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As the storm was passing over-head yesterday, I took the opportunity to work on some projects that I had been putting off and ran in to an issue that I haven't seen discussed here before. On two separate cars, I found wobbly plastic wheels. What I mean by this is that it appeared as though the hole in which the axle resides was drilled at a slight angle. The axles were straight, but one of the wheels wobbled around as though it were only held on by a single lug nut. I have both a Cartrix and Revell-Monogram with front axles suffering from this affliction.

In the way of a fix, I'm wondering if it is worth trying to drill a straight hole for the axle and then just gluing the wheel on, or if I'm just better off scrapping them and rolling the dice that the next axle set that I buy will be properly drilled. Has anyone else encountered this problem and if so, what did you do to resolve it? Thanks.

Sure, it happens.

If it is fronts, then just bend or redrill them until you get them as best you can. I do this for the models that have it. I set up the front for a good tripod so the fronts do not bear the weight.

For the rears I simply do not waste the time anymore. I scrap them. Save them to make inserts for the new wheels if I go that route.

I have purchased wheel sets as you describe and it is the roll of the dice. Sometimes they are ok, sometimes not.

I mix and match the wheels to put the best ones on the rear.

I figured on just bending them in place and considered a tripod, so that's what I'll probably do. It's just odd that the only two cars that I decided to work on yesterday both had the same problem! Oh well. Thanks for confirming that I'm not alone.

Mark (Derby City Speedway) has a method where he first inserts plastic sprue from a model kit into the hole for the axle. Then he re-drills the hole. Using the sprue first prevents creating a wallowed-out mess. He has a lathe to re-drill the hole, but it can be done using a drill press, too. He has Carrera cars that run like Slot.Its on wood tracks as a result.

Yes sir...I have a Can-Am he did and it's spooky smooth.

I'm just become so lazy these days. Bad wheel? Paypal sent.

Ya, Mark's redrilling wheel method is the cat's meow. I'd just screw it up, make a big mess and not even have the wheel left over to turn into an insert. Like Harry said, I'd rather turn the offending wheels into inserts for aftermarket wheels, usually Slot.its. For the front of cars where 15X8's will work, I usually use Slot.it plastic wheels to save money. They are true and round and will accept an insert in the same way as an aluminum wheel.I often buy the plastic wheels in a rear axle set so that I get an axle bushings and gear for use in the back all in one whack.

As for buying a stock replacement wheel axle set, it's a crap shoot. Chances are, the same person who did the bum job pushing the wheels on the original axle set also pushed the wheels on the replacement set on the same assembly line, maybe even on the same day.

Mike reminded me of those Slot.it plastic wheels.

He is 100% dead on. Mark taught me that years ago. Those 15x8 plastic wheels are perfect for fronts. Heck, I have a couple Mark made using them on the rears!

A drill is not the best tool to open a hole, especially in plastic. Use a straight cut reamer, 1/8 th inch diameter.
and glue in a piece of 1/8th inch Plastruct tubing. The axle should press into that, unless you have a metric
Ninco axle. Then you need an .096 inch reamer so it will press in. A good reason to stay away from Ninco axles.

This sounds like a lot of work, but it is the best way to save the original wheels. You can ream the holes by hand
if you have a good eye.