Spinner wheels on luggage make it very easy to travel even with the heaviest of luggage. These particular wheels are used very often on luggage and are also quite often the very first component to break. Instead of going through the grueling, time-consuming, and possibly expensive process of shipping your luggage to the original brand’s store for repairs, it’s really handy to know how to replace spinner wheels on luggage.
You may one day find yourself on a trip with barely usable spinner wheels. What do you do then? Even if you don’t have damaged wheels, you might have bought a great quality suitcase with poor quality wheels. Why not replace them yourself with your own choice of spinner wheels? Doing so is fairly easy if you know how to do it. In this article, you’ll get to know how to fix different types of spinner wheels and how to choose the right ones for your luggage. We also have a post about replacing inline skate wheels for 2-wheeled luggage.
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Can You Replace Luggage Wheels?
Luggage wheels of the 2 most common types, in-line skate wheel luggage and spinner wheel luggage, can both be replaced. They also don’t need to be repaired by the brand’s original store and can be repaired at home. However, the tools required to remove each wheel type are different. In-line skate wheels are fixed onto the bottom of luggage on wheel holders, with rivets bolted on through the center of the wheel. In-line skate wheels are recessed, and so, they may be slightly tricky, but still possible, to remove the rivets and replace the wheels alone. On the other hand, spinner wheels are attached to housing L brackets with screws and are considerably easier to remove and replace.
It is very common for the wheels of a suitcase, particularly spinner wheels, to suffer damage earlier than any other part. Hence, luggage wheels are designed to be replaceable. It also isn’t difficult to find spinner wheels sold separately. Though you may not be able to find replacement wheels from any big brands, there are many generic ones you can get online for great prices to continue reusing your current luggage.
Related: How to Fix a Broken Suitcase Handle
How to Choose New Spinner Wheels
Both double and single replacement spinner wheels are available. When choosing new spinner wheels for your suitcase, make sure to measure the size of your existing wheels to make sure you don’t buy the wrong size. If you buy a different size and attach the wheels onto your suitcase, you’ll notice it leaning too much one way while standing upright. The brand you choose won’t matter, but be sure to check the size and quality of the wheels before you purchase a set.
It’s also important that the screws that come with the wheels match the screws of your current luggage wheels. However, if they don’t come along with the appropriate screws but are the right type of spinner wheels you require, be sure to preserve the screws of your current set to use them with the new spinner wheels.
If you can’t find a suitable replacement that matches your current wheels, you may have to buy a pair and replace both front or both back wheels so that they are the same size and will keep the suitcase balanced.
How to Replace Screwed On Spinner Wheels
To know how you replace a spinner wheel on a suitcase, follow these steps closely.
First, you should know for sure if your spinner wheels are damaged or not. If they are having trouble rolling and rotating on the floor, wipe them down properly with a wet cloth to clear them of any dirt or debris that could be the cause. Try to roll them around and see if they’re any better. If you’re still facing issues or the wheels are broken in places, then find a spot on which to lay your suitcase flat to replace the wheels. In most cases, the L bracket will be intact but the wheels will be damaged. This method will show you how to remove and replace only the wheel component of a suitcase.
Using an Allen wrench, loosen and remove the screw holding the wheel to the L bracket. You’ll have to turn the wrench counterclockwise.
Once loosened, pull out the screw and remove the damaged wheel from its place. Next., get your new spinner wheel and detach only the wheel from its L bracket housing component by removing the screw with the allen wrench.
Lastly, screw on the new spinner wheel to the L bracket’s exposed axle using the allen wrench once more. Make sure to tighten it as much as you possibly can to avoid any potential damage to the wheel. Now you have a new spinner wheel installed successfully on your suitcase. If multiple wheels need replacing, you will have to repeat this same process with your new spinner wheels.
How To Replace Double Spinner Wheels On Luggage
Replacing a double spinner wheel on a piece of luggage follows almost the same process as when replacing a single spinner wheel. These wheels offer more control when rolling around your luggage. You may not be able to replace double spinner wheels with any type of wheel, which is why you’ll have to buy wheels that match the size of your old wheels to be on the safer side.
Spinner wheels for luggage may not be the toughest wheels you can find, an honor that goes to in-line skate wheels, but they are the easiest to repair at home and are very convenient to have on luggage if you travel heavy.