# Traction Tires.



## smcgill (Jan 2, 2008)

O.K. when you have to replace them ( those who do) do you secure them with some type of adhesive? If you do what are you using. Thanks ! Sean


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I replace them with wheels with no traction tires!!! 

Especially on USAT locos, I find they cause more damage then they are worth for the extra traction. 

I'm guessing you are either concerned about slipping or it has happened. A properly sized traction tire on a clean, grease free wheel will not slip in my experience, and if you get it to slip, I submit you are trying to pull too much. Sometimes old stock has lost it's elasticity and they slip, or someone sells the wrong size, close, but not a good fit. 

If you felt compelled to glue them, you would want something that would easily peel out of the recess in the wheel completely. I can't think of anything but maybe a little rubber cement, just a little. 

That's my experience. 

Regards, Greg


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

No adhesive is required when replacing traction tires. If you buy the correct size and for that loco they are a snug fit and will not rotate on the wheel. If you have ever tried moving rubber over metal does not move if the metal is grease/oil free. Later RJD


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

I wish that engines didn't come with traction tires, but since they do I've lived with them. Over many years (25+) I have replaced them on a LGB mogul and a USA T SD-40. There was no problem with the replacement tires on the mogul, but the replacement tires on the SD-40 appeared to be too loose. I replaced them with tires from a USA T F-3 and they have worked well ever since. This was done five or so years ago. The F3 wheels are a smaller diameter than the SD-40 wheels. That is probably why the F3s worked. 

Chuck


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Can you leave traction tires off? I have three NW-2's and I have never had to deal with traction tires. Maybe I live a charmed life. 

I aske this question because I am prepairing for the future when I have to deal with them


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Leaving them off leaves a notch in the wheel, which, in my opinion is bad, especially for traction, and can damage brass rail. There are people who swear no problem. 

Just buy replacement wheel sets without the traction tires... see that link I posted for the part numbers. 

Regards, Greg


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## Dennis Paulson (Jan 2, 2008)

I also do not like the traction tires on any trains .


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

I have replace all wheels on my AC and USAT locos to rid my locos of the traction tires. Just removing the rubber can lead to problems down the road. Later RJD


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

I find that the damage can be done even without overloading the engine.

I have a USA 44-tonner that is continually stripping the gear on the traction-tire axle. I never pull heavy loads with this engine but the gear continually strips.

The problem arises from simply trying to push then engine along the track, such as when it stops over a reed switch, frog, dirty spot, etc. The wheels with the traction tires don't want to slide but instead want to roll and the placement of the wheel gear barely engages the worm gear. Simply pushing the engine is enough to start the gear to strip and it is all downhill from there. 

Today I replaced this axle with a previously changed-out GP-9 or NW-2 axle without the traction tires and we'll see how long the gear lasts. While I can easily fix a cracked gear, I can't fix a stripped gear and it's my last USA wheel-gear that is not stripped.

Then there is also the possibility that the traction tires leave crud on the rails (similar to plastic wheels but rubber rather than plastic), but I don't know that anyone has studied these effects.


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## stevedenver (Jan 6, 2008)

well im in the minority 


i like em


 


typically they dont need to be secured-they should be soft enough to pull over the rim and tight enough to stay put


i tend to run shorter trains, and have moderate grades and R1 and R2 

on my similar lgb engines with and without (stainz-with versus german made porter-without) theres a significant improvement in traction (and these two are close in weight, the porter having smaller drivers) 

i also have 2 2015 tender equipped stainzs-one with traction tire on the engine and the other with traction tire on the tender, which is lighter than the engine-noticeable pulling difference 

the difference in my n scale mikado (kato) was dramatic after i added the Kato after market traction tire equipped axel- 

problems with traction tires are that there is less and sometimes no slip-so multi heading non-synchronized engines is asking for trouble, as is over loading (or over weighting) and engine 

as with many things there is a compromise-there are no prototypical traction tires, but then again the engines arent as heavy in scale either 

all traction tires get dirty and over time they all get harder, 



and they can be made from varying materials, all of which can be a problem, including stretching or breaking or twisting


my bachman shay doestn have them and pulls quite nicely-when its not breaking its original brittle plastic drive gears


 i might add that there is a newish product called frog snot or frog slime that is liquid plasitc desinged to painted over a driver, self leveling, that can be used for traction tires where none were intended-i imagine a good heavy (or multi light) coats would nicely fill any existing traction tire groove)
i still like em


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

If I remember correctly, LGB had instructions to place the tires in hot water before trying to install them. More flexible/stretchable??


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