I am working on a Bowser M1a kit. I had it running decently, but I suspect my drivers are out of quarter. I checked them and 2 of them are out by a small amount. What is the proper way to quarter these? Should I pull the driver off and then re-assemble it that way or can I get away with somehow turning one of the wheels on the axle? Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.
Northwest Shortline makes a quartering tool, The Quarterer
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/53-444
Maybe a bit pricey if you only are doing one locomotive, but maybe worth it if you plan on more
If you are absolutely certain the offset angle (which should be close to, but does not have to be exactly, 90 degrees) on your drivers is not consistent on all driver sets, then you will need to pull and re-install the offending drivers. Attempting to adjust by twisting will most certainly cause more problems. In some cases it does make a difference whether you pull the insulated or non-insulated driver.
As an fyi, I checked 3 of the 4 drivers on the quartering jig that you mentioned, G Paine. So I will go ahead and pull the driver off and re-install it. I have a puller that would work fine for that.
I usually pull the non insulated wheel from the axle. When I press it back on I use a tiny drop of thread lock by Locktight. If you get the red super strength thread lock you will never have to pull that wheel again.
Pete