Just took two engines to my LHS to have new traction tires installed? Do you do your own or pay a pro to do the job?
If you do change or replace your own what are the steps to follow?
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Michael Hokkanen posted:Just took two engines to my LHS to have new traction tires installed?
No way!
Do you do your own or pay a pro to do the job?
I do my own.
If you do change or replace your own what are the steps to follow?
1) Cutoff the old/loose tire.
2) Remove the appropriate side rods (I primarily have steam locomotives, and I don't care about the tires on the few diesels I have).
3) Install the new tire, and replace the side rods.
I do it myself. it's a nice entry level task for a novice on the repair bench.
I do it myself. There are dental picks available @ Harbor Freight that make reinstallation a lot easier. The WORST locomotive for tires is my Lionel JLC N&W Y6b. It's a booger, and even at that it isn't too bad.
You are kidding right! Change you're own traction tires, it is not hard.
I've had to do my own. We haven't had a local hobby shop around here for over 10 years. The closest one is over 40 miles away. I'd rather do it myself anyway.
Rusty
Those cheap picks from Harbor Freight make the job easy.
Changing traction tires is as easy as it gets. Remember, they are not like a rubber band. Whatever you stretch them at they will stay there. Roll them on the wheel and under no conditions use any adhesive.
I do my own. I just bought a set of miniature wrenches to remove the extra small nuts. I was afraid that I would botch the heads up too much by using pliers. Marty, I have tried to heed your warning, but I was replacing tires almost every two weeks as they came out of the groove. So, i placed a tiny about of Elmer's glue on the wheel. I figured that that might come off with little effort. So far, the tires have remained in place. I had to do something as it was driving me crazy!
Rick
A traction tire properly put on will not come off. If at any time a tires rolls off, throw it away and put a new one on. Rick, I do not know why your tires came off. This usually happens when they are stretched bigger than should be.
I agree with Marty. Not a pleasant task. However, when you do it right, its' done...........
I’ve always changed traction tires myself.
Curt
I recently ordered new traction tires from MTH for my steam engines, paid for them by credit card and received them in the mail a few days later. Very happy with MTH’s responsiveness.
It was a little tedious, but I figured out how to replace the traction tires. I used a small hex wrench to unfasten the side rods and used my finger nail and a small screwdriver to take the old ones off and slip the new ones on by stretching them slightly.
Reading the above replies is very helpful. Now I realize that stretching the traction tires even a little might have been a mistake, though so far the new ones have worked well.
I change my own.
Reading RR posted:You are kidding right! Change you're own traction tires, it is not hard.
Give the OP credit for asking a question many others may have, especially if they are seeking experience. Perhaps some support and maybe some help with instruction rather than condemn. Teach a man to fish...
Have Fun!
Ron
FYI, the long wrench that comes with Lionel steam engines will fit just about any screw from other makers also.
NOT very easy on an LGB crocodile - requires disassembly down to the axle-gear wheelset, which is inconveniently located beneath a delicate reed switch assembly! CAREFUL work requires realigning eccentric cranks and takes about an hour and a half! 
I change my own. I have a philosophy that if you have a hobby you should be able to do your own repairs.
I change my own. Having been in the hobby for over 50 years there's a lot of repairs you learn to do yourself. Some things are easy while others take time and concentration but at the end of the day you have that satisfaction. I honestly can't remember paying someone for a train repair. Besides there are plenty of guys on this forum who are only too glad to point you in the right direction.
So I usually change my own. However if I have to drop off an engine to be repaired and they need done I might ask the shop to change them while it’s on the bench. I haven’t ever dropped something off just for tires.
I do all my own TT changes. As Gilly alluded to above, the Lionel Y6B is somewhat challenging due to the TT drivers being placed behind the crossheads-just takes some time to drop the driver set for access.
As Marty has said, don't over-stretch them and they don't come off. You shouldn't need glue either. A set of small jewelers screwdrivers also work well as the dental picks.
I also do my own.
I do my own and others.
I do it myself. I can't think of any engines I currently have that are such a PITA to replace where I don't feel comfortable doing so - I've had those before, where you literally have to take half of it apart. I let someone else deal with it. It isn't worth the aggravation and my time.
I rarely, if ever, change out traction tires. I've got engines that are over a decade old, MTH, with probably close to 10K scale miles on them and I've never once changed the traction tires.
SJC posted:I rarely, if ever, change out traction tires. I've got engines that are over a decade old, MTH, with probably close to 10K scale miles on them and I've never once changed the traction tires.
It's rare for me too. They typically break on me first. I know it's time to replace when a long heavy train has trouble getting up a grade.
I do my own too. Not that hard, to do.
I do my own, and lots of other folks tires as well. 
I pack up my engine in the original box. Then surround that with an outer shipping container packed with 3 inches of foam peanuts. Take it over to my local UPS office. Then I purchase round-trip label. Add insurance and the R/T cost is usually under $60. Ship it off to the manufacture and wait three weeks for the return. The manufacturer usually bils my credit card about $30 for parts and labor.
There you go, new tires for less than $100. Much cheaper than Goodyear tire service.
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JUST KIDDING... LIKE MOST OTHERS I DO IT MYSELF.
I used to change my own, now I plain and simple don't replace them, like many others don't.
DISCLAIMER:
This works on my layout and the consists I pull, might not work for everyone. A little steamer slippage is welcome, with diesels, I just add another as need be.
I do my own as well. I think I found an engine WORSE than the Lionel Y6b... that would be the Lionel 2-6-6-2... to pull the driver screw at the steam chest is a real PIA!
Worst one I ever saw is the Vision Line CC2, what a royal PITA! Closely following it is the Cab Forward.
I do my own. Never even occurred to me to have someone else do it as they come with an extra set in the box, and most manuals say how to do it. But then I have only ever changed them when the locomotive threw the tire. My RK EP-5 ate the tires. It has external gears and all the tires came off at once and got stuck int eh gears. Sure made the locomotive stop in a hurry. Needless to say since I had it all apart to remove what was left and to replace them, it got a good cleaning and lubing.
I perform the Tire Changing Procedure myself. On MTH Diesel Locomotives, the older ones are a little time consuming as you have to release the motor from the truck, then remove the two screws that hold the traction casting sides on. I then do one side, then the other. Then repeat the same for the rear of the Diesel. On the newer MTH Diesels, just remove the sides (use a small phillips screwdriver), and use a Dental tool. Replace the side, and of course, do the other side. Then repeat the same for the other truck.
I have yet to perform the same on my Lionel Legacy Diesels as I probably only have about an hour of run time on them.
On Steam Locomotives, I take a picture of how the rods are in position before any disassembly, whether it is Lionel of MTH. This way I do not replace the rods in the wrong position. (I learned this as I made a Large Mistake on a Triplex, and two Side Rods broke).
Just take your time, and all will work out correctly.
Build yourself a good engine work stand! I have 2 strips of 1x4 pine that I made a v grade out of then padded with dish packing foam. I can sit the engine at any angle I need to for the work that has to be done. Just don't over tighten the the hardware back into the wheels as they are softer metal.
I will never forget my first traction tire change... when I changed out the traction tires on my Lionel Y6B.
I did not rotate the driver to pull the driver screw... so I elected to remove the driver back plate on the bottom of the driver housing... big mistake... springs everywhere!
SJC posted:I do it myself. I can't think of any engines I currently have that are such a PITA to replace where I don't feel comfortable doing so - I've had those before, where you literally have to take half of it apart. I let someone else deal with it. It isn't worth the aggravation and my time.
I rarely, if ever, change out traction tires. I've got engines that are over a decade old, MTH, with probably close to 10K scale miles on them and I've never once changed the traction tires.
I also never had to change the tires for my MTH Diesels (some purchased 10 to 20 years ago), but recently changed them for the MTH steam engines purchased then.
Nope, never replaced a single one. And I lost quite a few in the last 25 years.
Engines work just fine for me.
Donald
Have changed many. Made the small tool that was illustrated on the forum out of paper clips for myself and others. Simple tool, easy to change, if the tire was not glued on. No problem.
bruce
Ron045 posted:SJC posted:I rarely, if ever, change out traction tires. I've got engines that are over a decade old, MTH, with probably close to 10K scale miles on them and I've never once changed the traction tires.
It's rare for me too. They typically break on me first. I know it's time to replace when a long heavy train has trouble getting up a grade.
Hmmm, maybe it’s a good thing my reverse loops limit me to 10 to 12 train cars. If longer, might go thru traction tires faster.
I change most traction tires myself on steam and diesels, but usually only after they break. On one or two occasions I had a technician do it when a locomotive was sent for service. That said, I really do not like traction tires and don't think I need them for the short consists that I run on O-54 and O-72 curves.
MELGAR
