Bachmann wheels onto Lima axles

[Andrew F]

Hello. Has anyone ever swapped the wheels from Bachmann wheelsets (12mm wagon/coach) onto Lima axles and vice-versa without damaging the axles?

 

The insulated Lima wheel comes off the axle quite easily but the non-insulated does not. Is there an easy way to remove both wheels from both axles?

 

Thanks

Andy

 

 

[The Bigbee Line]

I did some years ago.  I sawed the non insulated wheels towards the axle, then with half the wheel in a vice, the other half firmly gripped in pliers and flexed, easily comes off the axle. 

[Andrew F]

Thanks for the reply Ernie.  I'm looking to re-use the Lima wheels on the Bachmann axles so I've got to find a way to remove them without damage.

[johnb]

I've done the same thing with pulling Lima wheels off the axles and replacing with Hornby wheels. I use a device that is called a gear puller, I cannot recall where I got it from, essentially it is two arms that fit over the wheel with a centre threaded rod which is simply screwed down onto the axle pinpoint and as it screws down it pulls the wheel off. Yes one Lima wheel is a a very tight fit, but it does pull off and as far as I can tell the pinpoint is undamaged and the Lima wheel looks OK, but I have not reused them. I use an ancient Hamblings wheel press to get the Hornby wheels back on and use a B-to-B gauge to get them properly set, they fit tightly enough to not need gluing

The revised wheel sets run ok, I've only done a number of Lima GUVs.

 

John

[DCB]

I have always found the Lima axles to be larger diameter and shorter overall than other makes. I use them to re wheel Hornby Dublo bogies from 3 rail to 2 rail with integral pickups for this reason.    If I had to try to press the non insulated Lima wheel off  I would ensure that a pinpoint bearing bush is used to press on the pin point of the axle when pressing a wheel on or off to avoid damaging the taper on the end of the axle. 

[dasatcopthorne]

Always difficult with non-insulated wheels.

 

Why not approach for the other direction and buy Lima length axles to fit to your Bachmann wheels.

 

I think EM Soc do them and possibly Alan Gibson.

 

Dave

[Andrew F]

Thanks everyone for your help. I've managed to remove the wheels this way:

 

Pulling off the insulated wheel and then putting the axle vertically and loosely in a vice (wheel at the top) and tapping down on the pin-point with a top hat bearing held in place with fine long nosed plierts. This still leaves a couple of mill of the axle in the wheel as the top hat hits the wheel. I then put the axle tightly and horizontally in the vice with the wheel back against the jaws and used a set of toothed pliers to ease the wheel off the rest of the way. This seems to work fine and no blisters.

[TRAILRAGE]

21 hours ago, Andrew F said:

Thanks everyone for your help. I've managed to remove the wheels this way:

 

Pulling off the insulated wheel and then putting the axle vertically and loosely in a vice (wheel at the top) and tapping down on the pin-point with a top hat bearing held in place with fine long nosed plierts. This still leaves a couple of mill of the axle in the wheel as the top hat hits the wheel. I then put the axle tightly and horizontally in the vice with the wheel back against the jaws and used a set of toothed pliers to ease the wheel off the rest of the way. This seems to work fine and no blisters.

 

That's exactly how I did my Lima Axles when replacing with Hornby 12.5mm Wheels on the Original Axles.

 

 

[Il Grifone]

Heating the wheel should help with its removal. Brute force on a brass bearing will probably damage it, so keep it for this job. The wretched things are very tight on their axles.

[Andrew F]

3 hours ago, Il Grifone said:

Heating the wheel should help with its removal. Brute force on a brass bearing will probably damage it, so keep it for this job. The wretched things are very tight on their axles.

 

That's something I considered and is probably the way to go if you have that useful little blow torch.

 

I used a single brass top-hat bearing to remove wheels from 36 axles yesterday and it looked pretty knackered after that. Knowing me though, it'll still end up being used in a bogie on some unfortunate piece of rolling stock.