THIS IS WHAT THEY HAVE LISTED...
5203- 5203ZZ- 5203 2RS 17X40X 17.462
SKF 5203 17X40X17.500
NACHI... 5203,... 17X40X17.500
MAKES NO SENCE TO ME, BUT, THE BOOK THAT WE LOOKED AT THE BRG SHOP, EVEN HAD 17X40X18 AND 17X40X20... ALONG WITH THE 17X40X 17.5 THAT I USED...LOL...
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bacobits
Well-known member
The brng we've been using, which fit good in a 09,but not in a 10 is a kobe 5203-A2Z. Instead of nylon seals it is all metal on the sides
Where the H&LL is cat! Maybe it's just me, but this shouldn't be this difficult ! Asked our dealer about this whole deal the other day, and they haven't heard a thing about it.
Where the H&LL is cat! Maybe it's just me, but this shouldn't be this difficult ! Asked our dealer about this whole deal the other day, and they haven't heard a thing about it.
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ScubaSteveSK
Active member
My dealer said he's done tons of them. Had the 5203's in stock to fix it too. I'm debating mailing my shredded bearing (w/ 600 miles on it) to Cat for the $47 I paid for the new one. Probably won't lead anywhere but we should do something.
Sh!t, half the dealers I have spoken to about this say they have never heard of this issue.
The 5203-2rs bearing can also be coded as 3203-2rs; this is a superseded number and not sure why the coding changed. I found this out last year. I was a little worried about it when I picked up the bearing from CDS bearings since I did not have the bearing out of the DD yet. But when I mic'ed the 3203 and the 6203 with the spacer that I removed from the sled, they were within .003" of each other the width. ID and OD were bang on.
you want to get the bearings with 2 rubber seals (2RS).
yea.. the brg kit from bdx, is the correct one.. if you give them the year and model, they will give you the proper brg, now it is a cheap peer bearing, made in china, but its the original brg, as far as i undrstand ,is that cat does not build the diamond drive!, black diamond extreme builds every diamond drive for cat, and cat buys and installs them in there sled... thats y some of you have problems, when ordering the brg from cat, as they dont know exactly wich one bdx used in the d.d... call bdx, and get the proper part, as i have said before,... those of the people who are having to machine the gear case and or machine there gears, that it total nonsence!, doo some research, and you will find a brg that will fit, without any mods... machining gears and cases... its only gunna make the weak d.d even weaker!!.... put the single row brg back in if thats what yours came with.. and change it more often, or doo the research and pick a brg that is still a 5203, only thinner .. there are many diffrences in width, throught all brg manufactures...they are not all 17x40x17.5 wide! ... good luck
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DD bearing
Has anyone measured the length of the transfer gear shaft not just the shoulder where the bearing fits,maybe the total length is making a difference?
Has anyone measured the length of the transfer gear shaft not just the shoulder where the bearing fits,maybe the total length is making a difference?
COLDFINGER.... THAT STATEMENT MAY BE TRUE.. IM NOT GOING TO ARGUE THAT AS I DONT KNOW... BUT, IF BDX HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT, THEN WHY IN THE WORLD, DOES ALL DIAMOND DRIVR PARTS HAVE A DIAMOND LOGO THAT IS CAST INTO ALL THERE PARTS?.... WHY IS DIAMOND DRIVE LOGO THE SAME AS THE BLACK DIAMOND EXTREME LOGO THAT IS CAST INTO ALL THERE PARTS.... THEY ARE ALL THE SAME AND BDX MUST HAVE SOMTHING TO DO WITH IT IN A FRIENDLY WORLD OR SOMEBODY SHOULD BE GETTING THERE ARSES SUED OFF FOR COPPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT.. NO? WHATS YOUR TAKE ON THIS? 
AA - you bring up a good point about the logos. I merely copied text from their post in another thread. I don't know the whole history of the DD development, patent rights, copyrights or any subsequent deals which may have been struck between BDX and Cat which allow Cat to keep using the core technology, name, and I assume the logo as well.???
Bottom line - sounds like BDX is claiming they had no part in the 2009-2010 DD redesign/manufacture.
Bottom line - sounds like BDX is claiming they had no part in the 2009-2010 DD redesign/manufacture.
well i am into aluminum race boat manufacturing. 200 plus boats a year, 21-24 world titles have been won with our boats... and what i have learned over the years, is sometimes there are certain parts that we will get some independant company to manufacture, as it will fall on somebody elses liability if and when somebody would get hurt... sometimes the big guy just has too much liability to take on somthing that they know could be a liability, so they incorperate the small guy to save there ***... lol ,if that makes sence? i wonder if that isnt the case here?.. dont know but kinda wierd lol
correct, bdx had nothing to do with the new design after they sold it to AC. The bearing worked with the mechanical reverse but when they went to the electronic reverse, the bearing would not handle the load. after BD sold it to AC, its up to AC to keep it up to spec.
at least thats the story from BDX anyway but it makes sense. Now AC is building boat anchors with chain cases again so it doesnt really matter. hold on to your old junk, everyone is gonna want it in 2-3years and wont be able to find it! (1000's anyways)
at least thats the story from BDX anyway but it makes sense. Now AC is building boat anchors with chain cases again so it doesnt really matter. hold on to your old junk, everyone is gonna want it in 2-3years and wont be able to find it! (1000's anyways)
