All about repairing suitcases

Going on any trip, you need to take the necessary things with you. A comfortable and roomy suitcase is perfect for this. However, a pleasant trip can be overshadowed by a sudden breakage of a suitcase part. How you can quickly replace a broken handle, fix wheels or repair a lock, will be discussed in this article.

In any suitcase, regardless of design, model or manufacturer, breakage is possible. This can be either a minor malfunction in the form of a jammed or broken lightning, or a more complex damage.requiring high-quality repair or replacement of a part. To carry out repair work, you must have the appropriate parts.

The main components are:

• retractable system;
• wheels and wheel blocks;
• suitcase handles;
• zipper and slider;
• fixing locks;
• covers.

With excessive filling of suitcases and their improper use, the wear of the fittings and the entire structure often occurs. During transportation, some elements may become unusable, broken or completely lost. Some of the parts cannot be repaired, so it is easier to purchase them in the store. In other cases, you can figure out the breakdown yourself, and repair the suitcase with your own hands.

When replacing parts, it is important to use a product that is similar in size and shape. This will make the repairs much faster, because to replace parts you do not need to drill additional holes for bolts or screws. Often there is a need to use alternative options that you buy or make yourself.

When choosing details, you should pay attention to several points.

• An important factor is the size of the product. Many replaceable elements have similar parameters. When selecting an analogue, their exact dimensions are taken into account.
• Complete parts are made from a wide variety of materials. The production uses plastic, rubber, metal or fabrics. In the event of a breakdown, they are replaced with better quality parts.
• Particular attention is paid to the load. A suitcase is a product subject to different types of stress. During the production of each model, specialists develop the permissible amount of loads that the product will be able to withstand without deformation and breakdowns. The main load can fall on the lower, as well as the movable part, therefore, when choosing, they should be given special attention.
• The appearance of the fittings is equally important. Although it can vary significantly in different models, the presence of parts that are inappropriate in shape, shade and texture can give the product an odd look.
• Brand. Having an accessory from a well-known manufacturer, it is advisable to use spare parts of this brand. The use of parts that are of inferior quality can lead to rapid wear and tear of the parts and breakage.

Replacement of any part on a suitcase can be done both in specialized workshops and at home. It all depends on the severity of the breakdown and on the conditions under which it occurred. Often, such a nuisance can occur right during the trip, so it is not always possible to hand over a suitcase to the workshop. In this case, urgent repairs are required using available tools.

In the event that the handle of a travel accessory breaks during travel, you can fix the breakage using a regular belt or rope.

• It is advisable to use two straps. They are wrapped around a suitcase, then supplemented with an impromptu handle.
• In this case, you can use ordinary scotch tape, which is used to wrap luggage. The pen itself is made of scotch tape. For a comfortable handle, it is best to place a piece of cardboard or other flat object that acts as a handle.

So that the breakdown does not overshadow the journey, when choosing the product itself, special attention should be paid to the fittings. As for the handle, this part can be considered one of the main parts in the suitcase. When purchasing a travel accessory, you should make sure that the handle is comfortable. It is desirable that it have a round shape, fit comfortably in the hand when gripping.

Models with casters have three handles. One of them is retractable, telescopic, and the other two are stationary. The length of the retractable handle should be comfortable enough so that the owner of the model does not bend during transport. Usually, the handle contains a special mechanism that allows you to fix the handle in different positions.

The main reason for breakage of handles is exceeding the required load of the travel accessory. This can lead to popping bolts, breakage of the plastic mount.

Often, the telescopic handle breaks down, it is pulled out of the body itself or breaks. The reason may be a manufacturing defect or people forgetting to push the handle. Considering that the mechanism is expensive, you should consider whether repairs are necessary. Better in this case to buy a new handle or luggage than to repair a broken handle.

The most common cause of breakage is considered to be a break in the retractable handle. If such a handle breaks down on the road, an urgent repair of the part is made. The easiest way is to rewind it with duct tape or tape.

Such a repair is superficially similar to the application of a splint for fractures in humans. The frame can be used as a tire. A pencil or a piece of metal tube is suitable for this.

Such a tire is applied along the pipe at the place of deformation and fixed with tape. You should not save tape or scotch tape. It is necessary to wrap the handle along the entire length of the frame in several layers. In the absence of scotch tape, you can use other tools at hand, such as cling film, scarf, pareo and more.

Wheels in bags or suitcases can be called the most vulnerable parts, because all the main load falls on them. During operation, these parts can fall out and get lost. In this case, it is necessary to reinforce the tubular axle with fixed wheels. This is done using a metal rod, inserting it inside the tube. This case is suitable if there is no way to replace the lost part, and the rest of the wheels can cope with the load on their own.

For reliable fastening to the axis of the remaining elements, nuts are used. If the repair is not carried out in extreme conditions, it is necessary to first apply a thread to the metal rod from both ends, and then insert it into the tubular axle. After that, the wheels are attached to the axle using nuts and washers. And you can additionally use locknuts, this will protect against a repetition of an unpleasant situation.

If a wheel is broken, it should be replaced.

Progress:

• it is necessary to unscrew the stand, then cut 2 metal plates;
• holes are drilled in these plates for the rack;
• solder the nut;
• using 50x50 screws, all parts are fastened;
• put a washer on the screw, and screw on the nuts (4 pcs.), as a result of this, the wheel will not move out;
• the rack is screwed to the suitcase;
• at the final stage, the wheel is put on, lubricated with oil and tightened with locknuts and washers.

In suitcases, with their frequent use, the legs can also break. Most often they are made of plastic, a similar material is used to attach them to the base. Often, the legs begin to crack, and then they are completely lost. These broken parts are easier to replace than repair. You can make new legs from suitable parts in the form of an aluminum pipe, wire or profile.

To make new parts from a profile, you need to take several steps.

• Take an aluminum profile, and cut the legs out of it, trying to make their width equal to the diameter of the square tube inside.
• Holes must be drilled in the center of each side to match the diameter of the cavity in the tube.
• The square tube is inserted into the wheel mount and secured to the base of the product with a screw. Alternatively, nuts (2 pcs.) With a wide washer are used.

One of the breakdowns of suitcases or travel bags is poor performance of zippers. If the lightning diverges, you can fix it very easily on your own, without resorting to the help of specialists. Most often, the lightning begins to disperse due to the fault of the slider, which eventually unclenches and ceases to fix.

The easiest way to clamp the slider is with your regular pliers. It is important to do this carefully, clamping the part around the edges. The slider is not tightened in the middle.

If such work did not lead to the desired result, you will have to resort to replacing the slider. To do this, you will need to have the necessary tools, you can take an awl or a large needle.

First of all, you should:

• push back the zipper stoppers and pull out the slider;
• then you should put on a new slider on the zipper;
• fix it with the limiter.

To fasten the suitcase with a divergent zipper, fix the keychain with a keyring ring or a piece of wire in one position, fastening it to the suitcase handle.

If the slider does not ride well, you just need to lubricate the zipper. For these purposes, a wax candle or even a piece of bacon, as well as a pencil lead, are suitable.

Breakdowns also occur at locks. If the mechanism has a combination lock, then most often the breakdown is associated with the wear of the discs of this mechanism. The use of silicone lubricant for the mechanism will ensure good long-term operation of the lock.

To remove it, you must:

• under the lining on the back of the product, find 2 or 4 screws that fix the lock;
• unscrew the screws;
• drip a few drops of silicone grease on the lock itself, and then on the "numbers" and scroll.

Built-in models are more likely to be damaged due to a complex mechanism. One of the main problems is considered to be poor key movement, as well as the difficulty in opening and pulling it out. The reason for this may be the clogging of the larva itself. To fix the problem, you need to take a spray like WD-40 and inject some of the agent into the larva. Then you should turn the travel bag over so that the remainder flows out.

And also the reason for the malfunction of the locks may be the wear of the mechanism. In this case, replacement of the larva will be required.

A common cause of padlocks to break down can be a clogged key entry hole. Similar actions described above will help to solve the problem.

The frame of the suitcase is also a vulnerable part, given the possible overload, falls and shock that the product often experiences.

In the event that a crack appears on the plastic suitcase, you can get rid of it with the help of epoxy resin.

Progress:

• knead the epoxy according to the instructions;
• soak a piece of fabric with the resulting mass;
• press to the place of damage in the form of a patch.

The crack can be repaired with a hot needle. To do this, holes are made around the place with a crack using a red-hot needle. Then a suitcase is stitched along them with strong threads. After that, a fabric patch is cut out, suitable in size for the crack, applied to the damaged area and treated with glue of the "Second" type, pressed.

The simplest method is considered to be the treatment with epoxy resin of the "liquid metal" type.

Progress:

• take a similar type of epoxy and stir as directed;
• process the crack and edges with the resulting mass;
• dry with a hair dryer.

For information on how to repair the handle of a suitcase with your own hands, see the next video.