# AMS Truck Ball Bearing Upgrade Question



## rhyman (Apr 19, 2009)

I picked up a few Bronson Tate AMS Freight Car Ball Bearing Retrofit Kits at the NGRS. By the way, these things make quite a difference when installed in terms of lowering the rolling friction of the trucks. I plan on upgrading all of my AMS rolling stock with these.

Here is my question. I used a 10-32 tap per the directions to remove the existing bushings on the sideframes. Most came right out. I had a couple that, for whatever reason, failed to break loose. Instead, the tap simply enlarged the opening in the bushing without biting firmly into the metal. Now the tap will just spin in the bushing and the bottom of the tap hits the bottom of the hole in the sideframe so the wider threads on the tap cannot bite. The bushings where this happened are now about half the original thickness.


Has anyone else experienced this problem? If so, how did you get the bushings out? I could always just use a Dremel tool to grind them out, but I thought someone may have a more elegant solution.

Thanks in advance for any good ideas.


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## steam5 (Jun 22, 2008)

Bob 

I have done a few AMS cars. 90% of the existing bushings came out using a reamer. But the few I had trouble with I think I drilled them out and eventualy the drill bit grabbed the bushing could be pulled out. 

Alan


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