16.5 inch radial wheels hold air on coach
- Thread starter LARRYT
- Start date
FWIW, I kept 2 steel wheels for checking and aligning the rear bogies.
Pull one of the rear wheels off and one at a time put all 7 wheels (tires removed) on and spin them measuring each for run-out. Keep the two straightest.
To check alignment, remove both rear wheels on right or left side. Mount the two saved wheels backwards on the hubs. Now using a straight edge that is long enough to span the two backwards mounted wheels across the center line of the wheels. The straight edge should touch each of the two wheels on a total of 4 spots. That tells you that both wheels are aligned with each other. Bend the bogie arms accordingly to achieve alignment with each other. Now measure distance from rim to frame on both wheels to find alignment with frame. JWID.
Pull one of the rear wheels off and one at a time put all 7 wheels (tires removed) on and spin them measuring each for run-out. Keep the two straightest.
To check alignment, remove both rear wheels on right or left side. Mount the two saved wheels backwards on the hubs. Now using a straight edge that is long enough to span the two backwards mounted wheels across the center line of the wheels. The straight edge should touch each of the two wheels on a total of 4 spots. That tells you that both wheels are aligned with each other. Bend the bogie arms accordingly to achieve alignment with each other. Now measure distance from rim to frame on both wheels to find alignment with frame. JWID.
Hi Larry,
I'm not sure that each pair of rear wheels needs to be aligned to run in the same track. As along as the track of each rear wheel pair is parallel with each other and parallel with the frame. I don't have a photo of what I mean, but think of the following. Underscore character (_) is mid-rear wheel and dash (-) is rear-rear wheel ___ --- they will both track together even if they are off by say 1/4".
Here is how I check my alignment of fronts and rears:
Resource icon
Just my Ex-farmboy shade tree mechanic way of seeing things.
Yes, each rear wheel needs to run parallel to the frame. I'm not sure how two wheels on one side could both be parallel to the frame and _not_ be aligned.Hi Larry,
I'm not sure that each pair of rear wheels needs to be aligned to run in the same track. As along as the track of each rear wheel pair is parallel with each other and parallel with the frame. I don't have a photo of what I mean, but think of the following. Underscore character (_) is mid-rear wheel and dash (-) is rear-rear wheel ___ --- they will both track together even if they are off by say 1/4".
Here is how I check my alignment of fronts and rears:
Resource icon
Just my Ex-farmboy shade tree mechanic way of seeing things.
For that to happen there would have to be two bends in an individual bogey arm to bring it back to being parallel - one bend in and one bend out. How exactly could that happen?
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I've seen a bogey with a replacement spindle. It was just a little different from the others, and required a spacer washer about 1/8" thick to get the bearing retainer nut to land in the right spot. The cotter pin holes in the spindle were different, and a couple other little things I'm forgetting. It was kind of strange, and I don't know what it's provenance was. Maybe a swap like that could account for a small difference. One would hope not...
A spindle spacer washer wouldn't affect wheel alignment. The only way that could happen is if the spindle wasn't fully seated and bolted up cocked, and I don't believe that's possible.
I think I get what Paul is saying...
A spacer (or set of spacers, for whatever reason it/they might be needed) could push a spindle farther out than its neighbor, causing the wheel to sit proud of its neighbor. Both are in parallel to the body and aligned, but a board across both wheels would not make four contacts. In alignment with the coach but not on the same plane.
A spacer (or set of spacers, for whatever reason it/they might be needed) could push a spindle farther out than its neighbor, causing the wheel to sit proud of its neighbor. Both are in parallel to the body and aligned, but a board across both wheels would not make four contacts. In alignment with the coach but not on the same plane.
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Agreed, but my point is, I've encountered a replacement spindle that is "odd". There could be other, weirder spindles out there in the wild. When faced with a mystery, sometimes we have to consider the unexpected. In that light, I'm just offering up what I've seen.
I agree that it would be difficult to double-bend bogies so they're still parallel but somehow have an offset. A poor spindle replacement could introduce an offset, and perhaps, an unlikely explanation.
Upon further consideration I think it is possible to have 2 wheels on the same bogey box parallel to the frame and not in alignment with each other. Extremely unlikely, but possible.
If the bogey box itself wasn't square to the frame and both bogey arms had bends in equal and opposite directions, it could happen. I could also win the lottery!
I have a couple odd-ball spindles which I discovered when I was replacing my rear bearings. Everything went fine until I went to do the bearing pre-load and discover the socket from the driver's side was larger than the spindle nuts on the passenger side. Thought maybe one side was replaced with an early version spindle. But looking at the GM Recall notice, the bearings were a different size also the hubs indicated that they were not the early version. If I recall, the driver's side was 7/8" and the passenger side was 3/4" (or maybe 3/4 & 5/8")
The keyed washer was the same as the driver's side, so it could jump out of the keyway and spin with the wheel. I managed to find a Dorman washer that fit reasonable well (but I think it was metric). Maybe the threads were damaged so the spindle was turned down, but the threads a cleanly cut, so no evidence i can see. I've put about 25k on since then and had all rears off to update the brakes in the past couple of years. Everything appears to be in good shape
One of those things that make you say Huh?
The keyed washer was the same as the driver's side, so it could jump out of the keyway and spin with the wheel. I managed to find a Dorman washer that fit reasonable well (but I think it was metric). Maybe the threads were damaged so the spindle was turned down, but the threads a cleanly cut, so no evidence i can see. I've put about 25k on since then and had all rears off to update the brakes in the past couple of years. Everything appears to be in good shape
One of those things that make you say Huh?
