# New wheels won't roll



## Smartens66 (Sep 15, 2017)

I'm new to the train hobby and bought a used ho starter set for my 4 year old son along with a few more pieces of track and we've picked up a couple used cars. I noticed that a few of the train cars didn't roll so well so I bought some new 33" kadee metal ones but they don't spin at all after I installed them. I tried them on 7 different cars with the same result. They are the same size as the plastic ones except the metal ones come to a point. 
Is there anything I can do to make these work?
Thanks


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## Ace (Mar 30, 2016)

If you are using Kadee wheelsets (meaning just wheels on axles) installed into other trucks, be aware that they may not fit properly. The axles may be too long so they won't spin freely in the trucks, or there may be other interference. Different manufacturers have different specs and the Kadee replacement wheels are made to fit certain types.

If you show some good close-up pics of your train cars you can get better specific advice from the people here. It would help to know what brands of train cars you have. I assume you are talking about HO trains??

I have sometimes modified HO plastic truck sideframes to fit better wheels+axles by using a Dremel pointy tool to deepen the holes for the axle needlepoints, but this is tricky to do. Maybe you can find some other used trains and swap parts around. Or buy good new items.


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## Smartens66 (Sep 15, 2017)

The trains are HO and they look to be a mix of Tyco and Bachmann.


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## Ace (Mar 30, 2016)

If you're new in the hobby you might want to just live with the original wheels for the time being, if they aren't actually damaged and derailing. I know what you mean about them not rolling well. I have modified some Tyco and Bachmann freight car trucks like those to accept different better wheelsets using a Dremel tool as I mentioned previously, but it's a hassle to get good results and I don't recommend you try it unless you like that sort of tinkering.

There may be entire replacement trucks to fit Bachmann and Tyco cars (if you can find them) but they would probably cost more than those cars are worth. Or it may be a hassle to adapt them to fit your cars. 

Consider this a learning experience in the quality of different brands of trains. I started out in HO 40+ years ago with Athearn and MDC cars exclusively because of their quality and value and good wheels, etc. In recent years I've been given batches of "train set" cars, typically Tyco and Bachmann. Many of them look quite good but I did modify all of them with better wheels if I wanted to run them on a layout. The sharp flanges on the original wheels can be problematic on switches, also.

Oh ... and welcome to the hobby, hope you enjoy it ! It certainly helps if everything runs well without derailing.


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## MtRR75 (Nov 27, 2013)

Ace said:


> There may be entire replacement trucks to fit Bachmann and Tyco cars (if you can find them) but they would probably cost more than those cars are worth.


The cheapest replacement trucks that I know of are made by Accurail. You can buy them cheaply in bulk.

http://www.accurail.com/accurail/parts.htm

Accurail trucks usually run well with KaDee wheels. But switching trucks takes some fiddling. Use the Roller bearing trucks for modern cars and the bettendorf trucks for older cars (early 1900s). 

(1) Remove old truck
(2) Fill hole with styrene plastic. Best source is sprues from kits. File end level. Tap the hole for a 2-56 screw. Kadee sells the screws and the tap and drill set.
(3) Use a 2-56 screw to attach new truck. Leave some wobble in truck for good tracking.

But now you do not have a coupler. So part 2 is install a KaDee coupler box (they call them draft gear boxes) in the underside of the car end. Insert a KaDee knuckle coupler. 

Converting to knuckle coupler will make the cars much easier to attach and detach, than are those awkward horn-hook couplers -- especially for your son. Also body-mounted couplers do not derail as much as do truck-mounted couplers.

If you like this kind of fiddling it is not hard to do. If you son wrecks the cheap car, you can salvage the trucks, wheels and couplers for another car.

The main disadvantages of cheap cars are:
(1) cheap couplers, wheels and trucks -- already addressed.
(2) not always accurate representations of actual cars -- I doubt your son will care.
(3) less detail (like hand rails, rivets, brake cylinders, hoses, etc.) -- again, I doubt that your son will care.


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## Smartens66 (Sep 15, 2017)

Thanks for the replies. I'm trying not to put too much money in this hobby right now. It started off as a reward for my son and we can get the train cars for 5$ at our local train museum. So when he does something special we'll go down there and pick up a new used car. I just had a couple cars that didn't roll great. I thought It would be easier to replace the wheels than explain to my son why certain cars weren't working right but apparently I was wrong. Guess I'll live with it for now.


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## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

I've done this with some Tyco trucks before. Try taking a new Xacto blade (the one that comes to a sharp point) and spinning it inside the slot that the wheels sit in. You need to basically ream out a hole for the sharp metal axles to sit in. It takes some time, but you can eventually get the wheels to spin nicely.

Another option is taking a small drill bit, like a #70 or #75, and making the hole deeper. Again you just want to make room for the point of the axle. Using both of these techniques together can reduce the overall time, but it usually takes 10-15 minutes per truck to get both wheel sets spinning well -- Not something you want to do frequently if there are other choices.


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## time warp (Apr 28, 2016)

You do not have to grind them, just get a truck tuner from Micro Mark which will dress the bearing pockets in the trucks. I would suggest leaving the stock wheelsets and just shoot a little graphite in the journals.
I think there is a different part number also for the Kadee wheelsets with slightly shorter axles.


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## Smartens66 (Sep 15, 2017)

Upon closer inspection the problem is the axel is slightly wider not longer than the stock ones.


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## JNXT 7707 (May 5, 2013)

I can't believe - unless I missed it? - no one has mentioned a truck tuner. 
http://www.micromark.com/HO-Truck-Tuner_2
It looks a little pricey for the small, simple little tool it is, but it's one of the top 10 tools I cannot live without, especially if you like to upgrade older rolling stock. Use one of these on your old trucks and your Kadee wheels will run great - and you can keep your old truck. Will save you $$ in the long run.


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## JNXT 7707 (May 5, 2013)

time warp said:


> You do not have to grind them, just get a truck tuner from Micro Mark which will dress the bearing pockets in the trucks. I would suggest leaving the stock wheelsets and just shoot a little graphite in the journals.
> I think there is a different part number also for the Kadee wheelsets with slightly shorter axles.


And yes I DID miss it! lol thanks TW I figured you would be on the ball :smilie_daumenpos:


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## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

Oh, they actually have those in stock again? I watched their web site for two years, provided my email address several times to be notified when more were in stock, watched as they raised the price for an item they didn't have available to sell, and finally realized that the tool wasn't really as much of a necessity as they made it out to be.

Hey MicroMark! It's been, what, four or five years now since you promised to notify me when this tool was back in stock? I guess your notification tool doesn't work either!

_Yes, I'm sure the tool really is a good timesaver, but after all of the above I'm *really* jaded..._


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## time warp (Apr 28, 2016)

JNXT 7707 said:


> And yes I DID miss it! lol thanks TW I figured you would be on the ball :smilie_daumenpos:


Great minds.........:lol_hitting:


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## time warp (Apr 28, 2016)

Shdwdrgn said:


> Oh, they actually have those in stock again? I watched their web site for two years, provided my email address several times to be notified when more were in stock, watched as they raised the price for an item they didn't have available to sell, and finally realized that the tool wasn't really as much of a necessity as they made it out to be.
> 
> Hey MicroMark! It's been, what, four or five years now since you promised to notify me when this tool was back in stock? I guess your notification tool doesn't work either!
> 
> _Yes, I'm sure the tool really is a good timesaver, but after all of the above I'm *really* jaded..._


I don't know, man. A couple members here bought them several months ago.:dunno:


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## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

time warp said:


> I don't know, man. A couple members here bought them several months ago.:dunno:


Oh I'm not doubting they have them back in stock again. Like I said, it's been a number of years, but they were out of stock for a very long. When they raised the price from $15 to $20 on the tool, I thought surely that meant they were about to get more in so I sent yet another request for notification when they were in stock... After a few more months of watching I gave up for good.

And come on, who raises the price on an item you're not even selling? That just felt all kinds of shady to me.


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## MtRR75 (Nov 27, 2013)

Smartens66 said:


> Upon closer inspection the problem is the axel is slightly wider not longer than the stock ones.


That does not surprise me. The journal boxes (the part where the axle goes into) look pretty skinny in your pics. The truck-tuner is a good idea, but there may not be enough plastic there to widen the entry without destroying the truck.


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## JNXT 7707 (May 5, 2013)

Shdwdrgn said:


> Oh I'm not doubting they have them back in stock again. Like I said, it's been a number of years, but they were out of stock for a very long. When they raised the price from $15 to $20 on the tool, I thought surely that meant they were about to get more in so I sent yet another request for notification when they were in stock... After a few more months of watching I gave up for good.
> 
> And come on, who raises the price on an item you're not even selling? That just felt all kinds of shady to me.


Shdwdrgn, I feel your pain :laugh:
And all of the above, plus similar stories I've heard over recent years give me panic attacks whenever I can't find mine 
Like TW though, I thought I had heard that they had got them back in stock lately. I've even considered getting a 'back-up' tuner, but $20 is a bit much to throw away just because I'm OCD hwell:


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## Old Maud (Aug 5, 2017)

JNXT 7707 said:


> I can't believe - unless I missed it? - no one has mentioned a truck tuner.
> http://www.micromark.com/HO-Truck-Tuner_2
> It looks a little pricey for the small, simple little tool it is, but it's one of the top 10 tools I cannot live without, especially if you like to upgrade older rolling stock. Use one of these on your old trucks and your Kadee wheels will run great - and you can keep your old truck. Will save you $$ in the long run.


I was coming here to post this. Micromark tuner is what you seek.


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## Ace (Mar 30, 2016)

A hobby shop 45 miles away has that MicroMark truck tuner tool for $23 (shown in first photo). That's more than I would pay to work on train-set cars that are basically surplus to me anyway. I might try making my own tool like that from rod material. It doesn't have to be hardened to cut plastic.

I've already accomplished the same results with a Dremel pointy tool as shown in second photo. A tool that I already had. You have to come in at an angle but it works fine if you're careful and consistent in method.

Harbor Freight has a cheap electric rotary tool with multiple bits often available for under $10, which would be adequate for this job and also serve for other light-duty hobby work.

Those are some alternate cheaper possibilities. Incidentally I've never had need to do this on HO Athearn or MDC cars, the brands I originally bought for my railroad.


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## santafealltheway (Nov 27, 2012)

time warp said:


> You do not have to grind them, just get a truck tuner from Micro Mark which will dress the bearing pockets in the trucks. I would suggest leaving the stock wheelsets and just shoot a little graphite in the journals.
> I think there is a different part number also for the Kadee wheelsets with slightly shorter axles.


+ 1 on this.

nothing wrong with plastic, unless you just gots to have dat clickety clack.


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## santafealltheway (Nov 27, 2012)

Ace said:


> A hobby shop 45 miles away has that MicroMark truck tuner tool for $23 (shown in first photo). That's more than I would pay to work on train-set cars that are basically surplus to me anyway. I might try making my own tool like that from rod material. It doesn't have to be hardened to cut plastic.
> 
> I've already accomplished the same results with a Dremel pointy tool as shown in second photo. A tool that I already had. You have to come in at an angle but it works fine if you're careful and consistent in method.
> 
> ...



it might seem like a lot but it REALLY is worth it.


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## time warp (Apr 28, 2016)

I've not had trouble putting metal wheelsets in old AHM cars, but apparently the Tyco cars are a different issue. Most of mine have the original plastic wheels and run just fine.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Good tools are an investment and the right tool for the job always performs better.

$23 is a small price to pay for this gem of a tool that you will use over and over again to improve the rolling characteristics of your equipment. Like SantaFeAlltheWay says, it's worth it.

Go buy a Truck Tuner.


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## J.C. (Dec 24, 2016)

CTValleyRR said:


> Good tools are an investment and the right tool for the job always performs better.
> 
> $23 is a small price to pay for this gem of a tool that you will use over and over again to improve the rolling characteristics of your equipment. Like SantaFeAlltheWay says, it's worth it.
> 
> Go buy a Truck Tuner.


I'll agree with that to point . it only a good investment if your going to use it , I don't have one as I've only had few that I would use it on (3 at 4 at most) thus it wouldn't be a good investment.


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## JNXT 7707 (May 5, 2013)

J.C. said:


> I'll agree with that to point . it only a good investment if your going to use it , I don't have one as I've only had few that I would use it on (3 at 4 at most) thus it wouldn't be a good investment.


That's a good point with any tool. If you prefer new, RTR rolling stock you might never need a truck tuner. 
It is, however, indispensable - on par with a NMRA standards gauge - if you plan on upgrading older models. Before I was aware that a truck tuner existed, I tried many of the alternate methods described in previous posts. All had the potential to work fine, but I recall much trial and error with all of them. So this little tool has saved me many hours of frustration.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

If I could add my 2 cents; I do not own a truck tuner, and I have never had the need to use one....I've converted literally HUNDREDS of car/truck wheels, and never had the need to use more than a sharp #11 exacto blade....

Although I don't begrudge the people that do, I don't convert the cheapy cars (Tyco, Life-like, etc)....so maybe that's why I've never needed one.....


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