Replace wheels or replace trucks?

[MisterBeasley]

I'm starting to see the light on this plastic wheels thing. I've got a fleet of old cars with plastic wheels, which I'd like to slowly convert. What's the consensus on replacing just the wheels vs. replacing the trucks? Is the cost difference significant? Thanks.

[BRAKIE]

I just replace the wheels instead of the complete truck..IMHO there is no real need to change out the complete truck unless its falls below your standards for roll ability.

[Pruitt]

I, on the other hand, favor changing out the entire truck. I use metal-sideframe sprung trucks (mostly Kadee, though I have a few other brands), and the improved tracking and lowered center of gravity really are an improvement.

Replacing trucks is more expensive than just new wheelsets, but worth the cost, I think.

[Morpar]

I would second what Brakie said, but with one exception. If you have any old "toy train" stuff, you probably should just change the whole truck. I'm not sure about the older Bachmann, but I know the Tyco trucks use an odd wheelset that I could not find a metal replacement for. I think the old Life-Like stuff may fall into the same realm. If you have older Athearn or MDC, then just wheelsets are fine. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Wheel sets vary is wheel size and axle length.
Popular up-graded sets include KD, IM, P2K but they are all not the same axle length.

You should visit the www.reboxx.com site , a leader in after market HO wheels and click on "Products".

[selector]

I just changed mine to Proto 2000 metal wheels, and have had fairly good results. You could always do it in two phases; first the axles, then the trucks. It would spread the cost over time, and the work load, too.

[Leon Silverman]

Replacing the wheelsets instead of the whole truck would give you the most bang (improvement) for your buck. Many old train brands were equipped with thin sharp edged flanges that picked at every opening in the track and frequently simply broke. Replacement of these wheels with ones sporting the current NMRA RP25 contour would eliminate virtually all of these tracking problems. One exception to this rule would be if the the ends of the old wheels had a cylindrical profile instead of the needlepoint end currently used. The reason for todays free rolling trucks is the minimal surfact area contract afforded by the needlepoint axles running in a conical depression of the truck side frame. Running a needlepoint axle in a sideframe designed to accept a cylindrical (flat) end will be less free rolling due to the increased surface contact area. If this is the case, replace the whole truck.
One more thing, if these trucks are talgo trucks (where the couplers swing with the trucks), this would be a good time to body mount the couplers.

[orsonroy]

I've standardized my wheelsets on P2K's, and generally only change the trucks when they don't fit well in them. P2K's work well in sideframes made by P2K, Athearn, Roundhouse, Red Caboose, Accurail and Walthers, which make enough different sideframes to cover my needs (I'm modeling 1949).

I've found that it's MUCH simpler to standardize on one type of wheelset (and it's one axle length) than to try to keep 37 different axle lengths in stock in my basement! Accurail sells sideframes in groups of 12 to 100, which also makes life easier.