Wheel upgrade on my gen 2 performer. Help! :)


 
DavidHahn

DavidHahn

New member
I'm devising a plan to upgrade the wheel set up on my gen 2 performer. Here's my plan so far:

10" wheels from harbor freight w/ 5/8" axle opening
stainless tube or rod for an axle, 5/8". Not threaded
Expanding stem casters from servicecaster.com
Some retaininers to keep the tire on.

Where I need some thoughts is around what caster to buy. Another poster mentioned servicecaster because they tell you the mount height of their products.

The stock wheel diameter on the gen 2 performer is 8". The mount height of the stock casters is 2 7/8 from what I can measure.

If I got with a 10" new tire, that means the caster mount height needs to raise by 1" total, to 3 7/8. The closest caster I can find on that site is a 4 1/8 mount height.

First, does this math make sense to you? Second, will this 1/4 make too much of a difference? I would think so. I think I could get away with 1/8 difference but 1/4 is a bit much. Or I go with a bigger or smaller tire to make the math work.

Or maybe these are grills and it doesn't matter too much. :)

Appreciate any thoughts. --dave
 
I didn’t put casters on mine simply got a couple of pieces of pipe and slid it inside the existing “feet”. Raised it to level, drilled and put self tapping screws in. Cheap and since I don’t need to move it much, it works well for me.
 
Are you going with snap in or expanding stem casters? Either way you could pull the insert and cut 1/4" of the legs.
 
DanHoo said:
Is the wheel upgrade for better mobility? Or to raise tbe height? Or both? Just curious
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Yes, I am curious what the wheel upgrade is for. I can see how having the Performer a little higher can make things easier. I am only average height However, for those that are 6ft or taller then a higher table would save on the back pain.
 
DavidHahn said:
Second, will this 1/4 make too much of a difference?
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Now that I think about it , 1/4 " isn't a big deal.
Both my Performer and OTG sit on my driveway which is pitched 1/8" per ft.
Roughly that's equal to a 1/4" out of level. Not a big deal unless you use a griddle or CI pan for eggs or pancakes.
I have a half moon griddle on my OTG. I use tapered composite shims under the two main wheels for level.
 
I did it for height and my back has thanked me from day one! Original wheel…IMG_0984.jpeg
Upgraded…
IMG_1204.jpeg
Like I said, I don’t move it around a lot so, the solid “foreleg” isn’t an issue. I’ve also added a leg on the outboard end for a little more stability. When it was just cantilevered with the 18” hanging out there in space, it was a bit “loose”. Some of been removed as they were not really needed but, I have one under the 22 for a little more weight when the umbrella is deployed, probably not necessary but, I’m too lazy to take it out.
 
Timothy F. Lewis said:
I did it for height and my back has thanked me from day one! Original wheel…View attachment 81923
Upgraded…
View attachment 81924
Like I said, I don’t move it around a lot so, the solid “foreleg” isn’t an issue. I’ve also added a leg on the outboard end for a little more stability. When it was just cantilevered with the 18” hanging out there in space, it was a bit “loose”. Some of been removed as they were not really needed but, I have one under the 22 for a little more weight when the umbrella is deployed, probably not necessary but, I’m too lazy to take it out.
Click to expand...

I would think you could reach much higher speeds when moving it with your upgraded wheels.:p
 
Here is a parts list:

Wheels: PINGEUI 2 PCS 10 Inches... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09DC8K3TG/?tag=tvwb-20

Sleeve bearings, these take up the difference in diameter of the wheel bore and the 3/8 inch axle: The Hillman Group 58079 Sleeve... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DYVF9BW/?tag=tvwb-20

Casters w/ locks: https://shop.servicecaster.com/expanding-stem-caster-p/ex20s314-ppub-tlb-118-red.htm

The only other part is push nuts and or collars that fit a 3/8 axle. I found those at a local big box store.

I'm glad I went with the sleeve bearings instead of trying to find and trim a new 1/2 steel rod along with boring out the holes in the frame for a 1/2 inch axle.
 
Nicely done.
It looks good and I like it.
I never have been overly impressed with the factory set of wheels.
They are like a half bubble off and seem somewhat pinchy.
 
Andy Kaminski said:
Nicely done.
It looks good and I like it.
I never have been overly impressed with the factory set of wheels.
They are like a half bubble off and seem somewhat pinchy.
Click to expand...
Thanks

I agree, the stock wheels are kind of cheesy. I mean, they do the job and the wheels and casters I put on are, in fact overkill. But these are cooler. And that's kind of what I was going for :)
 
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