Pallet Jack Wheels: How to Pick the Right Ones

Pallet jacks do a lot of the moving in warehouses, factories and stores. The wheels under them — the ones that carry the load and steer the truck — are easy to overlook until something goes wrong. The right wheels let your team move loads with less effort, without tearing up the floor. Here's a simple guide to choosing them.

The Two Wheels on a Pallet Jack

A pallet jack has wheels in two roles:

• Load rollers under the forks — these carry the weight of the pallet.
• Steer wheels near the handle — these let the operator turn and guide the truck.

Both take a beating: they roll over concrete cracks, dock plates and debris all day. When they wear out, operators have to push harder, floors get scratched, and pallets start to drag. These are industrial, material-handling wheels — choosing the right one makes a real difference.

Wheel Materials: Two Main Options

Polyurethane — best for most warehouses

Polyurethane is the most popular choice, for good reason:

• Grips smooth concrete well
• Quiet to run
• Protects polished or epoxy-coated floors
• Absorbs bumps, so operators tire less

Things to watch out for: oils, solvents and coolants can attack standard polyurethane, and standard grades go brittle in freezers.

For humid climates like Singapore, choose polyurethane with hydrolysis stability — it lasts much longer in damp air. For areas with explosion or static risk (such as chemical plants), Vulkollan ELF is an anti-static option that stops static build-up — and the sparks and explosions it can cause.

Nylon — best for heavy loads and chemical areas

Nylon is harder than polyurethane. That means:

• Higher load capacity at the same wheel size
• Better resistance to oils and solvents
• Holds its shape under heavy weight

Things to watch out for: it's louder, can scratch shiny floors, and reacts to temperature extremes.

How to Pick

1. Check the load. Don't just divide the total load by the number of wheels — add a safety margin for the extra force from starting, stopping and turning. A loaded pallet in motion pushes harder than one standing still.

2. Match the existing size. Replace like-for-like — fit the same wheel size as the old one. A pallet jack has fixed clearances, so there's no room to change the wheel dimensions.

3. Match the hardness. Wheel hardness is measured on the Shore scale — polyurethane is read on Shore A and harder plastics like nylon on Shore D. These are separate scales, so a reading on one can't be compared directly against a reading on the other. Softer compounds grip better but wear faster; harder compounds last longer but grip less.

4. Pick the right bearing. Plain bearings are fine for manual pallet jacks; ball bearings roll more smoothly and suit powered trucks, but cost more.

Picking by Environment

Keeping Wheels in Good Shape

A few simple habits make wheels last longer:

• Sweep the floor — grit chews up wheels over time.
• Check before each shift — look for flat spots, embedded debris or wobble. It takes 30 seconds.
• Spin test — a healthy wheel spins freely; a gritty or stiff one needs attention.

When to Replace

Replace wheels when you see any of these:

• Noticeable or uneven tread wear
• Flat spots
• More pushing force needed than usual
• Wobble, strange noises, or steering that feels off

Don't wait — when a wheel needs replacing, it needs replacing. Worn wheels cause floor damage, slower work, and safety risks.

The Bottom Line

For most warehouses, polyurethane is the right starting point — quiet, gentle on floors, easy to push. For chemical or heavy-load areas, switch to nylon. For freezers, humid climates or anti-static needs, ask for the right specialty compound.

AVM Diesel supplies Räder-Vogel pallet truck wheels — load rollers and steer wheels. Made in Germany, Räder-Vogel has made wheels since 1946. Send us your floor type, typical load and environment, and we'll match you to the right wheel.

Browse our full range of industrial wheels.