Under average conditions of intermittent use FALLSHAW castors will run for 5 years without maintenance. If the castors are in constant use this reduces to 1 year. Under dirty or hot conditions this could reduce to 6 months.

Greasing:
Grease in both the swivel and the wheel serves three purposes;
a) It prevents rusting of the balls and raceways
b) Prevents galling
c) It reduces noise
It does not need a lot of grease to do this. Too much is unsightly and only attracts dust. A liberal smear is all that is needed. If you only have a few castors to grease, use your finger to apply the grease, then wipe off the excess with a rag.

If you have many of them we suggest the following:
• Turn the trolley upside down and remove the wheels.
• Re-grease the head, either through the grease nipple if fitted, or by a chisel nosed fitting on a grease gun. You will need to lift the seals on the heavier range of castors with a sharp pointed screwdriver. Two full squirts are usually adequate, but make sure enough grease gets through to the centre so it can descend to the bottom race.
• Check the wear of the axle bushing. Reuse if not heavily worn, otherwise replace. Smear about a teaspoon of grease along the inside of the wheel bearing with your finger, taking care to force the grease up into the rollers and reassemble.
• Be careful of the lip seal on the wheel as you reinsert the axle bushing into the roller bearing wheels. Make sure the axle bushing is clean as you reinsert it.
• Reassemble the wheel into the castor. Replace washer where fitted. A drop of Locktite High Assembly Strength solution on the axle is a good precaution.
• Use a No.2 bearing grease (not sodium based).

Swivels:
All but the V series castors have the races staked during assembly so therefore do not require any adjustment throughout their operating life. V series would seldom need adjusting.

Wheel Bearings:
Any slackness present in plain bearings or roller bearings can often be improved by replacing the axle bushing. If necessary the plain or roller bearings can be replaced as well. Often simply re-greasing B type bearings is enough, though they can also be replaced if necessary. Sealed precision Q type bearings seldom wear sufficiently enough to need attention.

Wheels:
Polyurethane wheels usually outlast any trolley to which they are fitted, such is the wear resistance of polyurethane. In general all our wheels are designed with adequate tread thickness for long life and allow for replacement rather than repair.

Tube Fittings:
It is advisable that any tube fitting on pintle castors be checked after the first 3 months, and then yearly to make sure the tube fitting is fully and firmly into the tube and the tightening nut is firmly but not over tightened