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How to fit castor wheels on a plate

Updated: 22 October 2026

You have a set of plate castors, a drill, and a bench or cabinet that has to sit on four wheels with a pedal you can reach. The usual failure is the bolts not matching the holes, or the brake lever ending hard against the plate. This page is the fitting sequence. Which set to buy stays on the [heavy duty castors buying guide](/hub/lifting-equipment/heavy-duty-castors/sub/heavy-duty-castors-buying-guide). Prices and the twelve rows are on the [heavy duty castors comparison](/hub/lifting-equipment/heavy-duty-castors). Products Compared did not fit these sets in a workshop. A qualifying amazon.co.uk purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have a set of plate castors, a drill, and a bench or cabinet that has to sit on four wheels with a pedal you can reach.

Our top picks

DSL DSL 100 mm, four brakes

Best overall

DSL DSL 100 mm, four brakes
9.4/10about £19.96
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DSL DSL 100 mm, two brakes

Best value

DSL DSL 100 mm, two brakes
9.4/10about £18.49
View offer
DSL DSL 50 mm set

Alternative

DSL DSL 50 mm set
9.2/10about £8.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.A flat plate and a pilot hole
  2. 2.The bolts these packs actually include
  3. 3.Pedal and level
  4. 4.The point where you stop

A flat plate and a pilot hole

Start with the corner. TEP Technica and Core Castors both want a flat, solid surface. If the timber is thin particle board, build the corner up or the screws will pull through. Mark the hole centres from the plate in your hand. The DSL 100 mm sets are 92 mm by 63 mm, not Keystone's 80 mm by 60 mm centres. Drill a pilot at about half the bolt diameter in timber. That fraction is their fitting advice, not a British Standard. A 6 mm screw wants a pilot near 3 mm. A rated metal frame is where you stop.

The bolts these packs actually include

The DSL 50 mm bullet states 16 screws at 6 mm by 27 mm. The 75 mm set states 6 mm by 30 mm bolts. Both 100 mm DSL packs state 8 mm by 30 mm bolts. The WEIBIDA solid-rubber set names M8 bolts and nuts. Do not force a bolt into a wood-screw hole. On the 5 inch polyurethane set, UK reviews disagree about bolts versus screws, and the contents line only says Casters. On the 2 inch nylon set, one delivery had bolts too short for 15 mm timber. The ZOGPLG gate wheel is a different job: press the spring in while you fit it.
DSL DSL 100 mm, four brakes

Testsieger

DSL DSL 100 mm, four brakes
9.4/10about £19.96
View offer

Pedal and level

Fit the plates so the pedals face you once the bench is upright. One review on the DSL 100 mm listing says the lever sits close to the plate. Press each pedal before you load the top. After you fit, roll the bench and try to yaw it. If the head still swings, you have a wheel brake. All four wheels have to touch. Core Castors tells you to shim a wheel that does not. A thin packer is acceptable on a wooden cabinet. None of these listings is sold as a weld-on bracket.

The point where you stop

Call a fitter or a fabricator when the holes miss a rated rack, when you would be drilling a machine frame, or when someone will stand on the load. HSE expects workplace wheels to suit the floor and the brakes to work. That is an assessment, not a weekend tip. If the bench still creeps after the pedals lock, the next question is the brake type, and that belongs on castors for a workbench.

Common questions

Do I drill the full bolt diameter?
Not in timber. TEP Technica and Core Castors both describe a pilot at about half the bolt diameter, so the thread bites. A clearance hole the full size of the bolt is for a bolt that passes through and takes a nut. Drill the full diameter in a chipboard shelf and the plate will pull out. The half-diameter figure is their fitting advice. It is not a British Standard clause, and there is no torque in these listings for you to chase.
What if the pack is bolts and I only have screw holes?
Do not mix them. The DSL 50 mm bullet is screws, 6 mm by 27 mm. The 75 mm and 100 mm DSL bullets are bolts. The WEIBIDA rubber bullet is M8 bolts and nuts. On the 5 inch polyurethane set, UK reviews disagree about bolts versus screws, and one buyer found the holes too large for the screws they tried. Open the bag, measure the fastener, and drill for that fastener. Adding random screws and washers is a repair, not the intended mount.
How do I measure hole centres?
Lay the plate on the corner, mark through each hole, then measure between the marks. That is the pattern of the casting you hold, which on the DSL 100 mm sets is a 92 mm by 63 mm plate, not a generic 80 mm by 60 mm trade plate. Keystone's 80 mm by 60 mm centres are for an 8 mm bolt on a different plate size. Write the centres down before you drill the second corner, so all four match.
How do I know the pedal will be reachable?
Lock each brake with your foot after the bench is the right way up, and before you load it. If you have to lie on the floor to find the lever, move the plate while the holes are still free. Then roll the bench a metre and try to twist it. A wheel that will not roll, and a head that will not yaw, is the result you wanted. A head that still swings means the brake is only on the tyre.
When should a fitter take over?
When the holes do not match a rated frame, when you are drilling a machine rather than a timber cabinet, or when people will stand on the load or move it as workplace kit. Welding a furniture plate on to make the holes line up is not a shortcut in these listings. A gate spring is also outside this sequence: compress it as you fit, or the listing says the wheel can hold the gate up.

Related pages

Best heavy duty castors

Heavy duty castors

Heavy duty castors: which load figure you can trust

Polyurethane or rubber castors for the floor you have

Castors for a workbench: roll it, then keep it still

Sources

Public UK sources named below. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts on these twelve listings were read on 19 October 2026. Page updated October 2026.

  1. HSE: push and pull risks (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. HSE INDG143: manual handling at work (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. HSE: roll cages and wheeled racks (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. HSE: push and pull assessment (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. BS EN 12532:1999, industrial castors (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. Keystone Castors: buying swivel castor wheels (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. TENTE: locking systems for castors (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 19 October 2026)