This guide is for facility managers, workshop supervisors and buyers whose trolleys squeak, rattle or rumble. A noisy trolley is a sign that something is dry, loose, dirty or worn. Here is how to find out which, and what to tell us if the answer is new casters.
Name the sound
Listen while a helper pushes the trolley, then ask them to push it empty and loaded. Note when the noise starts and where it comes from.
- Squeak: often a dry swivel or axle.
- Rattle: often a loose fitting. The plate, stem or bolt may have worked free.
- Rumble or thump: often a rough or flat wheel, or something stuck to the tread.
- Scrape or grind: often dirt, thread or plastic wrap caught around the axle.
These are common causes, not a diagnosis. Lift the trolley under your site's safety rules, and spin each wheel by hand to find the one that makes the noise.
Checks that are specific to noise
For the full routine check of wheel, swivel, brake and fitting, use our caster maintenance checklist. For noise, start with these points.
- Clean the swivel and the axle. Dust and debris collect there and make noise.
- Check that a threaded stem caster is seated firmly, and that the bolts on a top plate are tight.
- Check that the brake releases fully, so that it does not rub on the wheel.
- Look at the tread for something embedded in it.
Follow the equipment maker's instructions for lubricating a dry swivel, and keep lubricant off the tread and off the floor. We do not advise a particular product here.
If cleaning and tightening do not stop the noise, the part may be worn. Our guide on signs your casters need replacing covers that decision. Tell us what you found.
Floor, load and wheel
The floor affects the sound. Joints, drain covers and thresholds can cause a thump even when the wheels are fine. Grit and dirt on the floor can add a scrape. If the noise only happens on one part of the route, look at the floor there before you blame the casters.
Floors, thresholds and wheel material all change the sound, so tell us what the trolley rolls over. We do not rate any wheel as quiet, and our catalogue gives no noise figure. We will look at your floor and load, then confirm the options to quote.
Load matters too. Leave margin below the top of the rating. Do not order from the top of a load range. Add up the loaded weight, divide by the number of casters and leave margin.
Casters in our catalogue
If you replace casters, here are three series to look at.
Our light duty series is listed at 8 to 65 kg per caster. It has PU and TPR wheels with Delrin bearing, and TPR wheels with single bearing. The catalogue lists swivel and rigid top plate casters and swivel threaded stem casters.
Our medium / light duty series is the HOD 42 range, listed at 53 to 100 kg. It has dual bearing wheels in nylon, PU and TPR, with and without brake.
Our medium duty series is the HOD 51 and 52 range. Series 51 has single ball bearings and series 52 has double ball bearings. It is listed at 30 to 170 kg, with plate, stem and bolt hole versions.
Tell us your load and your trolley, and we will confirm which series to look at. You can also try the caster finder, which filters by mounting, wheel material, brake and load.
What to send us for a quote
- What the trolley is, what it carries and its loaded weight.
- The number of casters on it.
- The sound you hear, when it starts and which wheel makes it.
- The floor type, and any thresholds or joints on the route.
- The mounting: top plate, threaded stem, bolt hole or another fitting, with a photo of the old caster.
- The wheel size and the wheel material you have now, if you know them.
- Whether you need rigid, swivel or brake casters.
- The quantity you need.
Request a quote on our website or message us on WhatsApp, and we will confirm the right series for your trolley.