Wheel sets out of gauge - cure?

A battery terminal puller and a little CA (Super Glue) may work.

Mike - not the splined type of axle, wheels are supposed to spin freely on axle. Wheels are held loosely in place by 4 clinch points on the axle, 2 on either side of each wheel.

My main concern is how to move the 2 inner clinch point further inboard without bending the axle in the process. I don't have an arbor press (yet) or any fancy clinches and anvils.

Mike, that's a great solution for modern wheel sets, but for those post war ones, not so much.

Do you have any junker cars you can swap them out with?

I take it the wheels will not come off axle ? so if that s the case how about a few C-Clips or E-Clips.

Big_Boy_4005 posted:

Mike, that's a great solution for modern wheel sets, but for those post war ones, not so much.

Do you have any junker cars you can swap them out with?

Yeah, probably. But the Scotsman in me has a hard time parting with anything. You make a good point though, seems easier to just pop some old wheel/axle sets out and into this car. Maybe I can sell the "old junkers" on ebay as "rare vintage wheel-less Lionel cars", "one of a kind factory defects" ..... for a ton of cash!

clem k posted:

I take it the wheels will not come off axle ? so if that s the case how about a few C-Clips or E-Clips.

I thought about the e-clips...thought they might catch on the ears of those pinch points...but was willing to try....until I discovered ... wait for it .... I have no e-clips!!! And no, the wheels have pinch points on the outside of the axles also, so sliding them off isn't happening! I wonder what Lowes has in the way of small e-clips.....?

I would swap them with MPC wheel sets, or else use tape to force them to stay outwards. Had the same problem with a Marx Caboose, has tape on the axle still.

How about pulling a wheel and inserting a tube cut to the required length to maintain the proper spacing?

Jan

Jan posted:

How about pulling a wheel and inserting a tube cut to the required length to maintain the proper spacing?

Jan

Pulling a wheel would be nice, but not quite sure how to get rid of that clinch point in the axle to do that. Those axles appear to be hardened.

You can drive the axle from the wheel with a pin punch.
use a small hammer to gently tap the axle flush with the wheel.
Then use the pin punch to tap it through.

You will need something to back up the wheel. I made a small plate years ago.

The wheel's hole will have a small groove afterwards.
When reinstalling the wheel, you will be able to "feel" the groove when the spline (clinch point) on the axle hits it.
Tap the opposite end of the axle to drive it back through the wheel using the groove.

I have not heard of any cases where that little groove caused any harm.

C W Burfle posted:

You can drive the axle from the wheel with a pin punch.
use a small hammer to gently tap the axle flush with the wheel.
Then use the pin punch to tap it through.

You will need something to back up the wheel. I made a small plate years ago.

The wheel's hole will have a small groove afterwards.
When reinstalling the wheel, you will be able to "feel" the groove when the spline (clinch point) on the axle hits it.
Tap the opposite end of the axle to drive it back through the wheel using the groove.

I have not heard of any cases where that little groove caused any harm.

Thanks CW, excellent idea, I will use that next time.

Thanks all! I am loathe to admit it, but because time is valuable and this car is cheap, the tape on the axle suggestion won out the day. The good news is that nobody can see it .... wait, now all of you know about it! The other good news is that the lad is running it around the track now with no derailments.

By the way, are you certain the axles aren't bent. Those wheels look very crooked. It's not common, but could the holes in the wheels be enlarged from wear?

The holes in the wheel appear to be about "normal" - certainly some wear, and you're right - they do rock back and forth a bit, but the axles themselves are all perfectly straight ... and rusty.

By the way, Train tender gets 18 cents an axle when you buy them in lots of 20. 30 cents purchased individually. Something to consider if you have to purchase material to make a spacer.

That written, could you use a length of drinking straw?
(Not something I've tried)