A 5mm socket works on the steamer nuts too.
Hi, stopping by from the tinplate forum...
What's a traction tire?
Marty Fitzhenry posted: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 agree with your statement "as easy as it gets",with most steam and diesel engines. Not so with Lionel's Acela. If you have some tips with this engine I would appreciate it greatly. Have read your helpful answers to many questions on this website and value your comments.
As is true for most of us in the country, I have no "LHS" (and by that, you mean "LTS"). It's about as simple as anything can be, generally. I did not say that it can't be frustrating, made worse by the fact that I hate the d**n things.
Un-plated carbon steel driver tires - yes.
George S posted:Hi, stopping by from the tinplate forum...
What's a traction tire?
Tired Feet, from a Tinplate guy
MELGAR posted: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
I change mine when they come out of the wheel grooves when the trains are running. Since I have 031 curves and run trains with 10 to 12 cars, the tires are very useful. So is Magnetraction.
Yes i change my own traction tires!!!!
My 1334 new haven Pacific was walking out of its traction tires new out of the box. I ran the engine in my work stand and brought the outside edge of the tire down flush with the wheel trimming it with a razor blade and put a slight bevel in the rubber. It lets the traction tire slide side to side now without catching and it hasn’t repeated itself.
John, on the CC2 remove the cover that goes over all the driver truck blocks and raise the wheelset up unscrew it and go at it. I do like the way Lionel sets up the drivers for removal.
I do not know one person who can not replace traction tires.
Thanks all for the replies. Next time - I'll try it. With my two engines, and 0-6-0 and a semi scale GG1 the traction tires are a must. My E-3 and GS-4 have not needed a change yet, nor my RS-3. The other two, they slip and go nowhere without them. My larger engine, a Mohawk, uses Magnatraction - no tires. Funny thing though, as much as you all say you do them yourselves, and I BELIEVE you, the techie at my LHS, or LTS as was referred to here, says he changes a lot of them for customers. So I guess many others do not. I have always been a mechanical klutz.
Don't be afraid.
There is absolutely no clearance to change the tires on the baby 027 GG1 (circa 2019). And no way to remove the side rails. Any ideas?
Now that this thread has bubbled back up, I must say or repeat:
Traction tires on any locomotive the level of Toy should be illegal. Y'know, Geneva Convention and all that. Destroyers of mental health. Work of the devil. Nothing that good carbon steel tires can't generally replace - or your grades are too steep.
Me - when they go I ignore it (unless the loco just whines and complains too, too much) and run without them. Doesn't seem to matter in most cases. A "rubber band" should not be in the running gear design specs of a $2000 piece of beautiful scale equipment. They also contribute to electrical pickup (common) issues.
It ain't that bad.
D500,
I agree about the traction tires.
Not sure that you are getting a representative sample here on the forum. I'm fairly certain that hobby shops change lots of traction tires for people without the parts, tools, or skills/inclination to do it themselves.
I changed my first and only traction tire a couple of years ago. It was a bit challenging for me even though I was working on a 2-4-2 locomotive. However I did it, and I'm happy to say I haven't needed to change any others since then. If only the Magic of Lionel Magne-traction hadn't been abandoned, there would be no need for traction tires.
@Marty Fitzhenry posted:I do not know one person who can not replace traction tires.
No disrespect intended for the departed but Marty never met me.
@OKHIKER posted:No disrespect intended for the departed but Marty never met me.
It’s not that bad. Like Marty use to say don’t stretch them out like a rubber band just gently roll it on to the wheel.
No traction tires. No grades. No problem.
I Do it myself..and with the crappy rubber that comes on them from factory its a must..found a guy on E-bay that has them made with a nice rubber ..not the plastic gooey rubber from factory ..just ordered for my Diesel engines
Anyone experience variations in friction among traction tires---some grip better than others?
@Chris Lonero posted:It’s not that bad. Like Marty use to say don’t stretch them out like a rubber band just gently roll it on to the wheel.
I appreciate the advice but it seems that my experience has been it is God awful difficult just to get to the wheels. Two Lionel TMCC Alco C420's and a Lionel TMCC Lehigh Valley SW-1 Switcher wore me out so I gave up and run them without traction tires. For at least a couple of years now there has been no change in their performance. You can have 'em.
@snkbittin, Would you send me a link, too please? My email is in my profile.
Thank you.
Thanks Dave! 
I Just changed tires on a MTH SP AC-6 and I had to take the loco apart to do it,that was my hardest tire change yet,not looking forward to my Lionel AC-12.
Mikey
I have never even thought of having someone else do it.
That's like paying my mechanic to change my windshield wiper blades, or filling the washer fluid!
Jon 
@KOOLjock1 posted:That's like paying my mechanic to change my windshield wiper blades, or filling the washer fluid!
Jon
Attachments
LOL, you guys are funny.
I change mine when I notice they have flung off, tangled in the running gear and the steamer is slipping. I only have one operating diesel and it's to new for tires. The hardest one was my challenger. I'd like to replace those wheels/axles with no traction tire/grooved wheels. I don't think an engine that heavy needs them.
To be fair, I think only us guys with toy-like grades and curves really need them.
Jon
I wait until they start flopping around and then change them. Haven't found one that was too much of a problem. If not for the groove in the wheel, I'd be tempted to run without them.
I change my own, it takes me a little while to do them depending on the engine because of how infrequently I actually have to do them.
I change my own usually, but I do have a question; what are these dental picks from harbor freight? For every job there is the right tool, so if these picks would make changing the tires easier, I would like to get some of them.
It's a set of 4 small picks. It's been as low as 99 cents on sale. Very helpful for this job. I fit one side of the tire in the groove, inaert the 90 degree pick undr the tire. Move it around the wheek, using fingers to hold the other end of the tire and using a finger to slide tire off pick into groove.
I went to my local train store to get replacement traction tires to for my MTH ES44ac. Guy says they don't have any for sale, but they could replace all 4 on the engine for $100 because he says he has to remove the frames, shell, etc. (Without even looking at it).
Later he says he can sell me the tires for $5 each! Says they fit all MTH and Lionel - yeah right. Did not even see product # on the package.
Ended up getting the proper size tires from MTH, using a couple of picks as suggested on this forum, only cost $1.50 for 4 picks. Took 30 minutes to replace all 4 tires and did not have to take apart the engine.
Cost me about $17 for the tires (MTH charges min $10 for parts shipping), a few bucks for the picks, and a few bucks in gas going to the store and wondering if I could to this myself.
But the most valuable thing was being on this forum and reading your suggestions about doing this on my own. I'm sure there are more complex engines which may require an experienced technician to perform this.
You guys and this community are the best, saved us mucho $.
@OC Patrick posted:Says they fit all MTH and Lionel - yeah right. Did not even see product # on the package...
The 222-108 actually does fit just about all diesels.
