I disassembled my tire changer thinking all I'd need to do is change the bearings to fix a wobbling turntable, but found the upper gearbox case cracked at the bearing mounting surface. Any reputable places to get this welded or otherwise repaired instead of just throwing a band clamp around it? A new gearbox guaranteed to fit is $1600 from a reputable parts supplier or I can take my chances with Aliexpress for $500.
Anyone used Vangro? They have the most reviews by far in my area, and 38 out of 39 ratings are 5-star, with a single 1-star rating relating to price. Never even noticed this place living in Mississauga almost my entire life and driving past it often.
I disassembled my tire changer thinking all I'd need to do is change the bearings to fix a wobbling turntable, but found the upper gearbox case cracked at the bearing mounting surface. Any reputable places to get this welded or otherwise repaired instead of just throwing a band clamp around it? A new gearbox guaranteed to fit is $1600 from a reputable parts supplier or I can take my chances with Aliexpress for $500.
Welding is tough on cheap Chinese castings. First, it’s gonna take a lot of time to disassemble, welding ADC1 castings at stress points rarely holds up ( and it won’t be cheap unless you have a friend.)
I’d measure the od then but a a simple split collar to slide over. Amazon has a lot of sizes.
Welding is tough on cheap Chinese castings. First, it’s gonna take a lot of time to disassemble, welding ADC1 castings at stress points rarely holds up ( and it won’t be cheap unless you have a friend.)
I’d measure the od then but a a simple split collar to slide over. Amazon has a lot of sizes.
I'd disassemble it before bring it in - 5 bolts and the top lifts off, then press out the bearing (or it will fall out because of the crack).
OD is about 90mm, but where the neck sits when assembled, there may not be clearance for something like that. For all I know this has been like this since I bought it, so a band clamp should be more than sufficient if I can't get it welded. I'm also waiting for Bendpak/Ranger to get back to me on the cost of a case half.
Welding is tough on cheap Chinese castings. First, it’s gonna take a lot of time to disassemble, welding ADC1 castings at stress points rarely holds up ( and it won’t be cheap unless you have a friend.)
I’d measure the od then but a a simple split collar to slide over. Amazon has a lot of sizes.
Usually ADC1 aluminum. It’s hard to weld, cases have to be dip cleaned, heated then TIG welded. Even then, it’s a crap shoot on any part that’s structural (ie not a hole or puncture).
On a related topic, what would you use to separate the case halves? There are no tabs around the sealing surface to pry apart and no threaded holes (it's held together by bolts with nuts). The only exception is the oil filler plug, which I could theoretically use a long bolt to press/draw, but I don't know if it's got a straight shot to the bottom half. Trying to think of what I could use on the pulley shaft seal holes that wouldn't damage the surface - may not be able to replace them and may not be standard sized.
Bendpak got back and said the case half is no longer available, but a new transmission assembly is $700 USD shipped within USA. Not sure if it's worth it (to me) since I can just throw it back together as-is and continue using it slowly and carefully. A tire shop doing tires all day wouldn't have that luxury.
Decided to try a razor blade and hammer to cut into the silicone and open up some space for something stronger to pry with. Going verrrrrrry slowwwwwly...
On a related topic, what would you use to separate the case halves? There are no tabs around the sealing surface to pry apart and no threaded holes (it's held together by bolts with nuts). The only exception is the oil filler plug, which I could theoretically use a long bolt to press/draw, but I don't know if it's got a straight shot to the bottom half. Trying to think of what I could use on the pulley shaft seal holes that wouldn't damage the surface - may not be able to replace them and may not be standard sized.
Bendpak got back and said the case half is no longer available, but a new transmission assembly is $700 USD shipped within USA. Not sure if it's worth it (to me) since I can just throw it back together as-is and continue using it slowly and carefully. A tire shop doing tires all day wouldn't have that luxury.
I have a thin flat chisel I'm working up the courage to start hammering in. Based on how tight the halves are stuck together even jamming the razor blade between them, as well as the amount of dried sealant oozed out on the pulley shaft seals, I suspect I'll find a thick layer around the inside edge of the flat surfaces as well. No amount of just tapping will free the halves up.
A bolt the size of the oil fill threads won't go all the way through because it overlaps the pulley shaft by a few mm's. I could drill and tap a bolt with a smaller diameter which would go down all the way, but hoping the razor blade will take care of it. Last thing I need is a hole through the bottom case if it turns out to be a low quality casting.
Once I made enough clearance with the razor blade, I could fit a credit card in there and with the much better grip/leverage/lack or concern using plastic, I cut through most of the remaining sealant like refrigerated butter. Then the flat chisel was used to pry apart the rest.
Looks like the last person in there covered everything in grease, then topped it off with the gear oil it's supposed to be filled with. You can barely make out the ring of sealant around the sealing surfaces. Gonna take a break and figure out how to remove the vertical spindle tomorrow, since it isn't just lifting out.
Oh, and FFS, the upper bearing is fine, so unless the lower bearing went, I think the wobble really was just from the crack in the upper case.
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
