I appreciate the fact I can normally find whatever it is I'm looking for on the internet, or at least something close enough to accomplish what I'm looking to do. That being said, I got stuck the other day and couldn't find something.
I've got this small ARRI lighting kit that that's been a workhorse for years, but it's starting to show its age. Not so much the tungsten lighting units themselves because they're tanks and I don't care what my fancy-pants gaffer buddies say, but the freakin' wheels to the plastic case gave up the ghost a long time ago. They've both blown out and no one needs to hear that "ka-klunk, ka-klunk, ka-klunk" as I roll my light case down some corporate hallway before the shoot.
Google sent me this YouTube tutorial and some different written posts about changing out the wheels, but not the exact thing I was looking for. So for the sake of trying to contribute more than I consume, please accept the following:
Another YouTube tip was a drummer replacing the blown-out wheels in his SKB Hard Case. He drilled out the rivets, so I did the thing and pretty much butchered the plastic around where those demon rivets were on my case. Some of those two-pronged turds had to be dug out with a flathead screwdriver and a pair of pliers even after using the drill. I used a utility knife to clean up some of the shredded plastic because no one needs that sharp nonsense.
Keep in mind these wheels probably weren't made to be replaced. The actual wheels themselves were held in place by a crimped pin that wasn't having it with me trying to drill them out. I ended up hack-sawing the end off each of those pins while also hoping for the best about not losing a finger and/or destroying much more plastic.
You'd be surprised how hard it is to find replacement rollerblade wheels here in Oklahoma City. After wasting the better part of a work day driving around and calling different sporting goods stores and bike/skate shops, I gave in and ordered the 64mm Inline Skate Wheels and Inline Skate Axle Screws off Amazon. I did find some machine screws, washers, and locking nuts at a local hardware store. They also carried those stupid rivets, but hard pass on that death trap waiting to happen.
Don't forget, I did pretty much butcher a decent amount of the surrounding plastic while drilling out those dark-horned rivets of death. One hole had to be abandoned entirely, but I just drilled another one right next to it because I do what I want and you're not the boss of me.
The inner diameter of the Amazon wheels was just a bit bigger than I'd hoped for – something like 1-2mm off – but it wasn't a problem once I got them installed. I'm sure I could've done a better job keeping it from looking all Erector Set, but that ARRI light case rolls like heaven again with its fancy new wheels.
