Polyurethane rigid casters track in a fixed straight line — the wheel does not swivel. Paired 2-and-2 with swivel casters, they give carts stable tracking under push while preserving turning at one end. CasterHQ stocks 562 polyurethane rigid configurations from 75 lb (light) to 2,500 lb (heavy industrial), with 15–25% higher load capacity per caster than equivalent swivels.
Rigid casters transfer load directly through the axle and yoke to the mounting plate. Swivel casters add a ball-bearing race above the wheel that absorbs some load — reducing capacity by 15–25%. A 1,000 lb rigid is roughly equivalent to a 750–850 lb swivel of the same wheel size.
Position rigid casters at the PUSH end (back) and swivel casters at the FRONT. This makes the cart track straight when pushed because the rigid axle anchors direction. Reverse layout (swivels at back, rigid front) causes oversteer and lateral drift — common installation mistake.
No. A cart with four rigid casters cannot turn — physically impossible. Always pair rigid with swivel in a 2-and-2 layout. Even on tow-line carts that travel a fixed loop, you need at least one swivel pair to navigate corners and dock-plate transitions.
Are polyurethane rigid casters cheaper than swivel? Yes — typically 15-30% less expensive because there's no swivel race assembly.
Can I get a brake on a rigid caster? Side-lock yes, total-lock no. Total-lock requires a swivel to lock — rigid has nothing to lock.
What's the heaviest poly rigid you stock? 8″ poly-on-iron rigid rated 2,500 lb. For higher loads, switch to forged steel rigid.
Stainless rigid? Yes, full 304 stainless across all sizes for clean room and food service.
Custom rigid casters? Yes, on minimums of 100+ units with 3-4 week lead time.
Because rigid casters always carry more share of cart load under push (the swivel end pivots while rigid tracks), use divide-by-2 rather than divide-by-3. Multiply by 1.15 for dynamic impact. Example: a 2,000 lb cart with 2 rigid + 2 swivel needs rigid casters rated ≥ 1,150 lb each (2,000 / 2 × 1.15).
| Class | Wheel Dia. | Load/Caster | Best Use | Mount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light Institutional | 2–3″ | 75–300 lb | Office, retail, medical | Plate + stem |
| Medium Duty Most Popular | 4–5″ | 300–900 lb | Warehouse, shop, retail | |
| Heavy Duty | 6–8″ | 1,200–2,500 lb | Industrial dollies, tow lines | Plate |
| Forged Steel | 8″+ | 2,500+ lb | Aerospace, transformer bases | Plate / weld-on |
Converted 320 tow-line carts from all-swivel to 2-rigid 2-swivel. Cart tracking drift dropped 48% measured over 3 miles of facility route. Three years in, zero wheel failures on the forged steel rigids — exactly what CasterHQ's engineer predicted when we sent them our tow-speed and load data.
Application engineers on staff · ISO-certified facility · 50,000+ businesses served · 100+ combined years in caster design
