Wheel Replacement on a Patagonia Black Hole® Wheeled Duffel

Written By: Zach Mueller

Comments: 2

Wheel Replacement on a Patagonia Black Hole® Wheeled Duffel

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

10 - 20 minutes

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.

Replacement parts are currently unavailable. To get your luggage fixed, take it in to a local Patagonia retail store for repair evaluation or send it in to Patagonia through their mail-in repair service.

Tools

Parts

Step 1

Starting with an empty duffel, open the main zipper compartment.
Locate the zipper in the liner and open. This will expose the inside of the plastic wheel housing.
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.
Patagonia Repair Tech Tip: To increase visibility, use an extra light source like a flashlight or headlamp.

Step 2

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.
If there is excess foam and lining fabric blocking access, see Step 5 and then come back.
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.
Righty tighty, lefty loosey!
Test the other wheel for functionality and remove if it is broken.

Step 3

Assess both wheels on the luggage:
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.
Damaged Axle – If the original wheel is in working shape, but the axle is bent (reference image #3), continue to Step 4.
Missing Wheel – If both the wheel and axle are missing, skip to Step 5.
Responsibly discard any unusable pieces.

Step 4

If the original wheel is in working shape, but the axle is bent, you can often free the wheel by cutting the axle off.
Using bolt cutters, cut the axle as close to wheel as possible.
Use safety glasses.
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.
What did I just say about safety glasses?

Step 5

There is often excess foam and lining fabric blocking access to the back of the plastic housing.
It is okay to cut away this excess using an X-Acto blade.
Use extreme caution to avoid cutting yourself or other parts of the duffel.

Step 6

Place a new or salvaged wheel onto a new axle and insert the axle into the plastic wheel housing.
Inside the plastic wheel housing, place a washer and a nut onto the axle and finger-turn until attached.
Then use the adjustable wrench to keep the nut in-place and tighten the axle from the outside using the 4mm Allen wrench.
Make sure the locking nylon ring on the nut engages on the axle. This prevents the nut from loosening during use.

Step 7

Do not overtighten the nut.
Check the function of the wheel by spinning the wheel or rolling the luggage on the floor.
A perfectly-tightened Black Hole wheel spins freely for about 1-2 seconds.

Step 8

Check the liner compartment to make sure no tools have been left behind.
Close the zipper to the liner compartment.

I used a open end wrench to hold the inside nut and loosened the outside wheel, but it was a different story trying to hold the inside nut when trying to secure the new axle. I finally used a needle nose vise grip, what a difference that made. It then took me about 3 minutes to finish the repair. A needle nose plier can be used, but you have to hold it very steady to thread it, almost impossible for me. Suggest folks borrow or find a vise grip needle nose plier. It makes a heck of a difference.

Charlene Low -

Author

Zach Mueller

Member since: 23/02/23

1490 Reputation

One comment

Thanks! Saved me a few emails and phone calls✨

Cullen Cole -