Front Wheel Bearings

Hi there,

I wonder if anyone can help.

I have assembled the two front wheels and using the supplied loctite I fixed the bearings in place (as per the instructions). Now the 2 wheels and the axle have been painted I went to put the assemblies together but the axle really struggles to go through the bearings. The only way I can get the wheels to fit (let alone turn) is to file the inside of the bearings and clean up with emery cloth. I guess I have a few questions....

1. Should I have waited until the axle arrived before loctiting the bearings in, even though I didn't see that comment in the instructions?
2. Has anyone else had the same trouble?
3. Will filing the bearings down cause trouble later on?
4. If the answer to 3 is 'Yes' then how do I remove the bearings that have been loctite'd in so that I can purchase new ones and fix these in with the axle in place.

Thanks for your help

Kev

KevinLee wrote:Hi there,

I wonder if anyone can help.

1. Should I have waited until the axle arrived before loctiting the bearings in, even though I didn't see that comment in the instructions?
2. Has anyone else had the same trouble?
3. Will filing the bearings down cause trouble later on?
4. If the answer to 3 is 'Yes' then how do I remove the bearings that have been loctite'd in so that I can purchase new ones and fix these in with the axle in place.

Thanks for your help

Kev

1. Yes is the simple answer, waiting for the axle would have helped greatly.
2. I believe I have seen a post ether on here or FB about this issue recently.
3. honing out the bushes would be possible as long as you can clean them afterwards, they are Sintered (oil/grease impregnated) so any abrasive residue will stick to the surface potential causing excessive wear later.
If you use a solvent to clean them this can also remove the impregnated lubricant again leading to premature wear later.
locktite starts to breakdown with heat above 190C but again that's not good for the impregnated lubricants.
( Max permissible operating Temp for Sintered bronze is 90C )
4. I have removed bushes using a copper or brass drift about 12 to 15mm diameter, angled to catch the inner edge of the bush and given a sharp bang with a hammer. moving  to the opposite side for a second bang and so on.
Due to the impregnated lubricants in the bronze the Locktite doesn't stick all that well.
It will almost certainly damage the bush you are hitting so expect to have to get a replacement one. https://www.steamtractionworld.com/product/al283630-sintered-bronze-bush-x-1/
You should get away with removing just one in each wheel, the outer bush is the cheaper one to replace ! if required.
I am just starting a rebuild on a 4" engine myself and am expecting to have to remove/replace the bushes on its front wheels also.
Hope this helps.
                     Simon C

Thanks for your reply Simon…..

I was hoping it wasn’t a bearing replacement but sounds like it might be I do have a fly press which may well help in getting those bearings out.

Anyhow, I was also thinking about this last night and it struck me that the axle doesn’t actually fit into the first bearing which makes me think it isn’t an alignment issue. I guess my next question then is…

Should the bearings require any hand finishing when they are sent either to make them fit into the wheel or to make the axle fit into the bearing. If it was an alignment issue then I would expect the axle to fit in either side of the wheel but not pass all the way through. What do you think?

Kev

an adjustable reamer might just clean them up to let them run smoothly. At worst you then remove them for new ones but i would try that first. I cant imagine they are very large in size so a reamer wouldn't be expansive and a useful tool. You wont be getting any abrasive in there then.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334713317634?hash=item4dee77e902:g:7gcAAOSwIWdj4TK1&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4BmJlRslppWOmU6dj82F6wof2w6wnTvt1%2BjPfyUy6nEAe%2BdSrnXqRqlBa7bTflif9W%2FE8mKm6LaDBsxcz9PQ%2BQshyOP%2F4IyUt%2Be5QTEJKmyPmFJSEFF8weOIu2S4fH%2BxB9MDwGVeOX6KyhKwewRn1zr%2B%2F3GFjUXQtFLJbynIttcpCDdV2bQ9YG%2BveANL99EzI9ZOUMzVUfqeP0nGFjTKLfgHmeSImZ9UDgdcNRd1%2BLSFkLbs59orMyq5yp5eWb%2B%2FtVlfZOwUfG1VVfpZh7V0SU2E2rKs2iwYk%2FYE8JfpU9zJ%7Ctkp%3ABFBMpuul-Y5i

Hi I had a similar issue with the bushes on my 2" model I checked the shafts for true with a Vernier and found them good , I purchased a 13-75 to 15.25 adjustable reamer and slowly cleaned out from both ends , problem solved

When inserting the bushes there is a tolerance, if after inserting the bushes the axle is fitted before the locktite hardens then any tolerance is lined up. Check that the bushes are a nice sliding fit on the axle first though.

Thanks all, I ended up buying a set of adjustable reamers in the end and opened out the bushes.

I agree with you Steve but the axle wouldn’t fit through one bearing bush so to me that is not an alignment issue, that is a bore diameter/axle diameter issue.

Either way, I measured the axle and opened out the bushes to match. I then cleaned up the swarf with an airline so hopefully that will be OK.