Introduction
Wheels on roller luggage can wear down over time or even detach completely. When this happens, the best solution is a full wheel replacement.
This guide will demonstrate how to assess wheel damage and replace the wheels and axles of a Patagonia Black Hole® Wheeled Duffel.
Read through the entire guide before starting the repair, and gather the necessary tools and materials. Patagonia-specific pieces are necessary to successfully complete the repair and can be obtained by calling or messaging Patagonia Customer Service.
Alternatively, take it in to a local Patagonia retail store for repair evaluation or send it in to Patagonia through their mail-in repair service.
Related Tutorials
What you need
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Starting with an empty duffel, open the main zipper compartment.
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Locate the zipper in the liner and open. This will expose the inside of the plastic wheel housing.
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If the wheel and axle are missing, a nut and washer may be loose inside this liner compartment. Try to locate the washer and nut to reuse.
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If the damaged wheel and axle are still attached, locate the axle nut inside the liner compartment and hold it in place with the adjustable wrench.
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From the outside, turn the axle using the 4mm Allen wrench to free the wheel and axle from the plastic wheel housing. Save the washer and nut to reuse.
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Test the other wheel for functionality and remove if it is broken.
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Assess both wheels on the luggage:
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Damaged Tread – If the wheel has a worn rubber tread or a flat spot (reference image #2), the wheel must be replaced, skip to Step 5.
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Damaged Axle – If the original wheel is in working shape, but the axle is bent (reference image #3), continue to Step 4.
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Missing Wheel – If both the wheel and axle are missing, skip to Step 5.
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Responsibly discard any unusable pieces.
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If the original wheel is in working shape, but the axle is bent, you can often free the wheel by cutting the axle off.
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Using bolt cutters, cut the axle as close to wheel as possible.
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If the cut axle remains stuck inside the wheel, elevate the wheel with a sturdy surface, and tap the cut end of the axle using a flat head screwdriver and a hammer until the axle is driven out.
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There is often excess foam and lining fabric blocking access to the back of the plastic housing.
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It is okay to cut away this excess using an X-Acto blade.
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Place a new or salvaged wheel onto a new axle and insert the axle into the plastic wheel housing.
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Inside the plastic wheel housing, place a washer and a nut onto the axle and finger-turn until attached.
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Then use the adjustable wrench or needle nose vise grip to keep the nut in-place and tighten the axle from the outside using the 4mm Allen wrench.
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Check the wheel function by spinning the wheel or rolling the luggage on the floor.
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Check the liner compartment to make sure no tools have been left behind.
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Close the zipper to the liner compartment.
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3 Guide Comments
Thanks! Saved me a few emails and phone calls✨
Where can I buy new wheels?
If you reach out to Patagonia customer service, they’ll send you some for free!
