Caster size for gantry crane

[Jeff Scott]

Hi guys,

I've just acquired a Vestil 1 ton gantry crane. It came without casters, but is drilled and tapped on the bottom of the feet for them. Normally, this crane uses 8 inch diameter casters, but I'd like to put 4 inch steel casters on it in order for the crane to be able to roll under my shop door when it's open. 8 inch casters will make it too high.

My question is, can one use a smaller, properly rated caster for moving the crane around the shop? I know the 8 inch casters will make it easier to roll, but am I missing any safety concerns using 4 inch models?

Thanks!

Jeff

 

[cvairwerks]

Think you are going to find that it's too hard to move with 4" ones and you probably can't do so safely with a load on it. If you don't need it to move with a load on it, maybe design a set of retractables that would let you get it under the door.

 

[MrSurly]

I can't think of any reason for there being a safety issue with properly weight-rated casters of any diameter, as long as you are only using it on clean, smooth concrete.
I would strongly suggest that you try to find some that have some plastic/rubber/urethane covering or "tire" rather than plain steel. Far smoother operation and quiet as well. The steel wheels will stop rolling with the tiniest of obstruction. Something like this or this

 

[cvairwerks]

The only problem with a 4" caster is that it places the axle for the wheel very close to the edge of the leg. An 8" unit pushes that outside of the leg quite a bit. Much better stability.

 

[blazemaster83]

I agree it will make it much harder to move, but you are not really supposed to move a portable gantry under load anyways. The wheels are just there to move the crane into place, or out of the way easier.

As long as you get properly rated casters I can't see a safety issue.

 

[readhead]

Cut 4” off the legs and use 8” casters. In theory 4” will work if everything is perfectly clean but having at one point three cranes in the shop the 8” work a lot better.

 

[sberry]

The 4 wouldn't bother me but,,,, at this point it might seem like this thing will be a nascar but its highly likely that it will find a home and will rarely move. I moved mine once or twice in the first year or 2 I had it and not more than 5 ft since.
I even have it so there is room to roll it in front of my hoist,,,, hasn't happened yet. I made the wheels, 6 inch pipe. You can see where we modified the legs and height for a different building. I also set it so it would roll out a 14 door, never did it. It sits in a home location to the point we turned it in to a tool station for 2 bays.

 

[sberry]

I was going to put this rotator design in but already had the fundamentals of this one and decided to keep it portable and even the far leg isn't s significant obstacle, mostly storage shelves behind it and there is enough room to walk.

 

[sberry]

This is the far side. I need it but don't use it a lot. Tool boxes in the back of it are not for common stuff, its specialty, spares, pullers etc.

 

[cvairwerks]

We move loads on them all the time, but there is one caveat on how we do it. The load is moved to one end and lowered to within a couple of inches of the floor and secured so it doesn’t swing. The far end becomes the steering end and all movement other than rotation, is along the beam axis with unloaded end in the lead.

 

[larry_g]

The only problem with a 4" caster is that it places the axle for the wheel very close to the edge of the leg. An 8" unit pushes that outside of the leg quite a bit. Much better stability.

Your assuming swivel casters, yes? They also swivel to the inside possibly narrowing the footing just as well. I'm kinda with sberry on this, think about do you really think this is going to move all that often?

lg
no neat sig line

 

[cvairwerks]

I know that for us, the gantry moves a lot. Three hangars and about 10,000 sqft of asphalt and concrete ramp space. Jeff would have to determine how much he thinks it would move around.

 

[sberry]

Yes, I can see this in a large hanger. In my own shop the goal is to be empty as possible and I really have "stations" or "bays" and move most work to it vs moving tools to the work.
It's hard to tell how big the op's building is, how far can it go? It would be more of a concern with a large building with lots of long travel in the future.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Yes, I can see this in a large hanger. In my own shop the goal is to be empty as possible and I really have "stations" or "bays" and move most work to it vs moving tools to the work.
It's hard to tell how big the op's building is, how far can it go? It would be more of a concern with a large building with lots of long travel in the future.

My shop area is 68x40, it won't move too much. Maybe 20 ft here or there.

Thanks very much to everyone who has responded so far!!

Awesome points made.

 

[sberry]

That is a pretty respectable building but I can see you got stuff and it will fill up, probably will have limited room and a general area it will get owed in. Sweep the floor before traveling. If I had free larger wheels I might modify it. I would tend to see what I could find to start with.

 

[tarbellb]

Heres a set of 8" Vestil casters, on sale in the warehouse section $107 for 4.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0052PN18Q/?tag=atomicindus08-20

If you change your mind about size.

 

[bob15]

sberry, that 3020 a syncro-smash or a powershift?

 

[sberry]

Its a synchro. I have a 4020 that is power. In the spirit of this thread they are in the Aframe tractor bay.

 

[matt_i]

Personally I would flip that over and cut 4" off each leg and weld on a new pad so you can use the 8" caster all over.

- this does nothing to the strength of the crane
- the large casters are imperative to move anything under load ---- make sure they are load rated themselves.

Where you are going to get in trouble rolling under load is...rolling on inclines, even very slight ones, and trying to jump over obstructions or different levels, many parking lots aren't level with the floor in the building. Make sure you clamp the overhead trolley with C-clamps if you do roll as the load can zip to the other end very fast with bad results.

I would supplement your gantry with a pallet jack, it looks like you have room in the shop for that, its an awesome tool for precision positioning of anything heavy.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Thank you to everyone for your suggestions and comments. A lot of great information!

I got my laser measurer out tonight and did a precise measurement of the shop door rails to the ground and found that I would have enough room to accommodate 5 inch casters. I know that's not much more.

As far as moving under load, I really don't think I'll be doing much of that. I can get my trailer into the shop far enough to position any load I need to pick off of it. Any movement after that would be minor.

I've got 4 inch swivel casters on my welding table. I'm thinking about popping them off there and trying them on the crane to see how it rolls, before investing in new casters and not being satisfied with the size.

Thanks again to all!

 

[Jeff Scott]

Its a synchro. I have a 4020 that is power. In the spirit of this thread they are in the Aframe tractor bay.

Thanks for your input sberry. Also, love your Deere's. Do you do a lot of tractor work, or just your own fleet? I've got a little Massey 135 I tinker with, a little too much at times.

 

[sberry]

No, I don't do a lot. On occasion take a job but JD has so much fussy stuff, systems with so many adjustments and widgets I don't know enough about it all to make any money. It's not big enough in this area to specialize. I do some auto work on occasion and really should do more. Parts are so much easier. If I did I would be tempted to get another hoist.
It's part of the problem I am in now. I ended up doing all my own along the way and left contracting and now that I would like to go back to work more really don't have the business and my drive to sell every day has went along with it.

 

[Ign]

So I did this in reverse on a HF gantry, going from the stock 5"? (or 6"?) to 8"

Here's the thing that's NEVER discussed: the larger casters have a bigger scrub radius and are in many ways less maneuverable.

Yes, they roll more easily once moving but changing directions (particularly at steep or right angles) is more laborious, and just trying to kick a wheel out of your way on its swivel can shift the whole crane a couple inches.

 

[sberry]

So I did this in reverse on a HF gantry, going from the stock 5"? (or 6"?) to 8"

Here's the thing that's NEVER discussed: the larger casters have a bigger scrub radius and are in many ways less maneuverable.

Yes, they roll more easily once moving but changing directions (particularly at steep or right angles) is more laborious, and just trying to kick a wheel out of your way on its swivel can shift the whole crane a couple inches.

Yes, the 6 inch wheels move mine when turned. I put handles on then to be turned. Come to think about it might be time to give the spindles a shot of grease.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Got my 5" casters installed this weekend. They work well and the crane clears the bottom of the garage door track by about 1 inch. Those were the two goals, so I'm happy.

Thanks all for your input.

 

[matt_i]

Can you find a 4" caster, or even a 5" caster for that matter that's rated 1000 lbs (?) I don't know...I had trouble finding ones rated 2000# that I could afford for a 4000# capacity gantry.

Reason I ask is theoretically you can pick up the load, and trolley it to one end of the beam where basically all of the load is going to split between 2 casters on that end.

Unless you enforce centric loading by clamping the trolley in place or use jack bolts to unload the casters, those swivel casters can melt down (bend into a pretzel) pretty fast.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Can you find a 4" caster, or even a 5" caster for that matter that's rated 1000 lbs (?) I don't know...I had trouble finding ones rated 2000# that I could afford for a 4000# capacity gantry.

Reason I ask is theoretically you can pick up the load, and trolley it to one end of the beam where basically all of the load is going to split between 2 casters on that end.

Unless you enforce centric loading by clamping the trolley in place or use jack bolts to unload the casters, those swivel casters can melt down (bend into a pretzel) pretty fast.

The ones I got through Amazon say they are rated at 1000 lbs per caster. I plan to be watchful over them once I put a good load on them. I used grade 8 bolts in the tapped holes on the feet, so the connect should be good, the caster just has to hold up.

Valid concern though.

 

[sberry]

I agree that a pallet Jack is a tool that could be added here, I use it a lot. I have pallet boxes a lot of people don't have but I rig with it, stack stuff I might want to move on skids too.

 

[Jeff Scott]

I agree that a pallet Jack is a tool that could be added here, I use it a lot. I have pallet boxes a lot of people don't have but I rig with it, stack stuff I might want to move on skids too.

Agreed, a pallet jack would be useful. I'll keep an eye out for one on sale.

Thanks