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My grandparents bought this Samsonite 55/20 spinner carry-on 10 years ago. They don't know the model name; the receipt merely states '99023476-SAMSONITE-N1'. The warranty expired, but money isn't the issue, as they're willing to pay for bigger sturdier twin wheels.

enter image description here (Source for pictures: Left, Right).

The carry-on can't be rolled effortlessly; my grandparents must drag it tiresomely; its teeny wheels don't rotate smoothly. They haven't overloaded it; airlines have always weighted it under 10 lbs.

A cart with bigger wheels is easier to push because its greater-diameter wheels work like bigger levers, multiplying the pulling or pushing force and making it easier to turn the wheels around their axles—in exactly the same way that a long spanner makes it easier to loosen a nut.

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But EVEX (Samsonite's authorized repair corporation) and Samsonite refused to fasten them, alleging that the carry-on can't fit each double-wheel part, regardless of how much they can pay.

  1. So how can my grandparents fasten the twin wheels themselves?

  2. If they oughtn't, what kind of trustworthy professional in Toronto, Canada can help them?

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    A trustworthy (brand authorized) professional has told you that the piece cannot be fit to the luggage. At this point, you can go to their competitor(s) for satisfaction. Maybe there's another place that will modify the piece. – Stan Jul 28 '19 at 00:50
  • Part (the biggest part) of the issue is the weight restrictions placed on travel luggage. They must minimally perform a function while having the absolute minimum weight. The bad wheels are a concession to minimalism. The lighter the luggage, the more useful payload it can carry. If you change the wheels, your useful load will be less to remain within maximum carry-on limits of weight and size. Bigger wheels may push the size over minimums. There are more things to consider than its rollability. There isn't "close-enough." When minimums are exceeded, hefty fees apply if the piece is accepted. – Stan Jul 30 '19 at 16:14
  • Can they put the piece into a cart while at the airport or hotel to make things easier on them while there despite the badly working wheels. Also, are the wheels free from debris and working properly to begin with? – Stan Jul 30 '19 at 16:18

2 Answers2

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The generic name for this type of wheel is a twin-wheel swivel plate (normally for screw mount) casters.

You can approach a professional luggage repair service for the exchange which might be as costly as replacing the stubborn one. They are different from ones made for office chairs with swivel casters that have pins that slide into tight-fitting sockets.

It's not too technical a job for the lifehacker of any age. The long and the short of it is to remove the existing ones as cleanly as possible and epoxy the replacements right over the old socket left by the undesirable ones.

Your results may vary with ability and availability of acceptable replacements.

Good luck.

Stan
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I agree with the point Stan makes in his answer, that replacing these wheels with anything will likely cost in excess of the amount required to buy a new quality case with a wheel configuration that appeals.

I'd look for a case where the wheels are detachable, if you're considering 360 castors, so the wheels can be stowed inside the case and it more easily meets the dimensions rules at check time (they can be remounted as soon as the hand luggage dimension police have moved on :) ).

Alternatively, consider a case with low profile fixed direction (non castoring) wheels. These tend to be the kind of wheels used on inline skates and by virtue of their design (relatively large ball bearings, fixed travel direction, thick ring of rubber forms the tyre and will hence absorb shocks) seem to be more reliable than the tiny-castoring-wheel type I've owned

I do feel your question is almost off topic, but in line with the life hack spirit of the site, if you love the case I would recommend having a go at mounting some wheels or the type I describe (I'm not sure I would bother with castors) - attaching two squares of quality hard wood plywood to act as load spreaders on the inside and outside of the case ( the case becomes sandwiched between the ply) then fix some quality fixed (non castoring) wheels from the hardware store. If you want the most strength, use bolts with self locking nuts and fasten all the way through both sides of the ply (drill a hole and pass the fixing al the way through the sandwich comprising the wheel mount, outer ply, case, inner ply.

If the job is beyond you skill set or tool range, a local handyman should be able to complete it no problem, in about an hour if given a clear plan of what to do- it's probably on par with flat pack furniture assembly in terms of engineering requirements

Caius Jard
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  • You can get good castor wheels from hardware stores that would also fit the bill here. They are slightly taller and slightly more expensive, but shouldn't be significant, unless they make the luggage too big for the airline industry standards. You can also get them in rubber as well as metal, depending on the load rating the OP wants. – computercarguy Aug 02 '19 at 18:23