Grant Erwin wrote in
:

... On my last
hoist I finally wondered why the damn thing didn't roll like it used
to, took it apart and discovered 4 bent axles. No *way* were those
casters rated for 1000 pounds. I redid them and it worked much better.

When I make my own shop crane it will have most serious wheels. The
older I get the more I spend on casters.

Grant

On the engine hoists I have used the load was not centered between the
pairs of wheels, so some of them see more than 1/4 of the load (plus their
share of the weight of the hoist itself). If I built one I'd be inclined to
assume the wheels have to take 1/2 the rated load. If it has to roll over
anything rougher than a smooth concrete shop floor make some allowance for
impact loading as it goes over the bumps... not that I want to haul a
Bridgeport over an uneven surface if I can avoid it.

Rob