Product Catalog
Large Bore Wheels (CW/FH/VH/VL) — Big-Axle Metal Wheels for Heavy-Duty and Tow-Line Duty
Updated 2026-11
Large-bore wheels are the big-axle members of the metal-wheel families: oversized hub bores that take heavy-duty axles and tapered or straight roller bearings, which is where the capacity lives. The manufacturer publishes four large-bore lines — FH, drop forged steel at 6,000-20,000 lb over 6-10 in; VH, the drop forged V-groove variant at 6,000-15,000 lb; CW, cast iron at 6,000-8,000 lb in 8 in; and VL, the cast iron V-groove at 4,000 lb in 8 and 10 in — spanning the tow-line, die-cart and heavy-fixture duty where a small-bore wheel would cold-flow or spin its bearing out.
The bore is not a detail, it is the rating: within one published line, the same 8 x 3 in wheel carries 17,000 lb on a tapered roller bearing and 6,500 lb on a straight roller — bearing selection moves the number more than diameter does. Per-SKU figures below stay per-SKU. Our supply path is own production plus outsourcing; standard constructions ship in 15-20 days and custom configurations in 30-40 days.
Specifications
| Type | Large-bore metal wheels: drop forged steel (FH flat, VH V-groove) and cast iron (CW flat, VL V-groove); tapered roller, straight roller or plain bore |
|---|---|
| FH line (manufacturer reference) | Drop forged steel, large bore: 6,000-20,000 lb at 6-10 in; floor protection Low, rollability Best; -40 to +800 °F |
| VH line (manufacturer reference) | Drop forged steel V-groove, large bore: 6,000-15,000 lb at 6-10 in; -40 to +800 °F |
| CW line (manufacturer reference) | Cast iron, large bore: 6,000-8,000 lb at 8 in; -40 to +800 °F |
| VL line (manufacturer reference) | Cast iron V-groove, large bore: 4,000 lb at 8 and 10 in; -40 to +350 °F |
| Per-SKU examples (manufacturer reference) | FH0870920 8x4 in tapered roller Rockwell 80 B 20,000 lb; FH0850120 8x3 in straight roller 6,500 lb; VH0650920 6x3 in tapered roller Brinell 149 15,000 lb; VL0850120 8x3 in straight roller Brinell 145 4,000 lb — per-SKU, never merged |
| Lead time | 15–20 days (custom configurations 30–40 days) |
| MOQ | 200 pieces (standard catalog items ship in smaller quantities) |
| Warranty | 18 months |
CW, FH, VH and VL are four separate manufacturer lines across two materials — each published band stays its own row, and every per-SKU figure stays per-SKU. Drop forged steel and cast iron are not interchangeable ratings; the quotation states the rating for your bore, bearing and duty.
Applications & Selection
Why the bore decides where small hubs fail
A wheel under tow-line or die-cart load fails at the hub long before it fails at the tread: a small bore concentrates the entire load on a short axle journal and a light bearing, and the result is bore elongation, bearing brinelling and axle wear. The large-bore lines answer with a bigger hub that spreads the same load over a larger axle and real bearings — tapered roller bearings take combined load and are the high-capacity choice; straight roller bearings carry radial load at lower rating. Published bearing-selection guidance puts it plainly: plain bores are simple and robust but have the highest starting and rolling resistance; roller bearings cut it sharply. That is why the manufacturer rates the same 8 x 3 in FH wheel at 6,500 lb on a straight roller and 17,000 lb on a tapered roller — check the bearing column before the price column.
Material picks the surface and the temperature. Drop forged steel (FH/VH) is hot-forged with high ductility and tensile strength for abusive, impact-heavy duty to +800 °F; cast iron (CW/VL) is the economical high-capacity choice to +350 °F on the VL V-groove line. The V-groove variants ride inverted angle-iron track with a relief groove that equalizes load across the track faces, and still run on open floor.
Selection points to settle before you RFQ
Specify in this order: load per wheel with your safety divisor (tow-line duty adds shock — say so), diameter and tread width, bore diameter and axle size, bearing type (tapered roller, straight roller or plain), and surface — flat floor for CW/FH, angle-iron track or mixed for VH/VL. If the route is a powered tow line, say the speed: bearing ratings are speed-dependent and the quotation must state the duty basis.
The published line bands above position the class; per-SKU rows are never merged into a family promise, and your configuration’s rating is confirmed at quotation. Standard constructions ship in 15-20 days, custom bores and bearings in 30-40 days, MOQ 200 pieces.
Frequently Asked Questions
Drop forged steel or cast iron for a large-bore wheel?
Both families publish large-bore lines, and the split is duty and budget. Drop forged steel (FH 6,000-20,000 lb, VH 6,000-15,000 lb) is the impact and tow-line choice — the forging process improves grain flow, ductility and tensile strength, and it carries the -40 to +800 °F band. Cast iron (CW 6,000-8,000 lb, VL 4,000 lb V-groove) is the economical choice for high static loads that are not shock-heavy, with the VL line at -40 to +350 °F. If the duty includes impacts, overload spikes or a powered tug, forged; if it is steady weight, cast iron.
Why does the same size wheel have two different capacities?
Bearing type. The published FH configurator rates an 8 x 3 in wheel at 6,500 lb on a straight roller bearing and 17,000-20,000 lb on tapered roller bearings. The bore and bearing carry the load into the axle; the tread barely limits it. That is also why every per-SKU figure on this page stays per-SKU — merging them would hide exactly the variable that decides your rating.
Can large-bore V-groove wheels run on flat floor?
Yes. The manufacturer describes the VH/VG-style wheels as usable not only on a track but on flat surfaces as well — the machined V-groove rides inverted angle-iron track when the route is fixed, and the raised faces carry the wheel on floor sections between tracks. Mixed track-and-floor routes are the normal VH/VL use case; on pure floor, the flat-tread FH/CW lines give a full-width tread.
Ordering & Documentation
Documents
Every order ships with a packing list and commercial invoice. Dimensional drawings (diameter, tread width, bore, hub length) are available on request — confirm the bore and axle fit against your existing trucks before ordering, because a large-bore wheel is only interchangeable within its hub series.
Quotation
A quotation needs: load per wheel with your safety divisor, speed (especially for powered tow lines), diameter and tread width, bore and axle size, bearing type, surface (floor or angle-iron track), temperature, and quantity. The confirmed quotation states the rating for your configuration and its duty basis — the chart bands above are published line references, not the commitment.
Sample & supply
Standard constructions are produced to order with an MOQ of 200 pieces; smaller trial quantities of catalog items can ship in some sizes — ask with your RFQ. Lead time is 15-20 days standard, 30-40 days for custom bores or bearings. The usual validation for tow-line duty is a trial set through the worst curve and ramp of the route, then a bearing and bore inspection before the batch order.