Install oil-impregated bushings in your freight car trucks

[xl_special]

After years of listening to my freight cars squeek as they ran around, I have found a cost effective ($.80 per axle) way to fix the problem. The first thing you'll need is a .250 dia drill and a cheapo drill press. You'll want to dull the sharp edges on the drill bit, otherwise it will cut away too much plastic. This is very important. Set your drill press so the max depth drilled, leaves .060 of the truck frame left at the bottom of the new .250 dia hole. (see the attached pictures). Press the bushing in using an old axle chucked in the drill press. Press it in flush to the inside face of the truck frame. The bushings are part number SS-48-4, SAE841 sintered bronze oil impregated bearings. They are available on-line from www.applied.com. (you'll need to set up an account - easy! ) You'll never need to oil your freight car trucks again. I've found the bushings will last a lifetime. Have fun. Larry

[Grant-Kerr]

Thank you for this Larry. It is appreciated.

[du-bousquetaire]

Thank you Larry this is really good stuff, with the adress to order the bushes. I use an old hand cranked drill press as an axle press it has a screw feed, I bought it at a flea market years ago dirt cheap (when I didn't have a cheapo drill press) and now that is its main use great for flywheels and putting on or removing wheelsets on axles.

[enginear joe]

 This is good for me too. A few years back I saw some thing like these in the Aristo catalog. I could not get info on what they were for and how to install them. They look just like these but offered no specs.