# Trucks and Axles



## grashley (Aug 27, 2015)

Cooler weather is allowing more time for the toys.
This summer, I received about 50 mixed freight cars from my sister. It was an interesting collection of many lines, many types and many manufacturers. Her late husband had dabbled in N scale 20+ years ago.

My questions are:
1. Some cars like to spit the axles. Do axles come in different lengths from different manufacturers? Can I put rubber bands around the axle-less trucks to shrink the brackets? Do I just replace the trucks?

2. Most of the cars do not roll / coast well. I assume dirty axle contact points. Is this fixed by simply pulling the axles off the trucks and use a cotton swab and alcohol to clean the truck and axle contact points? I know not to lubricate.

3. Is it important to put the axles back where they came from or can I pull axles from several cars, then clean axles, then clean trucks, then reassemble??

Thanks in advance for sharing your expertise.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Truck journals*



grashley said:


> Cooler weather is allowing more time for the toys.
> This summer, I received about 50 mixed freight cars from my sister. It was an interesting collection of many lines, many types and many manufacturers. Her late husband had dabbled in N scale 20+ years ago.
> 
> My questions are:
> ...


grashley:

1a) I'm guessing that by, "spit" the axles" you mean that the axles fall out of the truck frames? Yes, different manufacturers use different lengths of axle, different wheels, different thickness of axles, different width of the truck frames between the "journal boxes"( the place where the pointed ends of the axle fit into the truck frame.) and different material (plastic or metal) in different parts of the truck, and different whatever else they feel like. 
1b) You won't need rubber bands. Once the axles and journals are clean, GENTLY bend the truck frame in, or out until it retains the axle when you spin it by hand. You can actually lubricate axle ends. Most modelers don't as the truck frame and it's journals are usually made of Delrin, a slippery plastic similar to Teflon. You are wise not to oil these areas since the oil would attract, and hold more dirt. If you choose to lubricate, powdered dry graphite lubricants like Kadee/Micro Trains "Grease E'm, would be best. Usually once things are clean, and the truck frames have been adjusted, things will roll better. Replacement wheel-sets (an axle with two wheels on it) are available, as are replacement trucks. I use Micro trains trucks with their couplers attached. I strongly prefer metal wheels though and these I buy from Fox Valley Models. They make excellent rolling wheel-sets in several lengths designed to fit specific brands of trucks. 

2) cleaning any crud out of the journals, and off the axle ends may help rolling. This depends on how good the original quality of the truck was, and how much dirt collected in all those years.
Yes, do clean them.

3) However YES do keep track of where the axle came from! As told in 1), the axles are not likely to be interchangeable between two different brands.

Hope that answers your questions and that it helps you more than it confuses you!

regards;

Traction Fan:smilie_daumenpos:


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