Wheel dollies- make or buy 'em?

Okay. I saw one decent thread regarding the subject of wheel dollies, but my question still comes afloat... make my own wheel dollies or just buy 'em?

I think I have all the materials to make my own dollies (need a full set of four), but would need to get some casters. I figure if I can find a caster rated at around 250-pounds with a wheel that's about 1-1/2" or so, I should be okay. Anyone have a good source for casters? I need 16 of them.

Now, in on the flip side, there are tons dolly sets available. I've pretty much decided the Harbor Freight dollies are out. Too many bad reviews. Not worth it at $80 or so a pair if I have to replace the wheels.

Would appreciate some input here. Also, if you guys made your own, post up some pics. Would like to see what you've done. I'm thinking if I make them, they'll have to have be sorta' dished. Bias ply tires don't really like to straddle two bars (like with a furnature dolly or something).

 

I've thought about making a set too,but the price of casters is rather high.I'm ***uming they should have ball bearing axles,and that's where the price goes up.I've looked at McMaster,and Great Lakes Caster.If anybody has a reasonable source for casters,that would help. Fuzzy

 

After spending some serious cash for a professional set of steel ones, i now just use a wood set from grainger. They sell some pretty serious hard wood moving dollies and they are much cheaper than the steel ones. have used a few pairs of them moving every thing from entire cars to engines etc.

 

I thought about doing this and just puting a piece of 3/4" ply wood on each one. It's just a model a. Not too heavy.

Looks like Summit sells some cheapies also:
http://store.summitracing.com/partd...t=SUM-G1032&N=700+4294923770+115&autoview=sku
Probably pretty similar to the HF one's. The price is good though. The floor I'll be rolling on will be pretty smooth, so maybe I can go with some cheaper one's.

 

i found some nice casters at a big obsolete military surplus store. cadillac dave

 

The cheap ones are the worst..........and I mean the cheap ($90) for a set of four....I bought them and then had to put them together and they did not work worth a darn. I had to move the "wheels" the direction that I wanted to move a car.......now I realize why I see the cheap ones at swapmeets.

Chris Nelson
Kansas

 

Friend had same problem. Looks like this is a case where " you get what you pay for "

 

I bought cheapies like the Summit ones posted. Mine are Grip brand, purchased from a flea market tool vendor for about $75 set of four.

I ***embled them with the supplied wheels, jacked up my 2700 pound car and put it on the four skates. As soon as a tried to roll the car around (on a nice smooth concrete floor) three of the 16 casters broke. They came right apart where they are supposed to swivel. I guess they are swedged together or something and they don't hold together for nothin'. Cheap JUNK for casters.

 

I bought a set of the 8" X 16" Tire Skates, I upgraded to the ball bearing casters which are well-worth paying a little extra for. The set of 4 Tire Skates will support 6000 pounds.

These are powder coated heavy-duty dollies that are made in the good ol' US of A, not cheap imported junk. I am able to move my 3600# car around the garage with ease with these, my money was well-spent.

http://www.tireskate.com/

 

spend the extra money and buy a set of go jacks off e-bay. it is really nice not to need to jack the car up to remove the dollys. it not too cool when friends lean on your car and it rolls into the wall after they lean on it.

 

I got mine at Big Lots, the super cheap type $35 a pair. I've had them 2 years and they work great. I use them all the time and as quickee casters for any heavy **** I need to move.

I'd never buy an expensive set, some stuff just has to be good enough and these are much better than that.

 

Second on the gojacks. I scored a nice set with the stand from someone that didn't need them anymore, check swaps and your local cl***ifieds.

 

I figured the cheap ones had ****ty casters and would not roll well. I went to Orchard and bought fairly pricey casters, about $18. a pop if I remember right, then built a pair. We use them all the time to move cars around that are missing suspension parts, etc. Well worth the effort and the cost to build good ones.

 

I have several sets of the cheapo HF dollies. I use them for engine's though. They work fine to roll an engine or ****** around. I get them when they are on sale for $29.95 a pair. Cheaper than making engine dollies.

 

Wow! What a bunch of mixed replies! Some expected, some not.

I will check out the go-jack dollies too... Need to find something this week. Lookin' like I'm just going to buy some.

 

I just had the same experience with mine and emailed the company (importer) about the issue. I can understand if they did not work well but the casters literally flew off mine and dropped the car about 3" instead of swiveling. Thats more than bad, its dangerous.

I will probably get some new casters for them. There is a shop that

http://www.tireskate.com/castersforchinese.php

 

APN [Automotive Parts Network] sells 1K capacity, 3 1/2" steel wheel/ball bearing caster units for under 50.00 a pair.....have not used them but they look a whole lot better than many others in that price range. I'm lookin' to buy/construct some too so keep the comments comin' guys.

g

 

.....just checked out Tireskates......look even better for 160.00-ish full set of 4

 

Go jacks are the way to go, they cost a little more up front, but they will save alot of grief over the years

 

I got cheap and bought the cheapy Harbor Frieght Dollies that look just like the ones that Summit sells and DANG what a piece of ****. I put my Olds Toronado on them and as soon as I tried to move the car it taco'ed one. It folded like a lawn chair.

 

The cheap ones I have have a bar welded across the top lip to keep them from folding so if you get some without this, you may want to strenghten them.

The casters on my have worked fine. Part of my driveway is made of rocks cemented in place and is not very smooth. I roll cars across it all the time and other than getting stuck on edges of the rocks sticking up I've had no problem. I also have one with a Buick nailhead (650 lbs?) sitting on it and it's not folding up.

 

I bought the cheap ones also, first move they folded. I took em back and they replaced them. I use them for transmissions, body carts, etc. No good for the intended purpose. Lots of used material handling equip. out there, might be able to pick up casters for cheap.

 

Ok the go jacks are the ones you ratchet onto the wheels and do not need to lift the car and slide them one. Bout best price I've seen is 250 a pair . For something I'll probably use sometimes. I think I'll look for some casters, or even weld the ones I got to their plates.

http://www.thetoolwarehouse.net/shop/GJ-5000.html

 

I mocked some up using cardboard - not sure how well they would work. I'll try to approximate what they look like:

__ TTTTTTTTT ___
C \_TTTTTTT_/ C


T = wheel/tire
C = caster

Either A) an angle-iron framework with some sheet welded/riveted to it,
B) one solid piece bent (you'd probably have to own/have access to a hefty metal brake to bend something that's thick enough to hold a car....or
C) 5 pieces welded together

Around a 2" drop, maybe a little more so that you could use 2" casters.

Does that make any sense?

 

BTW... I bought the ones from Summit (which are pretty much JUST like the harbor freight ones) and they are working GREAT! I have had no problems other than the fact that all the hardware was METRIC! UGG!! They work just fine for my Model A though. I role it around by myself all the time. An extra hand helps, but no big deal.

Just a little update since this popped back up.

 

Greatest selection and compe***ive pricing I've found is Northern Tool (formerly Northern Hydraulics). I can go in and see/touch what I'm buying. vic

 

I've had the HF ones under a 53 Pontiac for over a year and under 70 Riviera for six months now. Granted, I don't move them much, but they've worked well when needed...

I actually turned the 53 180 degrees inside the garage with mucho effort.

 

cheap and strong way

old rims turned hollow side up
make a square box and put the casters on the corners,
weld box to rim

this way for the same price as the chinese junk you can buy good casters....

and it looks like something made in the 50s....

 

the harbor freight dollies are total junk.....next time i buy dollies they will be the go -jacks

 

I bought a set of Go-Jacks from thetoolwarehouse.net. Best tool purchase I've made in quite a while.