What Car Skates work best?
 

I would like to know (from your experience) which car skates work best for moving your car around inside your garage? Car weight is 2500 pounds.
Seems like size and quality of castors is crucial.

Re: What Car Skates work best?
 

It is. I bought a set from Harbor Freight several years ago to move my '68 Corvette twice a year, in and out of it's storage spot. I bought the cheapest I could find because of the infrequency of use, It took three guys to move that car 10 feet. And that was after turning all 16 casters with a wrench to get them pointed in the right direction.

Unfortunately, the answer to your question is "the expensive ones".

Re: What Car Skates work best?
 

I bought same ones as tubman and had same results.

Re: What Car Skates work best?
 

Cheap ones cannot even move a Model a chassis easily.

Re: What Car Skates work best?
 

I also bought these Harbor Freight dollies when they were on sale.

With coupons they were less than $200 for a set of 4.
Work well on 3000+pound vehicle on cement floor.


https://www.harborfreight.com/1250-l...lly-61917.html

Re: What Car Skates work best?
 

I have a trick for you guys with the cheap HF skates. I have 4 sets of them as well as an expensive set of GoJacks that I got at an estate sale (for a lot less then the new price). I love the GoJacks because no floor jack is involved.
IF you take a little time and take each HF castor apart and take the axle out and put grease on the axle and in the sleeve it rolls in and in the bore of the wheel you will be happy with the result. I was about to pitch the first set of those I bought thinking it was just the small wheels but there is zero lubrication in where it needs it the most and on a smooth floor, after putting grease (not oil) on them they move almost as easy as the GoJacks that have larger diameter wheels. Give that a try, really makes a difference. All my cars can be spun around by myself now.

Re: What Car Skates work best?
 

I also have the harborfreight car dollys. If you oil up the wheels and bearings before use, they work much better. Lube them things up. T

Re: What Car Skates work best?
 

When I built my car in the pre-Harbor Freight era, I built a set of dollies from oak planks and castors from a local castor store. They aren't great, but I can move it by myself. As mentioned above, lube helps. More recently I bought some of the GoJack types on sale and they move super easily.

Re: What Car Skates work best?
 

Now you tell me. I bought mine so long ago that I expected them to come fully prepared. My bad.

Re: What Car Skates work best?
 

The most important thing is the floor. Being level and smooth is probably more relevant than the price of the skates. I have some that are really hard work because my floor is not smooth and has a slight slope. I gave up using them except for maybe scooting an engine block around.

Good point on lubing up the cheapos though, that can only help.

Mart.

Re: What Car Skates work best?
 

I am with 51 Merc on the ratcheting casters. I also use them at the races to lift the rear end off the ground to put it on jack stands so I can run through the gears. With these, I can do it without removing body panels. Big help.
Wayno

Re: What Car Skates work best?
 

I will have a set for sale at Fall Carlisle and if not sold , Hershey .....

Re: What Car Skates work best?
 

When they first came out my wife presented me with a set that cost near four bills. The label says Atlas Equipment USA made. Unfortunately I just checked online and they go for $570 with shipping. I have used them under a '57 210, an Olds conv and an 'A' chassis plus other passing vehicles, on both concrete and Macadam. The Olds on asphalt however, required my pickup for push power.

Thank you deuce_roadster for the axle lube tip.

There was a time that one of them would not lift. So a litte funnel and jack oil made it all better. They have served me well. By the way I have tried those cheapee pan style dollies. Waste of time.

Re: What Car Skates work best?
 

I purchased the Harbor Freight dollies and found they didn't move very well. I had a friend who scrapped several "C" or "D" cells from a DHL operation here in Wilmington, OH. They are the cells that they pack with boxes to be shipped on airplanes. Anyway, I purchased 16 of the casters from these cells. They were larger and had their own grease fittings. Exchanged the little useless casters with these and you wouldn't believe the difference! Now I can move my cars around with one hand! So yes, the size and quality of the caster is the difference.

Pat

Re: What Car Skates work best?
 

Many times the casters are bolted from the top down and extend too far impeding rotation of the caster and jamming it up. Flip the bolts around with the head bottom up and a little Slick 50 on the caster shafts and you are good to go .....

Re: What Car Skates work best?
 

Thanks for lube tip, had tried oil but getting about time to put wife's car back.

Re: What Car Skates work best?
 

I have had a set of the cheap HF self-jacking style mentioned above under a '82 Chevy C10 truck for the past year. They work fine and I'm able to push it around by myself. That said, my garage floor is level and smooth enough that it's a hazard when wet.

Re: What Car Skates work best?
 

Amen! My brother bought a set years ago and the casters wouldn't swivel worth a darn! We then realized that they were getting hung up on the ends of the bolts. Put the bolts in upside down and it went a lot better.