Got lots of older Athearn rolling stock that could probably use an upgrade on their wheels to steel. Is there an inexpensive brand and method to replace the wheels with a better steel wheel? Regards, groundnull
I would go with Kadee wheels, price is about the same, but with Kadee your assured the fact that they will be within NMRA standards and simply a hobby standard. You can easily find the website with a Google search to see the number for the size desired. Don't purchase from them due to fully MSRP charged. I'm sure one of the TB Vendors will carry your needs
There are quite a few good brands out there. I'm currently in the process (still) of replacing all plastic wheels with metal. Kadee is very good and I'm now using Proto 2000. A friend swears by InterMountain. I'm certain that others can put forth their favorites. These wheels along with adherence to the NMRA weight standards (or a tad over) has led to much improved operation over my much-less-than perfect track.
I was kind of like you. After being back in the hobby for several years, I had acquired a fair number of cars, including Athearn, all with plastic wheels. I have since replaced all of the wheels with metal wheels, mainly Intermountain. They roll great, sound fantastic (real clickety-clack), and look better. Intermountain and Branchline wheels have metal axles. I think those are better than the plastic axle types I've tried. To keep the costs down, you can buy the wheels in bulk, Intermountain and Branchline have 100 wheelset packs. All of the fleet also received Kadee couplers. Kadee #5, #58 and others come in bulk packs of 20 or more without coupler boxes. With my rolling stock being Athearn, Accurail, Walthers, Proto 2000, and a few Branchlines, I haven't had to use the coupler boxes you get in the envelope packs. Every car I now acquire gets the same upgrade for wheels and couplers.
The stock side frames that Athearn supplies with their older kits tend to leave a lot of movement of the axles when replacing the stock wheels with most other brands of metal wheels. I replace most of my stock Athearn wheels with Accurail trucks and Proto 2000 wheels. More accurate design and the P2K metal wheels are good performers at a decent price.
No matter what brand you switch to (or even for those that use the stock wheelsets) you should use one of these on you trucks http://www.micromark.com/HO-TRUCK-TUNER,8241.html AND of course a NMRA gauge to make sure everything is just right ratled
I do not like Kadee wheels as they use a blackening agent which I think looks worse than no blackening and which apparently comes off and leaves dirt on the Track. I use to use Proto2k wheels almost exclusively, but for the past almost 2 years, their wheels have been junk. They've clearly reduced the quality somehow as the wheels look rougher with more irregularities. If you find an old package from 2008 or older, then go for it, otherwise I stick with Intermountain now. Having said that, the Kadee Blackening agent can be removed and the P2K, even bad ones are still better than plastic as far as I'm concerned, so I'd just choose whichever is cheapest. When I was in SD, P2k was cheapest. Up here at my LHS, the Intermountains are cheapest. Don't know why. And it's always cheaper to buy the bulk packs.
Wow...I am going to nominate that as the tool of the year. And...for the past 2 years I have been jacking around with multiple size drill bits thinking "they really ought to come up with a tool that has proper sized bits on BOTH ends that you can use to work on these &%$#@!$ trucks with" :ru-embarrassed:
I think the biggest things that came out of this thread for me is that; HO Truck Tuner, buying wheels in bulk packs and try and stick with one brand of wheel which ever you choose. Thanks fellas; you can always learn something from most of these threads if you take the time to read through them:thumbs_up:
