Blue Plastic Tracks
How Do You Remove Siderods? (Updated Conclusion) - Printable Version

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How Do You Remove Siderods? (Updated Conclusion) - Super - 08-06-2014

Does anyone have a good way to remove siderods from the back (drive) wheels without damaging the rod or the wheel?


RE: How Do You Remove Siderods? - sunhuntin - 08-06-2014

i use a pair of tweezers or simlar with a flat edge to push them through. takes a while and can scrape a little plastic from the ball part, but that wont be visible when re-fitted


RE: How Do You Remove Siderods? - Ucwepn - 08-06-2014

the newer trackmasters are a very tight fit indeed, I have found it best to do it by hand and pull them out on an angle.


RE: How Do You Remove Siderods? - leylandvictory2 - 08-06-2014

I remove the rod at the front of the engine first then I use a plier and shake it back it forth until the "ball part"comes off. Good Luck.


RE: How Do You Remove Siderods? - emilyfan101 - 08-06-2014

I just replaced my old tomy percy's traction tires. Needed to remove the wheel. For the siderods, I just pull them out by forcing it out of the wheel.


RE: How Do You Remove Siderods? - Super - 08-06-2014

Thanks all for the ideas. Because of them I have successfully removed a pair of long gray rods from an old Henry by using a pair of large bent nose hobby tweezers. The bent nose works perfectly as leverage to roll ball end through the wheel. I think it may be even easier with the regular sized bent nose hobby tweezers so I am going to pick up a pair. Up until now my efforts always ended in damaging the rods...many thanks.


RE: How Do You Remove Siderods? (Updated Conclusion) - Super - 08-13-2014

Updated Conclusion


After much thought and testing I think I may have come up with, what I think, is the optimal way to remove side rods with no damage and no modifications.

All that is needed is a pair of regular sized Bent Tip Tweezers. The large size that gives you more leverage has tips that are too fat to get under the lip of the rod. Insert the regular sized tweezer tips under the rim/lip of the rod. While squeezing the tweezers to keep the tip under the rim, roll the tweezers down (against the wheel) which raises the bent tip and pulling out the ball end. Perfect and no damage.

Check out the pictures.


[Image: 004_zpsdba40e2d.jpg]

[Image: 1002_zps561f8a52.jpg]

[Image: 1003_zps38a6ac57.jpg]


RE: How Do You Remove Siderods? (Updated Conclusion) - Ucwepn - 08-13-2014

Nice work I will need to get some of these to save my fingers haha


RE: How Do You Remove Siderods? (Updated Conclusion) - Super - 08-13-2014

And you being in the business of hand modeling in your videos, your hands are your livelihood Big Grin


RE: How Do You Remove Siderods? (Updated Conclusion) - TrainMan2001 - 08-13-2014

Super you should keep that Thomas, give it express coaches and call it a Day Out with Thomas.