Luggage often carries heavy items, which puts a lot of pressure on the wheels. An easy fix for stuck wheels is to clean and lubricate them. The next question, then, is how to grease luggage wheels properly. Here's the answer we found after thorough research.
To lubricate your luggage wheels, start by cleaning them, then apply a lubricant of your choice. You can use any run-of-the-mill lubricant. However, stick to silicone-based or dry lubricants since oil-based lubricants will cause your wheel to retain dust. Over time, the accumulated dust can damage the wheels.
We have put together well-researched directions on how to lubricate your luggage wheels. Read on to discover how to go about it.
How Do You Lubricate Luggage Wheels?
Stuck luggage wheels can be frustrating since they render your suitcase useless for travel purposes. But before you replace your luggage, consider lubricating the wheels. This solution is easier and cheaper.
1. Clean The Wheels
The first thing you want to do is get your luggage wheels clean. Because you often drag your luggage on the ground, sand, debris, stone fragments, and other dirt can stick on them. If you spray dirty wheels, the accumulated dirt can impair their functionality.
Use warm soapy water and a sponge or microfibre cloth to clean the wheels. Look for anything wedged in the wheels and remove it.
2. Spray The Lubricant
Once the wheels are clean, lubricate them using a lubricant of your choice. When choosing a lubricant, avoid oil-based ones since they will attract dirt to your wheels. A silicone-based or dry lubricant will work just fine.
Check out the B'laster advanced dry lube on Amazon
How Do You Fix a Spinner Wheel On a Suitcase?
Spinner wheels are easy to fix; if they are loose and wobbly, use a screwdriver to tighten the screws. You can take out the screws and use some Loctite thread lockers on their threads before screwing them back on securely for additional reinforcement.
Make sure not to screw too tightly as this can lead to a new problem - the wheel failing to rotate.
You can replace wheels that are damaged beyond repair without breaking the bank. You might be able to extend the lifespan of a broken wheel a little longer. But this is contingent on the type of wheel.
If the broken wheel has a plastic casing over a metal core, pry the defective parts, cut duct tape in the middle to match the wheel's width, and wrap it several times until it has its former thickness.
Next, use a carpet knife to file the edge of the duct tape wheel to ensure it is round, and finish up by wrapping electrical insulating tape around your new wheel.
How Do I Loosen My Luggage Wheels?
If you want to loosen luggage wheels, begin by cleaning the wheels so that you have a clean working surface.
Next, lay the suitcase on an even surface with the wheels facing you. Check whether the wheels are screwed or riveted, as this will determine how you will loosen them.
Screwed wheels are attached to the luggage by small screws on either side, while riveted wheels are bolted on through the center.
Freeing Screwed Wheels
- Locate the screws on the wheel and underneath the suitcase liner.
- Use a screwdriver whose size matches the screws' size to unscrew the wheels and set the screws aside.
- Look for a small metal clip securing the luggage's wheel. The clip should be bolted on both sides.
- Use a screwdriver to drill a hole in the plastic above the bolts.
- Hammer out the bolts and remove the metal clip, then set them aside.
Loosening Riveted Wheels
Riveted wheels are a bit more complex as they are attached to the suitcase with a rivet rather than a screw; hence more challenging to loosen. You will require a hacksaw, so get safety goggles and noise-canceling earphones or earplugs before attempting this.
After taking the appropriate safety measures, use the hacksaw to cut through the rivet. Finally, use your hands or a screwdriver to pull apart the rivet, bearings, washers, and wheels.
Can You Replace a Wheel On a Samsonite Suitcase?
Like most suitcases, you certainly can replace a wheel on a Samsonite suitcase. Lay your Samsonite suitcase on a flat surface and unzip its interior liner to expose the bare body, revealing the wheels from the inside. Inspect them to see if they are screwed or riveted.
We've already discussed how to remove screwed and riveted wheels.
Replacing Screwed wheels
Remove the defective wheel and replace it with a wheel the same size as the old one. Work in reverse to screw the new wheel onto the suitcase.
Generic wheels or skateboard wheels will serve you well here.
Some Samsonite suitcases have a lifetime warranty, so if yours has a valid warrant, call the service center, and they will send replacement wheels at no cost.
Replacing Riveted Wheels
To fix new riveted wheels, place the bearings you removed on either side of the new wheel. Holding the new wheel bordered by the bearings, slide it into the wheel well and slide a 2-inch screw through the wheel and bearing.
Place a washer on each side of the screw to secure it in place. Now screw a nut on both sides of the wheel.
How Do You Fix a Samsonite Wheel?
Most Samsonite suitcases have detachable spinner wheels. They are thus relatively easy to fix. You can resolve a stuck wheel by cleaning and lubricating it.
But if you need to change the entire wheel, locate the screws on the wheel, unscrew them, and remove the wheel, then screw the new wheel back on.
If you also need to replace the clip securing it to the luggage, unscrew it and insert the replacement wheel together with the clip, ensuring that the tubes fit into the holes in the suitcase.
How Are Luggage Wheels Measured?
It is imperative to know the correct measurement of a wheel if there is a need to replace them, as you need a replacement wheel with the exact dimensions of the former wheel.
Measuring luggage wheels is pretty straightforward. Place a measuring tape flat through the middle of the wheel to measure its diameter. Since all the wheels in a suitcase are the same size, you only need to measure one.
How Do You Refresh a Suitcase?
Like most people, you probably keep your suitcase in storage for most of its lifetime, only bringing it out for the occasional trip. So, there will likely be some unpleasant mustiness, which can easily transfer to your clothes.
You can refresh your suitcase in some easy steps.
1. Clean The Luggage
Begin by cleaning your suitcase's interior. Use a vacuum with a crevice attachment to eliminate dirt and debris inside the luggage. You can use your fingers for hard-to-reach areas.
Next, lightly dampen a cloth with diluted dishwashing liquid soap and use it to wipe down the inside of your suitcase. Dry off with a clean, dry towel and leave the luggage open for 1-2 days to air dry.
2. Add Odor-absorbing Substances
Pour odor-absorbing material like kitty litter, fresh coffee grounds, activated charcoal, or baking soda into your suitcase.
If using kitty litter, fill the suitcase halfway with it. Cover the entire bottom of the luggage if you opt for coffee grounds or baking soda. Alternatively, you can add a few lumps of activated charcoal.
Close the luggage and let the chosen material sit in it for about a week. After a week, clean out the substance and vacuum clean your suitcase. Mix white vinegar or lemon juice and water using a 1:3 ratio, and spray into the luggage.
Leave the suitcase to dry. By this time, it should smell fresh with all mustiness gone.
Do Spinner Wheels Break Easily?
Spinner wheels can turn in any direction. While this makes your luggage easier to maneuver, the wheels become more susceptible to breakage than roller wheels, primarily when used on uneven surfaces like cobblestone.
Additionally, spinner wheels easily break because they stick out of the luggage and don't have the cushioning effect of being incorporated into the suitcase's main frame.
Summary
Stuck or damaged luggage wheels don't mean you have to replace your luggage. Easy fixes abound depending on your particular situation, and it is sometimes as easy as a quick clean and lubrication.
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