Press fit tolerance for wheels

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Andy G
Engine Driver
Posts: 25
Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2013 11:22 pm

Press fit tolerance for wheels

Post by Andy G » Mon Jul 07, 2014 1:19 am

Hi Folks,
The driving truck I bought a while back had wheels that needed correctly re-profiling and setting to run truly on the axles.
The wheels had previously been glued on. I have had the wheels removed and am now wanting to sort them out.
I plan to machine the axle diameter down a little, re-bore the wheels slightly larger, then machine up a sleeve (like a polo), then press fit the parts in the vice to a single assembled unit.
The idea is to use the existing axles, which have the centre section machined to a centralised taper.
Any suggestions on the idea, and in particular, any thoughts on a good interferance fit for the parts to be a success?
Thanks,
Andy G.
Eddyg
Fat Controller
Posts: 122
Joined: Tue Sep 27, 2005 11:35 pm
Location: North East England

Re: Press fit tolerance for wheels

Post by Eddyg » Mon Jul 07, 2014 10:24 pm

Andy,

I would agree with your method of recovering the axles although I would be inclined to silver solder the sleeves to the axles. I assume the axles have centres in the ends so you can turn them between centres, so after fitting the sleeves you can make a finishing cut so the wheel seats are true. No doubt you will have rebored the wheels in a three jaw chuck, so make the new seats an interference fit of around a thou per inch, erring on oversize. You'll need a big vice to press them on and you'll have to make arrangements to keep them square. A hydraulic press would be much better if you can access a one. Once the wheels are pressed on you can reprofile them in the lathe and get them true.

Eddie
Andy G
Engine Driver
Posts: 25
Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2013 11:22 pm

Re: Press fit tolerance for wheels

Post by Andy G » Mon Jul 07, 2014 11:52 pm

Hi Eddy,
thanks for your reply and advice.
Yes you are correct, the axles do have centres in the ends.
My thoughts were to make a mandrell to hold the wheels on (like a stub axle), to true up the individual wheels and re-profile them prior to going onto the axles,(having first re-bored them in the 3 jaw chuck).
The pressing on, may have to be done at my local garage where the wheels were recently persuaded to leave the axle's so that the wobble could be rectified.
Cheers
Andy G.
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