Fox Valley axle lengths not as expected?

I just received an order of Fox Valley wheels in several axle lengths and wheel diameters.

Initial checks showed that the 0.540" axles and the 0.553" axles are within specs +/- about 0.001", but the 60 axles marked 0.563" are all 0.572" +/- about 0.001".

The strange thing is that Fox Valley advertizes only axels 0.563" and 0.576" long in that range. These 60 axels came in 6 different boxes in two wheel diameters (33" and 36"), all clearly marked 0.563".

Trying them in my application (some old Bachmann passenger cars) showes that most will work with the 0.572 axles, but not all. Those that don't work with the 0.572" work with some of the 0.553" axles, but those are really loose (and the wrong wheel diameter). So, I really do need the 0.563" axles.

Is this a known issue with Fox Valley?

I will be contacting them on Monday, hopefully by phone. But, I am hoping to get some advice here about whether this is a lost cause or an unusual goof-up.

Maletrain

 

FVM does offer scale 36" diameter wheels on actual 0.576" length axles.
Maybe there was some mix-up at the factory when they were assembled or packaged.
How are the packages marked?

 

Point353,

As I stated in my original post, all six packages with the 0.572" axles are clearly marked as 0.563 axles. They include both 33" and 36" wheel sets.

 

I have had a similar mix-up with the wheel lengths. A whole package of 100 wheel sets was wrong. Luckily, they would work on different cars than intended.

So it is most likely a mix-up at the factory as stated above.

 

another prove of the high fvm quality standards and checks......

 

I had a package that was mixed with two axle lengths. Sent a mail to Matt and received a free replacement bag, to Germany.
So don't be too negative about it, please.

 

Not intending to be negative, just factual. But (after I already ordered) I did see a post on another thread about FVM wheel sets that made me wonder about quality control. There the issue was out-of-gauge, whoobly, and falling apart. I started checking for those problems and found none, but did not check all wheels in the 60 that have axle length issues, because I don't intend to keep them.

Will post whatever happens when I try to contact FVM tomorrow.

 

Lets be fair, the quality control is handled by the Chinese manufacturers, not Fox Valley. Shoddy QA is to be expected under those circumstances.

 

I had a few axles in a 100 pack that were the wrong size. It happens. Not a big deal.

 

All I can say is I am very happy with FVM cars and agree with the consensus.

 

What part number/descriptrion is on the packaging for the 33" wheels on the "0.572" axles?

 

Point353,


To answer your question again as completely as possible:

4 packages of 12 axles each read "FVM 3603 12 Axles, N 36" Wheel w/.563 Axle, Fits Some ATL, RIV(older)" where commas indicate new lines on the label. There is also a bar code with numbers 8 15083 01023 1.

2 packages of 12 axles each read " FVM 3303 12 Axels, N 33" Wheel w/.563 Axle, Fits some ATL,IV (older)" with a bar code with numbers 8 15083 01013 2.

To be totally clear, all of the axles in these packages actually measure 0.572" +/- 0.001".


Both the invoice and the FVM website list those FVM model numbers as having 0.563" axles, just like the labels say.


There is NO listing for 0.572" axles in any FVM material that I have ever seen. The closest is 0.576", and that is listed only for 36" wheels, not 33" wheels. But, as stated above, I have in my posession 24 axles 0.572" in length with 33" wheels on them. I measured the wheels marked 33" and they are 0.206", which is 33" in N scale, not 36" in N scale. So, the ONLY problem with these 6 packages of wheels is that they actually contain axles that are NOT what is on the package label, NOT what I ordered, and NOT any axle length advertised by FVM.

 

Perhaps delete said comments. Conflict invitation is thus removed.

 

"So, the ONLY problem with these 6 packages of wheels is that they actually contain axles that are NOT what is on the package label, NOT what I ordered, and NOT any axle length advertised by FVM."

I think the problem lies in that the axle length is "NOT any axle length advertised by FVM". I bought some FVM axles a few years back. One small pack....I think 12 in the bag. I bought the MT change over ones. Dont remember the #. When I went to change them over....none seemed to fit. The first axle I tried to put in a truck was to tight...wouldnt even spin. Took that one out and tried another. Also to tight. The 3rd one was actually to loose !! All these axles from the same package. I didnt have any calipers at the time so couldnt measure them. I ended up swaping them to a TB member for a big bag of old Atlas or MT axles he had. Not sure I would try to do FVM axle change overs again. JMHO YMMV

 

First, I did contact FVM by e-mail yesterday. He responded and is apparently checking his stock. I expected to hear from him today, but have not, yet.

From the facts that the 0.572" axles appeared in BOTH 36" and 33" wheelsets and FVM not offering 0.576" axles with 33" wheels, it appears to me that this is not a simple mislabling of products. It looks to me like some lot of axles that were meant to be 0.576" were made too short, and somehow got into the 0.563" axle product streams. Perhaps they were to be remachined to 0.563" before use and somebody skipped the remachining step.

Because 6 out of 6 packages that were marked as 0.563" axles contained all 0.572" axles, there seems to be a high probability that any replacement packages marked 0.563" would also contain the 0.572" axles instead unless FVM checks them before sending them to me and finds some wheelsets with proper axle lengths. I am a little worried that Matt is having trouble finding correct 0.563" axles for me, but that is just speculation based on not hearing from him again today.

As for the problems mentioned by other posters concerning different axle lengths MIXED in the same package, I am NOT finding that. In fact, the axle lengths in all packages were remarkably uniform WITHIN each package. And the 0.540" and 0.553" axles were right on spec.

Compared to the old Bachmann wheelsets that I am replacing, FVM axles are strikingly uniform. I measured a bunch of the old Bachmann axles to get an average. They were all from the same model, but different vintages of cars, all acquired in used condition at shows. Those Bachmann axles ranged form 0.547" to 0.584", averaging about 0.565". Axles on the same car could differ by 0.030", although I can't be sure that previous owners did not swap wheel sets among various Bachmann cars that they owned. Some of the Bachmann wheels were not rolling at all when I aquired the cars, and I first thought it was a cleaning issue. (It is amazing how much carpet fuzz can be around an axle point in a truck.) But, that 0.584" axle woud not roll no matter what truck I put it into.

So, I am really looking forward to getting this problem with FVM stock resolved so that I can start enjoying the wheel improvement.

Note to Eagle2: I received your PM and have tried to make a "quick reply" twice and send a new PM once, but my "sent" PM directory still showes "0 messages." So, I am thinking that I am not getting back to you. Please PM me to let me know whether you received my reply.

 

BoxcabE50,

That setting was my problem. Thanks. I'm relatively new here, and am still not used to some of the features.