Swivel Castors

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Swivel Castors

Swivel Castors

Swivel Castors

Swivel Castors and wheels can swivel 360 degrees about the vertical axis (see figure below). They consist of a housing and a caster wheel. The housing itself is made up of a plate fitting, swivel bearings and a yoke. The Yoke is often referred to as the castor's frame (see figure below).

The plate fitting determines how the... castor is going to be attached to the equipment. It is usually either a single bolt hole fitting or a plate fixing which is generally square, rectangular or triangular. Plate fittings are usually bolted to equipment so knowing your required bolt hole centres is important. The Swivel Head consists of a ball race and a number of ball bearings that roll within it. Swivel Castors can either have a single ball race or a double ball race. They perform the same function. The double ball race was developed for medium and heavy applications. This is because they are compact, perform well under static and dynamic loads and provide excellent steerability.

Swivel castors can be fitting with locks which lock (brake) wither the wheel or the swivel head or both. See Brake Castors.

Swivel Castor Components

Swivel Castor Components Diagram

Swivel Castor Offset


The Swivel Castor's offset it the distance from the swivel axis to the centre of the wheel (where it is secured to the castor frame). It is the reason a swivel castor will go in the direction you want it to go regardless its starting direction. The offset and castor wheel's diameter make up the swivel radius where the swivel radius = Offset + (Wheel Diameter / 2).

This is the radius of circle described but the outer dimension of the wheel swivelling around the vertical axis. Basically, this is important because it tells you how much room is needed for the swivel caster to swivel. Furthermore, the general rule is the bigger the offset the better the castor's running performance but the lower the weight it can carry. Read More

We stock a complete range of swivel castors and their associate Fixed and Braked Castors (where available). Our ranges come with a wide variety of top plate sizes and fixing bolt hole centres.

The ranges include pressed steel, Stainless Steel and Fabricated or welded castor housings.

A castor’s size is usually referred to by the wheel’s diameter. The most common sizes are 40mm, 50mm, 75mm, 80mm, 100mm, 125mm, 150mm, 160mm, 200mm, 250mm and 300mm. These are the wheel sizes and because the swivel head sits above the caster wheel, the castor’s overall height will be somewhat larger than the wheel. We’ve had some customers purchase a 100mm Castor expecting it to be 100mm tall, it’s not, it’s usually around 128mm tall.

Each Swivel Castor can have a wide range of castor wheels. Nylon, Polypropylene, Rubber Tyre, Elastic Rubber Tyre, Polyurethane Tyres and Cast Iron Wheels are the most common.

Have a question? Get in touch today!

Email us at sales@keystonecastors.co.uk, phone us on 0121 772 1010 or click get in touch below!

Get in touch
Midlands

(Warehouse & Trade Counter)
Unit 1, St Andrews Trading Estate,
111 Great Barr Street,
BIRMINGHAM,
B9 4BB

Tel: +44(0) 121 772 1010
Email: sales@keystonecastors.com
Fax: 0121 773 1103

North

(Sales Office Only)
Unit 5, Paul House,
Stockport Road, Timperley,
CHESHIRE,
WA15 7UQ

Tel: +44(0) 161 865 3800
Email: manchester@keystonecastors.com
Fax: 0161 865 3400

Keystone Wood Ltd T/A Keystone Castor Company | Registered in England No. 541197 | VAT Registration No. 559034041
© 2004 – 2025 Keystone Castor Company.

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