Do These Casters Come Apart?

[DerbyDad03]

The casters in the following pics are from an office chair purchased at Staples many years ago. The casters are pretty sluggish due to lint and hair (too many years in my daughters' bedroom). I have tried to clean as much out as possible with a razor blade and tweezers, but the performance didn't improve very much.

I tried to pry a wheel off using a small pry bar wedged between the wheel on the body, but it didn't budge. I used as much force as I felt comfortable using without breaking something.

The local stores don't seem to carry casters with such a short stem so I'm trying to clean the casters up before we deliver it to my daughter at college on Wednesday.

Does anyone know if the wheels can be removed for cleaning?

[DerbyDad03]

Hang on....pictures to follow. Didn't mean to hit send!

[SteveB]

They can be removed by popping them out, stem and all. Go buy new ones. Use a straight blade screwdriver as a wedge, and hammer it between the wheelie thing, and the thingus holding it in. (Where what you show in picture would come out of.) They are cheapo, so don't worry about breaking them, you probably will. HTH Steve

[DerbyDad03]

You misunderstood my question.The casters are already out of the chair. I am trying to get the individual wheels off of the caster assembly itself.

I know I can buy new ones, but not in time to deliver the chair to my daughter. Yes, I can buy new ones and mail them to her, but isn't this alt.home.repair, not alt.home.go-buy-them? ;-)

A few minutes cleaning the ones I have while watching MNF would be a lot more satisfying than just pulling out the debit card.