Hi All,
Hope everybody is staying safe and healthy in these trying times. Just remember, model railroading is FUN, no matter what the circumstances.
Due to the occasional controversy regarding problems with Menard's trucks, I am doing a review to share with you what I have learned and what I THINK may be going on here. Specifically, I am talking about their Bettendorf-style trucks which are included on virtually all of their box cars, hopper cars, and their nominal 10-1/2" long flat cars. WARNING: If you are allergic to MODEL RAILROADING, now's a good time for you to exit out of this topic, because I guarantee you will be offended. I know this for a fact, since I've dealt with a few of you types in the past. Don't say you weren't warned. 
Menard's has given us a really good, affordable variety of O-gauge rolling stock. Their cars have 3 basic types of trucks that I am aware of - plastic trucks, Bettendorf-style metal trucks, and roller bearing-style metal trucks. I really like Bettendorf-style trucks, because they fit the time-frame that I like to model. But at the same time they seem to have the most problems, of which I'm pretty sure is just a quality control issue at the Chinese factory that produces them. So that's what I am going to concentrate on. I'm going to tear apart, review, and re-assemble a set of trucks to show you what I have found, and hopefully provide some insight into what is possibly going on with them. Keep in mind, this is just merely my thoughts and guesses as to what's going on here. I cannot 100% guarantee that this is the true problem, but rather, just my best guesses based on my observations and knowledge of manufacturing techniques.
Let's look at a typical Menard's nominal 10-1/2" long flat car. I have bought a few sets of these Rock Island flat cars solely for the road name, and NOT the non-era loads they came equipped with (a whole 'nother can of worms). As a matter of fact, if I can't sell the loads for a few bucks apiece at a train meet, I'll merely use them for target practice at 50 yards with my Hawken .50 caliber black powder rifle. Nothing goes to waste at my place! 
Above is our subject, a nominal 10-1/2" flat car, complete with Bettendorf-style trucks.
Now you don't necessarily have to do any disassembly to fix simple stuff like an axle or two popped out of place, or even remove the bottom coupler plate. But since I like tearing stuff apart, I'm going to show you how I do it. Let's get started.................
In this particular case, you can pry the trucks off of the plastic flatcar frame with pry bars or screwdrivers. The pins are a press-fit, and VERY tight. You have to be careful, so you don't mess up the plastic flatcar body. Hopper cars are similar, but be EXTRA careful so you don't break anything. Box cars use real "riveted" rivets to attach the trucks to the sheet metal underframes, if memory serves. So you will need to drill or grind the head off of one side or the other. Never fear though, easy enough to reattach the truck with a nut and a bolt.
But back to the flatcar. Here's a set of trucks that have been successfully removed. Notice the press-fit pins. Once again, they are a TIGHT press fit in the plastic body.
Okay, now here we go with a couple of options. On the left side, I have removed the wheel/axle/uncoupling plate assembly by physically spreading the side frames slightly. And on the right side, I have pried up the little metal tabs on the uncoupling plate and dropped it off of the axles. Re-read and keep this picture in mind - because it will be coming into play pretty quick as we TAKE A STAB at the possible assembly technique at the factory - and if true, the basic cause for the problems that are being experienced by the end purchaser.
Above are a couple of pic's of a truck disassembled to it's basic parts. We have a stamped-steel truck frame, a couple of cast metal Bettendorf-style side frames, and a spring-loaded knuckle plunger for operating the coupler knuckle. Notice the cast metal side frames are secured to the stamped steel truck frame with Phillips-head screws. Also notice that the cast metal coupler assembly is "riveted" to the stamped steel frame with it's cast-in rivets. There is no further consumer-disassembly of these two components (the cast coupler body and the stamped steel frame) possible without ruining the integrity of the assembly (of course, that still wouldn't stop me from tearing it apart if I decided to
!!!)
Now here is where it gets interesting. I HIGHLY suspect that at the factory, the partially assembled truck frame (as shown above) is riveted to the plastic body at this point. After pressing in the rivet, the spring plunger that keeps the knuckle closed is then inserted into the assembly.
After which, the wheels/axles/uncoupling plate, which have already been pre-assembled themselves, are inserted into the truck assembly by forcibly spreading the truck assembly apart enough to get the axles inserted into place. Once again, I am just guessing that this is the factory assembly technique, as it would go a LONG WAYS into explaining why a lot of purchasers find axles popped out of place (not properly inserted to begin with), or really sloppy-fitting axles (stamped steel frames spread too far apart during assembly) or bent axles (improper handling during assembly). The axles themselves are just mild steel and a little too small in diameter for really adequate strength, in my opinion. They bend a little too easy. And wheels slightly out of gauge, and even coming loose on the axles (I've had a few!). If you have purchased a car with an axle popped out of place, simply try to work it back into place, then using both hands, try squeezing the truck side frames together so the axles can't fall back out. I have straightened bent axles by hand (see, I told you they are a little too flimsy). Yeah, I know, all this is somewhat of a pain, but if it works, you just avoided the hassle of returning the unit for a replacement or a refund.
Since I'm not a fan of magnetic uncoupling (at least for now), I have been removing the uncoupling plates from ALL of my Bettendorf trucks. I have found you can push on the bent plunger tab with a wooden skewer if uncoupling by hand.
In case you're wondering, I have also added a piece of 5/16" square steel bar stock to my flat cars for a little additional weight, so they track better when on the rails.
All in all, in my opinion, the cars are still a pretty good deal even with a few minor faults. No doubt about it, if a lot of cars are having truck problems, then Menard's really needs to see about getting the problems corrected. Personally, the chance of getting a car with a truck problem doesn't scare me away from buying it, especially if it's a car I really want. On the other hand, I have to admit, wrong-era and/or illogical loads or road names have prevented me from buying quite a few of their cars. But that's a whole 'nother can of worms (hmmm, didn't I mention that earlier? ).
Just a side note, I have to admit that I really like GP-7/9's, 40' box cars, and Bettendorf trucks. They bring back a lot of fond memories from my youth in the 1960's. The Geep units and 40' box cars because that's mostly what I saw as a kid in my home town. And Bettendorf trucks, because me, my brothers, and our neighborhood friends used to pop open the journal lids and pee in the bearing boxes. Oh, what fun we had back in those days!
Well, that's pretty much it for now. If you have any better ideas and/or knowledge on these Menard's trucks, please share them with us. Hope you found this at least somewhat interesting and informative. 
