Size of the "truck screw" on Athearn N scale rolling stock

[Mark5]

I got a bunch of Athearn hoppers without trucks ... (or screws :) - cheap.

Anyone know the exact specs (of the truck/bolster screw)? I need a bunch and the Athearn price per unit is a bit ridiculous ($0.48 ea PN 99016)

I'm guessing they are metric thread ???

Thanks (at the moment I'm not interested in "alternatives" to the screws)

Mark

[Bob Horn]

It appears to be a #1 size screw, .070" dia. I just drill out the chassis for MT pins. The one I took out to measure will not rethread in to the hole so that will get the treatment. The drill size is 5/64th. Bob.

[billincarmel]

Just a suggestion, most larger hardware stores have an assortment of metric screws and nuts. Take what you have to the store and try various sizes to find out what it is. I am sure it is probably metric.

[Chris333]

I really hate those screws!  >

[CoalPorter]

I really hate those screws!  >

Me too. I thought it was rather crude to use a giant sheel metal screw to hold the trucks on. Like a last minute bandaid fix when they couldn't figure out what to do.  ??? ???

[Robbman]

Sheet metal screw was an epic fail... they've made up for it on newer plastic underframe cars though... they're using a proper machine screw on those

[Bob Bufkin]

While we're on the subject of Athearn.  Anyone have any short shank trucks with couplers for their overpaintede gons.  I ordered 2 from them and they sent me the long shank trucks instead. 

[Mark5]

Just a suggestion, most larger hardware stores have an assortment of metric screws and nuts. Take what you have to the store and try various sizes to find out what it is. I am sure it is probably metric.

Did that - they looked at the ones I brought with and said "wow! those are small!"

They had nothing even close.

[Mark5]

It appears to be a #1 size screw, .070" dia. I just drill out the chassis for MT pins. The one I took out to measure will not rethread in to the hole so that will get the treatment. The drill size is 5/64th. Bob.

I may end up doing this.

[bbussey]

Or, once you determine the length and thread-count of their current screws, you could get some from Small Parts or another online fastener supplier.  Doesn't Micro-Mark offer a tool to measure micro screw threads?

[Mark5]

Or, once you determine the length and thread-count of their current screws, you could get some from Small Parts or another online fastener supplier. 

Yeah, that's what I was kinda hoping to do.

[MK]

Maybe something here will work?

http://www.microfasteners.com/catalog/products/ASTTRAIN.cfm

[Mark5]

Maybe something here will work?

http://www.microfasteners.com/catalog/products/ASTTRAIN.cfm

Thanks, but at those prices it might actually work out to be more expensive than simply buying the screws from Athearn.

Mark

[SkipGear]

I have dealt with Micro Fasteners alot for RC hardware. Their assortments are not the best way to go. You can buy individual screw types by the hundreds for a couple of bucks a box. They were cheap enough that when rebuilding my cars, if a screw was even remotely questionable, I threw it away and grabbed another out of my stash. I currently have just about everything 4-40 and 2-56 that they make on hand. Another good source for a cheap small screw assortment are the screw kits from a couple other RC cars.

For really small stuff, the Micro-T screw set - http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=LOSB1524

For 1.5, 2 and 2.5mm screws, the Mini-T screw set - http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=LOSB1047

[Mark5]

Maybe I can get Athearn to tell me the size and pitch, then I could simply order them by the box from somewhere eh?

Or perhaps there's a hobby shop that I could bring these to, and have them tell me the size ...  :