If you have a caliper, measure the Grip Ring Stem
in the section below the ring toward the caster body using your caliper. If it
measures .437 + or - you have a 7/16" diameter. If it measures .375 + or - you
have a 3/8" diameter. You do not need to use a second method to
measure!
Many people have difficulty accurately measuring the grip ring
stem ( mounting post ) on their chair or furniture casters. The "grip ring" is
the "C" shaped metal clip which compresses when inserted in the holes in the
bottom of the chair. It holds the caster in the hole. If you want to replace a
caster that has a "grip ring stem", first try measuring with a ruler.
Place the ruler perpendicular to the length of the stem at the middle (not near
the top or the ring). Most casters that have a grip ring stem have 7/16" stem
diameter. If the stem of your caster is 7/16" diameter it will measure slightly
less than the 1/2" mark on the ruler. The only other grip ring stem diameter is
3/8". On a ruler, 3/8" appears half way between the 1/4" and the 1/2" marks.
Second, you should double check your effort by trying one of the
following:
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Please use two of our methods to measure the stem diameter. Remember,
measure twice - order once.
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| Method
#2 |
| Find the
Diameter using some common tools. |
Use some of the tools you have
around the house to measure. If you have a set of open-end wrenches, use the
wrench to check the diameter of the stem. There should be a little "wiggle"
between the wrench and the stem. If you need to measure the diameter of the
hole that the stem goes into, use a drill bit. Again, there should be a little
wiggle but not much. Photos below will show you how it's done. Always try
"American" sizes first and "Metric", only if you think it was not a good fit
with the American size.
If you measure 3/8" diameter,
see "Red Ball" below: |
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Method #3 |
| Find the circumference to Determine the Diameter |
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Use a piece of Scotch Tape about 2"
long. Start to wrap the tape around the stem of your old caster as shown. |
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Wrap the tape so that it overlaps
the beginning edge of itself. Where the tape intersects the beginning edge,
make a mark with a pencil or pen. Try to make this mark as accurately as
possible. Now, let's take that tape off and use some geometry from high school.
The diameter of a circle can be found if you know the circumference of the
circle. Well you just measured the circumference by using your tape. Measure
your tape from the beginning edge to the mark that you made.
Using
the formula d = circumference / Pi ( 3.1416 )
We've done the math for you below. |
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If you
measured 1 3/8" - You need 7/16" Diameter Stems.
If you measured 1 3/16" You need 3/8" Diameter
Stems.
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If you measure 3/8" diameter: We don't show 3/8"
grip ring stems on our website, however, they are available in certain
products. Call us with your stem dimensions and tell us which method you used
to measure the stem. |
| Now that you are sure of the stem
diameter, you need only one other dimension, namely, the depth of the hole. In
order for the replacement caster to work properly, the depth of the hole in the
chair must be equal to or greater than the length of the caster stem. An easy
way to measure the depth of the hole is with a pencil. Remove an old caster,
insert the pencil into the hole in the chair, mark the depth with your thumb;
remove and measure. |
Call us if your measurements are radically
different than those shown here.
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