I recently got a set of PSC roller bearing Buckeye trucks from my LHS. These come in kit form and are sprung and move just like the real thing. Very nice looking parts. While trying to asssemble the cursed things, one needs to install four coil springs between the sideframes and the spring beams on each side. The springs are not side-by-side, they are on a diagonal on the spring beam. Has anyone been able to get all of the springs in these trucks, and if so, how? I spent quite a bit of time fighting to get the springs in on one side of one set and met with ZERO success. I can get one spring on each beam, but not both. I have already set all these parts in a box and off to the side for now, as any more time with them may cause me to loose what little sanity I have left! I would really like to use these on a project, but at this point they are not worth the hassle, I am considering adding roller bearings to Athearn Buckeye trucks and modifying them instead.
In a related question, what size wheel should be used with these trucks? The wheels that come with the trucks are 33" nickel silver. I was thinking they should 36", but have no way to confirm that. Anyone know what size would be correct for these trucks?
I haven’t built a set of these particular trucks, but here’s a couple of tips I hope are helpful.
Get a Kadee spring sticker. It is a tool with a small, thin blunt end that you use to stick between the spring’s coils to pick it up and place it. Then you gently pull back to release the spring, hopefully in the spot where you want it.
Putting a small piece of tape on the backside of the opening where the springs go, if there is one, will create a boxed-in area so that they don’t slip out the back side. But without having seen this truck, I don’t know if that is part of the problem or not.
The Kadee spring pick is a good idea, also taping up the back so the spring can’t escape that way.
I’ve also had good luck, dealing with small springs , E-clips, etc. in audio/video recorders, by making a loop of thread around the spring/clip/whatever, so that if it DOES try to escape (which it will), the thread will stop it from going too far. The thread can be pulled out once the part is in place.
There’s a device from the olden days called a ruling pen. You used to get one or two of them when you bought a drafting set. They look like tweezers with a handle–there’s also a screw attachment for adjusting the spacing between the two prongs. I’ve used the device for putting springs in trucks. You basicallly grab the spring with it and use the adjusting wheel to compress the spring. You put the spring in place a de-adjust the pen. Works great for me.
Of course, you’ve got to be able to lay your hands on one–got a drafting set tucked away somewhere?
Some ideas on the ruling pen, try Office Depot or Staples. You might try your local high school or vocational college if they have a drafting program they might have some old ones laying around. Don’t use them much these days with CAD. I have my old one and they are great for putting mullins on scratch built windows.