Re-tiring for Retirees
 

Guys,

I'm starting a new thread on re-tiring the Bren bogies.
It would appear that I can get 22" OD x 8" wide x 16" ID (70+ Duro) used forklift tires from a local company for $10 each. I am going to have a machine shop strip the rubber off of a spare bogie and slightly turn down the rim to 16" leaving a very slight shoulder on one side. The machine shop is then going to press on the forklift tire, part it off to the correct width, turn the OD to 19" for the rear (20" for the middle/front) and then slightly chamfer the sides. We should have enough rubber/rim left to do another bogie from the same forklift tire.
The machine shop is going to get started this week. I will keep my fingers crossed and will update everyone as soon as I see the results. If this works, I can get access to 20 to 30 of these tires per year at this price.

Regards, Richard

Hi Rich
just wonder how you made out with your retiring the carrier wheels
with they withstand the speed

One friend here and owner of the sole surviving Bren Carrier re-rubbered eight UC wheels recently. Here is a photo:

Attachment 47771

And finally, one (maybe stupid :giveup) question I have to the bren carrier masters is: all the bearings of the wheels are the same?

Attachment 47772

kostas

no the front idlers are different (the inner bearing has a 50mm ID bearing) the rest are all 40mm ID bearings.....unless you make a shim then you can run on 50's

Michael, Kostas, etc
 

The wheels all have the same bores. the inner front bearing mounts to a stub axle that is bigger in dia. (50mm) at the inner end. The outer end is 40mm. this is because of the loading as well as the front stub only being supported at the inner end, whereas the other axles are all supported at both ends.
So the o.d. of all bearings are the same. What Richard is saying is that the 50mm bore bearings are cheaper to buy. I think Kevin did the research and turned up spacers to enable the use of the 50mm bore bearings at all locations. The bearings are a standard metric 6000 series ball race. I think all are inter-changeable from the early bren through to the T16. There are some semi thrust bearings in some carriers, and some are fitted with bushes. The rule would be to use the same style of what ever type in each wheel assembly.

We have some LP wheels fitted with bushes. How many people are running wheels with bushes instead of bearings? Or does everyone use bearings?

Cheers.

The current bearing number is still the same for the 40mm one @ skf 6408,
The 50mm bore bearing is (I think) skf 6410.
the location of where the different bogie wheels are fitted probably only effects the ride height and the track adjustment.
Michael, That return roller is different to what we out here are used to seeing. Is it MkII or T 16?

Photo 5, what is the piece of tube protruding from the hull infront of the rear suspension unit? Is this an exhaust conversion like the NZ Tekapo conversion, or is it to mount some sort of pontoon wading equipment or the likes?

I think what you boys are talking about is the ice or mud scrapers at the rear of the carrier That is the only thing that looks like a tube that I can see
but then my eye sights not that good

no i see it too bolted in just in front the bogey...large round tube...similar to the cross tube.... i think it could be a for wading i think i saw something similar in Nigel's book

seems to be edited out of the pic now hahahahaha

Sorry again boys I didn't get that picture a friend just sent it to me, and it is an add on for a snow plow
Just ignore my last post

Re-Tiring Status
 

Guys,

First, thanks for the clarification that the front and rear bogies are 20" in diameter.
Unfortunately, stripping the old rubber from the bogie, turning the rim down, OD'ing the fork lift tire, boring out the steel sleeve on the inside of the fork lift tire, parting to width and pressing the assembly together took a lot more time than anticipated. The bill came in at almost $600. It looks good, is firmly secured to the rim and should work for the next 100 years.
Bottom line - carrier restoration isn't cheap.
Regards, Richard

Rich it may have been much much cheaper to re rubber the wheel rather than sweat on the rim.... Mind it was a good thought to try something different I may look into it again last time I tried I got quoted 70 per wheel and I thought that was pricey

$600 Well Spent
 

Yo RichardT,

70 for a re-tire sounds like a great price! I would imagine freight to the UK and back might add some expense. Anyways, we will continue to plug along with it. By the way, what can you buy with $600 that is going to last 100 years....it isn't a computer, TV, microwave, DVD player, iPad?
Cheers guys. Snow is now gone and we will be busy finishing the bren for May 27th. I will keep MLU posted with pictures.