# Wheel sets or trucks



## Gwpapa (Dec 6, 2014)

I am looking to start replacing my plastic wheels with medal ones. I bought one wheel set to see if they were right for my rolling stock and ease of install. Question is are any of you all using the medal wheel sets and not replacing the trucks? If you tried it what are the pros and cons of that? Good wheel sets are not cheap. I am replacing couplers now and just trying to make the best use of my budget.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

I generally just replace the wheel sets. The new ones fit most
older trucks, tho if you find that they don't turn as freely as they
should, you may need to 'ream' the bearing points. There is
a special tool that does this and retains the bearing shape.

The cars with new metal wheels in the right bearings will move on their
own if your layout is the slightest bit unlevel. And they make a nice
clicking sound at joints and thru turnouts.

Don


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## GN.2-6-8-0 (Jan 10, 2013)

You can buy Intermountain metal wheel sets in both the 33" and 36" sizes in boxs of 100 that will do 25 freight cars and passenger cars with four wheel trucks, few less if using 6 wheel trucks.
As for replacing the trucks,that will depend on the trucks you now have on your rolling stock some are poorly made or have tango type couplers which you may wish to replace,most others will be fine ,simply replacing the wheel sets will work out ok,look into the truck tuner by micro mark these can prove invaluable to smooth rolling trucks and are super simple to use.


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## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

i use intermountain wheelsets, lately the scale or .088 width, and they work well..i like the look, and trucks i build from the tichy arc bar kits, they fit my era... before i used intermountain normal width, or kadee wih the ribbed back.. im in canada so cost works out to just under a dollar a wheelset, four bucks a car...


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

GN.2-6-8-0 said:


> As for replacing the trucks,that will depend on the trucks you now have on your rolling stock some are poorly made or have tango type couplers which you may wish to replace,most others will be fine


I believe you meant "talgo" type couplers.....

Another thing, metal wheels will run and staycleaner, and not tend to get gunked up with crud from the track.....


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## Gwpapa (Dec 6, 2014)

I am for sure replacing the wheels with metal ones. I just didn't know it it was worth the extra money to replace the trucks too. I am already working on all the couplers by installing the Kadee ones. Looks like I may just go with the wheels.


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## tr1 (Mar 9, 2013)

*Metal wheels sound neat over a span of bridge's*

I also like the sound they make. A "clickity,click".Due to the very light weight of the rolling stock rolling over the rail joint's minor mis-alignments and/or spacing. I'm also going to check out the narrower sizes:however; Regard's.tr1 (continuous improvements.


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## GN.2-6-8-0 (Jan 10, 2013)

Old_Hobo said:


> I believe you meant "talgo" type couplers.....
> 
> Another thing, metal wheels will run and staycleaner, and not tend to get gunked up with crud from the track.....


Just hate auto correct!!😂


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## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

Oh I've never seen the .088" wheels before! How do they run? Any additional problems with derailments? It seems like such a minor difference, but now that you've pointed it out I do see on pictures that the standard wheels are wider that prototype. Probably wouldn't be noticed except on very close inspection or close-up pictures, but those are the situations where you want the details to really pop out.


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## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

i have had zero problems with the .088 semi scale wheelsets from intermountain... i use atlas c100n/s track, and the visual appearance is nicer, especially on skeleton log cars


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## MtRR75 (Nov 27, 2013)

Gwpapa said:


> Question is are any of you all using the medal wheel sets and not replacing the trucks? If you tried it what are the pros and cons of that? Good wheel sets are not cheap.


I put a premium on low rolling resistance (so I can have longer trains). If the wheels are in spec and the car rolls very freely, I leave it alone. If the wheels are out out of spec, I remove the wheels, use the truck-tuning tool from MicroMark to smooth out the trucks, and replace the wheels with metal ones. If the car still has high rolling resistance with new wheels, then, I replace the whole truck.

Trucks are much more expensive than wheels, so I only replace them when necessary to get a good rolling car.


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## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

FYI the MicroMark truck tuner has been backordered for months, but despite not actually selling them, they were still kind enough to raise the price by 50%.


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## Gwpapa (Dec 6, 2014)

Shdwdrgn said:


> FYI the MicroMark truck tuner has been backordered for months, but despite not actually selling them, they were still kind enough to raise the price by 50%.


I looked at this too. That's a little high for a reamer that only has one purpose in life! :urat00l:


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

I would think you could use one of the tiny bits that fit 
in a pin vice to ream it and leave a point for the
axle to fit in.

Don


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## Gwpapa (Dec 6, 2014)

I have some reamers and drill bits I think would work. I am going to get the wheel sets then see how it goes. Thanks


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## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

The nearest tool I have to the shape of the truck reamer is a centering bit for the lathe, however I think the angle is closer to 45degrees rather than 60. It would certainly be nice to find a cheap, common tool to use for this purpose though.


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## Gwpapa (Dec 6, 2014)

May be someone who has something will chime in and help us out.


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## coupman35 (Dec 9, 2012)

any one have a truck tuning tool that like to sell or now where you get one pm me thanks


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## JNXT 7707 (May 5, 2013)

DonR said:


> I would think you could use one of the tiny bits that fit
> in a pin vice to ream it and leave a point for the
> axle to fit in.
> 
> Don


I tried a variety of bits before I became acquainted with the Truck Tuner, and I had a variety of luck. My verdict was "better than nothing", but really nothing I found was satisfactory. As someone mentioned it's the angle that makes the difference.

There is another company that produces a truck tuner - Reboxx - but someone posted they were too short?? I'm not familiar with them..


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## coupman35 (Dec 9, 2012)

yep i also saw that the reboxx was shorter. i look on the net and found lot of train shop but no luck


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## Bwells (Mar 30, 2014)

They are pricey but I assume you only buy one and have it forever.

http://www.micromark.com/ho-truck-tuner,8241.html


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## Gwpapa (Dec 6, 2014)

We need one of the experts here to measure or find the correct angle or degree of the reamer/axle and then we might be able to find a tool for it. Experts?


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## Bwells (Mar 30, 2014)

Micromark says the NMRA standard is 60 degrees, is that not expert enough for you?


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## Gwpapa (Dec 6, 2014)

Bwells said:


> Micromark says the NMRA standard is 60 degrees, is that not expert enough for you?


That is good for me! Now let's find a tool!


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## Bwells (Mar 30, 2014)

See post 21, three up.


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## Gwpapa (Dec 6, 2014)

Bwells said:


> See post 21, three up.


And this is the problem. You give it a name for some speciality and the price triples. It's still just a simple reamer.


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## ggnlars (Aug 6, 2013)

Intermountain make a quality metal wheel set. I use their regular 33 inch a lot. I haven't tried the .088 version. I got burnt pretty badly by the Branchline version a few years back. 

You need to be duress you want metal wheels. The recent versions actually weigh less than the old BB plastic wheels with metal axles. The main benefit is weight at a low position. The theory that plastic causes dirty track and get dirty faster is flawed. I refurbish old trains. Metal. Wheels are consistently dirtier than plastic wheels. Plastic is not as durable, but that only applies if you drop the wheel on a hard surface. Lots of things to consider. 

Upgrading to metal wheels will cost between $3 and $5 per car. You need to be sure that is what you want.
Larry
www.llxlocomotives.com


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## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

i sometimes used an old CNC carbide 1/8" milling bit with a 60 degree included angle, and do one side at a time ... the REBOX? and other "purpose made" reamers should do a better job as they will center themselves and are supposed to be the correct length .. I haven't used it much lately as my era [1890's] limits my choices of trucks, so I mainly buy Tichy arch bar trucks, they have a seperate moulded bearing insert that [so far] hasn't needed reaming


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## Mr. SP (Jan 7, 2015)

*Wheels or Trucks?*

Most of my rolling stock is equipped with Kadee trucks correct for the car
A archbar truck wouldn't go under a modern three bay hopper for instance.
I also have some Bowser Bettendorf trucks. While they have metal wheelss and are sprung they don't rool as good as a Kadee truck
If I'm replacing just the wheel set then I use either Intermountain or kadee wheel sets
Metal wheels are turned not cast so are round. Plastic wheels are cast and the plastic dosen't cool evenly which may cause egg shaped wheels


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## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

I used to use the kadee #523 wheels, because I did like the ribbed back, but the wheel surface itself is nowhere's near as smooth as the intermountain wheels ..I think the kadee are cast, it's hard to machine ribs in the back otherwise, and the kadee site says the metal is a chemically darkened zinc material .. for my era I should have ribbed back, no smooth back wheels, but that detail isn't noticeable until they derail.  .. and to me the intermountain wheels seem to have a crisper 'click' as they roll, possibly a harder material, don't know


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Proto 2000 used to put out a lot of different wheels sets...I managed to collect a lot of the ribbed-backed ones...they are very nice, smooth and shiney surface.....


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