Remove the pedal cage separator from an old bicycle. Maintenance and repair of bicycle carriage. Removing the carriage: detailed instructions

The carriage is the bearing assembly of a bicycle that connects the connecting rod system to the frame. Thanks to the bearings inside the carriage, the system rotates freely. Through the carriage, the torque from the pedals is transmitted to the bicycle wheel.

The carriage is located in the carriage cup of the frame, where it is either screwed or pressed. Due to the fact that the bottom bracket shell is located at the very bottom of the bike (between the down tube and at the intersection of the chainstays), the bottom bracket itself is highly susceptible to contamination. Such a negative external influence affects its operation over time: “crunching”, clicking, backlash, and jamming occur. To prevent these negative consequences and eliminate the possibility of the carriage failing, it is necessary to carry out regular maintenance.

Bicycle carriages are:

The latter, in turn, are screwed directly into the carriage housing of the bicycle frame. This type of carriage is subject to maintenance; it can be easily removed, lubricated, rebuilt and assembled. If necessary, it can also be replaced with a new one.

Service bicycle carriage involves disassembling, lubricating its parts, installing and adjusting.

Removing the carriage from the bicycle

When removing the carriage, you need to be careful, since it may have loose bearings, which can fly apart in different directions when removed.

To remove the connecting rods from the carriage axle, you need a tool such as a connecting rod squeezer. This tool performs two functions: its right side is intended directly for squeezing the connecting rod from the carriage axis, and the left side is used to remove the connecting rod fixing bolt.

First, you need to use a pedal wrench to unscrew the connecting rod tightening bolts located at the end of the carriage shaft. The plastic plugs (if present) can be easily removed from the bolts using a regular flathead screwdriver.

After the fixing bolts are removed, we proceed to the connecting rods. We take a squeezing rod and screw the threaded part of the puller into the connecting rod until it stops. It is very important not to overdo it with pressure so as not to break the thread. Having successfully removed the connecting rods from the carriage axle, do not forget to wipe the seats.

Then, using a special puller, remove the carriage itself. In our case, we use a Shimano bottom bracket puller. A suitable puller is provided for each individual carriage model. Thus, for Hollowtech II, Howitzer, GXP carriages, a puller for integrated carriage cups is used, and for Shimano, SRAM and Truvativ carriages, you can use the so-called ISIS standard carriage puller. It is worth noting that pullers often come with handles, which eliminates the need to additionally use an adjustable wrench.

It is important to know that the carriage is removed only from the side where there are no stars on the connecting rod, that is, on the left.

So, we insert the puller into the slots of the carriage on the left side and turn it using a handle or an adjustable wrench counterclockwise. During the process, you need to ensure that there are no distortions of the puller. Otherwise, it or the bowl itself may be damaged.

After the carriage bowl is unscrewed, you need to perform the same actions on the right side. Only in this case you need to turn the handle clockwise! As a result of these simple steps, the carriage will be removed and ready for maintenance or replacement.

Want to see how to remove the cranks and bottom bracket? Watch the video review:

Bicycle carriage maintenance

After removing the carriage, check the condition of the carriage cup for contamination.

Open type carriage maintenance:

  1. The condition of the bearings located in the carriage cup is checked: both the bearings and their seats are wiped with a clean rag to remove any remaining old grease.
  2. The carriage thread is washed with kerosene, gasoline or WD-40 and wiped with a dry cloth.
  3. The seats are lubricated with a small amount of thick lubricant.
  4. Bearings are installed and a little more grease is added. If necessary, old bearings must be replaced.

Lubrication of the ball bearing carriage

It is worth noting that this type of carriage is short-lived, so maintenance and adjustment of the bearings must be carried out quite often.

Maintenance of a non-removable carriage

If problems arise with a carriage of this type, it is replaced. When choosing a new bottom bracket, it is important to know the length and width of the shaft, as well as the type of connection to the connecting rods.

Assembling and installing a bicycle carriage

An important point when assembling the carriage is the correct placement of the cups. It is worth remembering that the left cup has a right-hand thread, and the right one has a left-hand thread.

You should start assembling the carriage from the right side: the carriage axle is installed in the right cup and tightened with the carriage puller until it stops. Then the same is done with the left cup. After this, it is recommended to check the carriage: you need to rotate its axis in different directions and make sure that there is no play (the carriage should turn easily and silently).

Although a bicycle is a simple mechanism from a technical point of view, it still needs regular maintenance. Such measures will increase its service life and protect it from costly repairs. And it is not necessary to contact specialized service centers every time for minor maintenance.

Even a beginner can easily remove the carriage

If you have a little time, a desire to expand your knowledge and practical skills, and also have a special tool at hand, then you can do the maintenance yourself. For example, disassembling the carriage on a bicycle. This is what our further conversation will be devoted to.

For further work, it is necessary to prepare a set of tools that will definitely be used:

  • connecting rod squeezer;
  • wrench or adjustable wrench;
  • flat screwdriver;
  • small hammer;
  • removable tool for removing the carriage.

Introductory word

The carriage on a bicycle is a bearing unit, which is responsible for connecting the connecting rods and the frame. In addition, the carriages provide torque on the connecting rods. Now you understand how important this part is in a bicycle and what an important role it plays.

For the carriage, the design of the bicycle provides a special carriage shell. It can be found between the down tube at the intersection of the bike seats, which are located below. It is the peculiarity of the location that affects its fragility. The culprit is dust, dirt and water that fall on the carriage, clog it, cause backlash and extraneous sounds when driving. If you do not disassemble, remove, repair or replace this element in a timely manner, then while riding you may experience a decrease in the smooth operation of the bicycle, a decrease in accuracy, and even experience jamming. No cyclist wants to ride in such discomfort, so let's address the cause.

Repair features

If your bicycle is equipped with a closed-type carriage, also called a cartridge carriage, then there is no need to even think about repairs. Such mechanisms are disposable, and only replacement with a new carriage can save the situation. The situation is different with mechanisms open type, which are called collapsible. , fix the problem and install it in place. The design of the collapsible mechanism is based on a shaft, or axis. Its rotation is ensured by bearings, which, in turn, are located inside the carriage cups, and are also screwed into the carriage cup. Although this design may seem complicated, in fact such carriages can be easily unscrewed and a complete inspection can be carried out.

When we talk about carriage repair, we mean the following possible actions:

  • elimination of backlash;
  • ensuring easy rotation;
  • neutralization of extraneous sounds when driving.

Removing the carriage: detailed instructions

The design of the carriage may contain loose bearings, which can scatter throughout the room. Of course, you may be lucky and the manufacturer of your bike used a non-separable cartridge during assembly, but it doesn’t hurt to be on the safe side in any case.

An important tool that must be on hand is a connecting rod squeezer. The design of this tool consists of two parts: the right one is used to work with the connecting rod, and the left one is necessary to remove the connecting rod fixing bolt.

  1. We start by unscrewing the tightening bolts. You can find them at the end of the carriage shaft. You will need a pedal wrench for this step. Some manufacturers close the screws with plastic plugs that can be easily pryed off with any handy tool.
  2. For the next stage, you will need to squeeze the connecting rods, with which you will need to screw the puller from the threaded part into the connecting rod until it stops. In this process, it is important to perform forward movements without applying excessive force to avoid stripping the threads.
  3. We remove the connecting rod from the carriage axle, after which we carefully wipe all the seats dry, freeing them from the remnants of old grease and accumulated debris.
  4. Now you can remove the carriage structure itself. A puller that is designed specifically for your model of mechanism is very helpful in this matter.
  5. The carriage must be removed from the left side, which can be identified by the missing sprockets on the connecting rod.
  6. Having picked up the puller, it must be inserted into the slots of the carriage mechanism on the left side, while the adjustable wrench rotates counterclockwise. In this process, you need to ensure that the puller does not warp while working with the cups on the carriage. As a result of careless work, both the puller itself and the cup can be damaged.
  7. Now you can go to the other side. The actions are similar to those described above, except for the direction of the unscrewing movements - clockwise.

The work of removing the carriage is considered complete. If a replacement is planned, then a new one is simply installed in place of the old mechanism. In case of maintenance and preventive actions, it is necessary to replace the bearings.

Since you have decided to disassemble this complex and delicate mechanism, then at the same time pay attention to the carriage housing. There may be foreign debris on its surface that will need to be removed.

A few words about film pullers

The puller is selected only by the type of carriage itself. For example, if the bicycle has a Shimano carriage, then the puller should also be of this type. True, there are several, but they are not suitable for every carriage mechanism.

The removal tool, which is designed for integrated bottom brackets, will help disassemble the mechanism of the Hollowtech II, GXP and Howitzer types. As an example for universal removable tools, we can also cite the ISIS standard model, the fastening of which has 8 splines. This tool can be used to remove gears from SRAM, Shimano and Truvativ. Many pullers have special handles that allow you to do without an adjustable wrench.

Carriage is different

If you have to deal with a carriage whose design requires disassembly, you first need to check the condition of the bearings. To do this, you need to thoroughly wipe not only the bearings, but also the seats with a clean rag. To clean the carriage threads, you can use gasoline, kerosene or WD-40. After everything has been wiped well dry, you need to lubricate the seats with any good thick lubricant. Such mechanisms are not durable and require frequent maintenance and regular adjustments to the bearings.

In the case of a non-separable carriage, which is of the cartridge type, the best solution would be to replace it with a new mechanism. You shouldn’t even try to carry out any actions with such a mechanism - it will only be a waste of time. Before you go shopping for a new part, you will need to know the length of the shaft and the characteristics (width and type) of the connection to the connecting rods. This information will allow you not to make a mistake with your choice and buy the right part from the very beginning.

If your bicycle has an integrated mechanism, then to replace the industrial bearings you must follow the following recommendations:

  1. Remove the boot that covers the bearings.
  2. To remove them, you will need to use a special puller; in extreme cases, a hammer and chisel will do, but such a tool must be handled with extreme caution.
  3. We thoroughly clean and then lubricate the seat.
  4. We install new industrial bearings.

Putting the carriage in place

The work cannot be considered completed at this point, since all this needs to be assembled correctly. The main difficulty in this process is correct installation cups You remember that they have different threads (on the right cup there is a left one and vice versa)? Here you will also need a thick lubricant for processing the carriage cup, bearings and threads on the cups.

You need to start assembling the carriages from the right side and follow the following work order:

  1. The carriage axle is inserted into the right cup.
  2. It is tightened using a carriage puller.
  3. We perform the same actions on the left side.
  4. The carriage is checked for absence of play, as evidenced by its easy and silent movement.
  5. The connecting rods and screws are installed in their places.

Applying this theory in practice is not particularly difficult for any cyclist whose arms grow from the right place. Even without experience in disassembling a bicycle, you can remove the carriage the first time. We believe in you.

Recently, there are more and more cyclists on city streets, and therefore an article on how to repair a bicycle with your own hands will be relevant. The structure of a bicycle is not that complicated, so you can disassemble and repair any part of it yourself using the required tools. This article will discuss removing and repairing the carriage.

The carriage (or carriage assembly) is a bearing assembly that ensures the rotation of the connecting rods and pedals with drive stars relative to bicycle frame. Since this part is located at the bottom of the frame, it is constantly dirty and exposed to water. In this regard, the carriage bearings must be well protected from external influences.

Removing the carriage

The bicycle is installed in stable position(you can turn it over) and begin to remove the carriage from the left side - where there are no sprockets. First, both connecting rods are removed from the carriage, and then it is cleaned of dirt. Particular attention should be paid to cleaning the cup splines, since a puller cannot be installed in dirty cups.


Assembly and installation of a collapsible carriage

Before the assembly procedure, all parts are washed in kerosene, wiped and dried. The preservative lubricant should also be washed off from the new carriage. The frame carriage assembly is inspected for damage and cleaned of various debris.


Carriage adjustment

After assembly, the carriage is always adjusted, but sometimes this is also necessary if play occurs after driving on uneven roads.

To repair a bicycle yourself, you need to have certain skills and knowledge. In this article, we will tell you how to repair a bicycle rear wheel hub, repair a bicycle carriage, and also tell you how to fix a puncture in the rear wheel of a bicycle yourself, and for beginner cyclists, we will tell you what pressure in a bicycle tire should correspond to the norm.

REAR WHEEL BUSHING REPAIR

The most common problem that can occur with your bike's rear hub is a loose or tight cone. If there is weakening in the cone, the wheel will begin to play heavily. In the second case, when the cone is tightened, the bicycle will move much more “tightly” than in normal mode, and the bearings may crunch. One way or another, you need to repair the rear wheel hub of your bicycle as quickly as possible.

To eliminate play or, on the contrary, tighten the cone, wrenches are needed; most often, a 15 mm open-end cone wrench and a 17 mm open-end cone wrench are used. First, you need to start loosening the lock nut, after which you need to move on to loosening or tightening the flare nut to the required position.

Ideally, there should be no backlash. Finally, the locknut must be screwed into place. If the cone is adjusted properly, the wheel will turn easily due to the force of gravity acting on the reflector or nipple.

It also happens that the rear axle of the hub may be broken or bent. The main cause of such a malfunction is usually poor quality parts. If this happens, you need to completely replace the hub axle with a new, better one.

When replacing an axle, or when undergoing scheduled maintenance, or when repairing the rear wheel hub of a bike, removing the freewheel will help to make it more convenient. If the essence of the repair is simply tightening or loosening the cone, then this action is not necessary.

To avoid possible breakdowns, you need to periodically undergo maintenance. Its essence most often comes down to adjusting the cone and washing, cleaning the components and lubricating the bearings.

Less often, bearings, seals or washers are replaced. The cost of repairs can result in large expenses if maintenance was carried out rarely and the bushing was not particularly looked after at all.

For example, it happens that the bearings “eat out” the grooves in the bushing body; this can happen because the axis was bent or insufficiently lubricated. In this case, in order to repair the rear wheel of the bike, you will need to completely replace the hub body, and maybe the wheel itself.

Therefore, in order to avoid such a situation, before going on a long trip on a bicycle, you need to carry out maintenance of your bike, and if problems are found, then fix them in a timely manner.

WE DO REPAIRS OF THE CARRIAGE

One of the most complex components of a bicycle is the carriage. What to do if she let you down along the way, and there is no one to ask for help? It's simple, and after reading the text below, using a minimum number of tools, you can easily disassemble and repair the bicycle carriage.

To disassemble the carriage assembly, the first step is to dismantle the sprockets and connecting rod system. We will not dwell on this in detail, since it is not that difficult, and there is plenty of information on this topic on the Internet.

Touring bicycles and inexpensive mountain bikes are equipped with a standard carriage. The procedure for disassembling it is given below:

  1. First of all, you need to unscrew the lock nut on the left using a special wrench;
  2. After this, we remove the carriage cup on the same side, using a 16 key for this (note that a right-hand thread is cut on the left side, and a left-hand thread is made similarly on the right side);
  3. If necessary, you will need to unscrew the cup on the right. To do this you will need to use a 32 key;
  4. Now we take out the carriage assembly. It is best to immediately wash and, accordingly, clean the carriage tube, first of all, the threads;
  5. Next, we wash the parts of the carriage assembly with gasoline or kerosene, and at the same time check whether the bearings, cups and axles are intact. If necessary, you need to replace worn parts;
  6. The next step is the same operations, only in reverse order: screw the cup on the right to the very end;
  7. Now you need to thoroughly lubricate everything with lubricant (lithol), put bearings on the axle, and insert it into place;
  8. Next, you need to screw in the cup on the left until the axis stops rotating. And now the cup needs to be gradually released until nothing interferes with the rotation of the axis and it is smooth. It is worth remembering that backlash is not allowed;
  9. The lock nut should now be tightened;
  10. We make a final check of rotation and absence of play. If this is necessary, then you need to repeat steps 8-9.

REAR WHEEL REPAIR: FIXING A PUNCTURE

To begin with, it is worth saying that repairing the rear wheel of a bicycle may also involve eliminating the “eight” on the wheel or the filling of the wheel hub. However, since these are specific operations that require certain experience and tools, they deserve separate consideration and will not be described in this text. Below we will tell you how to deal with a rear tire puncture, since anyone can experience this.

Before you can repair the wheel, you need to dismantle it. Front wheel It can be easily removed, but removing the rear one, for a novice cyclist, may not be such an easy task. Let's take a closer look at how to remove the rear wheel.

HOW TO REMOVE THE REAR WHEEL?

  1. If your bike has rim brakes, the first step is to undo them. This is done as follows: you need to bring together the levers to which the pads are attached, and lift the part that secures the cable.
  2. Now you should turn the bike over with the saddle down, so that it finds its support on the handlebars and saddle. If your bike is equipped with a headlight or bike computer, you should be careful not to damage them.
  3. Next, let's loosen the wheel eccentric that holds the wheel to the frame.
  4. Take a position behind the bike. Now you need to slightly straighten the lever in the rear gear selector and pull out the rear wheel, which should rise up without much difficulty.
  5. All that remains is to remove the chain from the wheel sprockets. The wheel is now disconnected.

REMOVAL OF THE TIRE

To gain access to the punctured tube, you will need to disassemble and remove the tire from the wheel rim. Disassembling will require some skill, so don't be discouraged if you can't do it right away. This happens as follows:

  1. The wheel that you removed must be placed with the stars facing up.
  2. Now you need to remove the nipple cap.
  3. The next step is to use a beading paddle to cling to the edge of the tire and turn into the middle of the wheel.
  4. After fixing the bead blade, you need to take another one of the same kind and perform the same actions along the circumference, thereby completely dismantling the wheel.

Since the tire has already been beaded, it can be easily removed, and the process of removing the tube will not complicate you at all.

SEALING THE CAMERA

  1. First of all, you need to determine where the camera is punctured. To do this, the camera needs to be inflated and carefully inspected. A characteristic hissing sound will be heard at the puncture site. This place needs to be marked somehow.
  2. Then you need to free the chamber from air by pressing the nipple tongue.
  3. You should have some fine sandpaper in your repair kit; you need to take it and rub the area where the tire was punctured well.
  4. Now you need to apply a thin layer of adhesive. This is done in such a way that the piece on which the glue is applied is slightly larger than the patch in size.
  5. Let the glue sit for a couple of minutes, and then you should glue the patch from which the protective film has been previously removed. Be careful not to allow any air bubbles to get under the patch.
  6. Now press the patch against the camera as hard and as long as possible.

After sealing the tube, run your hand along the inside of the tire. It is not uncommon for the cause of a puncture to be stuck in the tire, and if so, it needs to be removed. Don't forget about this moment.

That's it, the wheel is repaired.

WHAT SHOULD THE TIRE PRESSURE BE?

Cycling enthusiasts have always been concerned with the question: how much do you need to inflate your tires? This is especially true for beginner cyclists who do not yet have special skills and cannot immediately tell what the pressure in the bicycle tires should be in order to ensure a comfortable and safe ride.

In fact, there is no difficulty here. Most bikes have instructions on their tires indicating the pressure best suited for that particular model. Most often, the pressure range ranges from 2.38 to 4.08 atmospheres.

These pressure indicators bicycle tires are optimal if driving in off-road conditions or in the mountains. There is quite a lot of air volume in the tires of a “gornik”, therefore, there is no need to pump its tires.

Also, do not forget that, given the low pressure and large volume, inflating the tires of the “gornik” should be carried out no more than once a week.

To determine the pressure to which you need to inflate the bike's wheels, you just need to read the inscriptions on the tire. Manufacturers usually indicate the upper and lower pressure limits on tires.

But, unlike mountain tires, tires in road bike, you need to inflate to a slightly higher pressure, since the volume of the wheels is small. The pressure value in road tires should be in the range from 6.46 to 9.18 atmospheres. And the pressure must be checked daily.

The traditional way to check is to press on the wheel with your fingers, and if it does not press through, then you can move on. Everyone did this when they were little. But it’s better not to do anything on your own and just pump up the tires depending on the indicators given by the pressure gauge.

Pressure indicator in bicycle wheels can also vary depending on how much weight the cyclist has and what the road is made of. If the route of your trip consists mostly of off-road, mountains or regular rocky roads, then overinflated wheels are clearly not what you need.

Lower tire pressure will allow you to worry less about bumps while riding, and will maximize your handling through traction, while over-inflated tires will make it easier to fall off. But the situation changes on a good highway, where well-inflated tires feel much better.

If the tire pressure is too low (1.9 - 2.17 atmospheres), then this is the cause of many problems. To begin with, the tire can break from the slightest collision with a stone or bump, and if during this the tube is pinched by the rim, then it will be punctured in several places and it will be almost impossible to repair it.

In addition to this, there is also the possibility of damage to the rim, and this, not only does it take a long time to repair, it is also expensive. And lastly, but most unpleasantly, during a sharp turn, a tire with low pressure can jump off the wheel, in which case both the rim and the cyclist will be damaged.

The carriage is a bicycle unit that connects the connecting rods to the frame and ensures free rotation. The mechanism is screwed or pressed into the carriage bowl, and due to its low location it is susceptible to contamination that interferes with normal rotation.

To prevent damage, it is necessary to constantly maintain the carriage.

Types of parts

Carriages come in open and closed types:

Closed - cartridges or capsule structures, with an internal axis and bearings.

The closed model cannot be disassembled and cannot be serviced (with the exception of a few); in case of any breakdown, the part is replaced.

The advantage of the model is its low level of pollution.

The open carriage features screw-in cups with bearings in the carriage tube of the frame and a rotating shaft.

This type of mechanism requires precise frame parameters; in case of inaccuracies, distortions occur and the degree of protection against external influences is reduced.

The model can be disassembled and cleaned; proper maintenance of the bicycle carriage prolongs the operation of the mechanism for a long time.

The disadvantage of open parts is that they require constant maintenance and periodically warp the carriage shaft.

Diagnosis of breakdowns or contamination

A carriage malfunction can be determined by excessively obvious sliding or sticking, squeaks, or heavy driving.

Knocks and jamming indicate damage to the bearing or separator balls. Creaking noises may indicate that the connecting rod wedge is not tightly tightened. If the pedal slips in the upper position when driving, this also indicates weak wedge tension.

Bicycles, scooters, components

A faulty part will not allow drive fast, worn bearings, dirt and lack of lubrication will constantly impede movement.

The bicycle assembly begins to gradually loosen due to broken bearing balls and shaft misalignment. To fix it, you need to clean or replace the bracket.

Thorough maintenance of your bike's bottom bracket is a must before any long ride.

Screwing the mechanism from the frame

A slotted wrench is required to operate the capsule carriage. When working with dismountable mechanisms, you will need a set of tools for various modifications of the part.

Tools for removing the carriage:

  • Squeezing the connecting rods - a functional key for squeezing the connecting rod from the carriage axle and removing the fixing bolt (the right segment is for squeezing the connecting rod, the left one removes the bolt);
  • Spline wrenches;
  • Puller for mechanism;
  • Wrench with horns;
  • Screwdriver.

Step-by-step removal of the mechanism

Removal of parts begins from the left-side section. There is a specific puller for each type of connecting rod. Some modifications are suitable for a puller for integrated carriage bowls, others can be unscrewed with a standard key.

Often, puller kits include handles for operation instead of an adjustable wrench.

  1. At the beginning, fix the bike in a stable position; it is better to turn it over onto the seat.
  2. Use a screwdriver to tighten the pedal lever plugs onto the pedals.
  3. Insert the puller inside the cavity and unscrew the fixing bolt.
  4. If it does not yield, you can lubricate the area with any lubricant. For imbus fastenings, the appropriate key is selected.

  5. Place the other end of the puller into the connecting rod cavity and screw the parts into the threads until it stops.
  6. Tighten the tool bolt using wrench until the connecting rod is pressed out from the shaft side.
  7. Release the axle and clean the mounting points with kerosene or WD-40.
  8. Unscrew the lock washer with a wrench.

Using a slotted wrench or puller, unscrew the left adapter cup against the clock, and the right one along the clock:

  • The puller is inserted from the left side into the slotted hole of the mechanism and unscrewed with a handle or an adjustable wrench against the clock (to the left);
  • When working, avoid distortion, otherwise the carriage bowl will be damaged;
  • After unscrewing the bowl, perform the same manipulations on the right side from the other side;
  • The carriages are removed only when left side, when removing, take into account that the bearings of an open carriage may fall out of the cavity.

Cleaning the Open Carriage

After removing the mechanism, the condition of the bearings in the bowl is diagnosed, all mounting points are wiped with gasoline to remove dirt:

  • Damaged parts are replaced with new ones.
  • The threaded part of the carriage is cleaned with gasoline or WD-40 and wiped with a dry cloth.
  • The fastening points are coated with lubricant.
  • The bearings are inserted into place and coated with a new layer of lubricant.

Maintaining the Capsule Carriage

If the capsule-type carriage is damaged, it must be replaced with a new one. When choosing a model, you should clarify the shaft parameters and the type of connection with the connecting rod arms.

Assembly and installation of the mechanism

Installing the carriage mechanism is the reverse of the removal process.

During operation, it is important not to confuse the axle segments: the letters corresponding to the sides are stamped on the ends or plastic casing. The carriage bowls differ from each other in the thread direction, left from right and vice versa.

The threads of the carriage mechanism and bowl are lubricated with a thin layer of lubricant to ensure sliding during subsequent unscrewing.

A plastic casing is attached to the axle, bearings are placed in the bowls: if there are spacers, then the parts are placed with spacers on the outside and balls on the inside.

Assembly of the mechanism begins on the right: the axle rod is inserted into the right bowl with a left turn of the thread and screwed into the frame until the end; the left bowl is screwed in in an identical way with a right turn of the thread.

Adjusting the operation of the carriage mechanism

First, remove the left connecting rod arm and lock washer. The left bowl is unscrewed with a slotted wrench so that the carriage axis rod rotates freely without play or jamming:

  • The bowl is loosened with a quarter turn wrench for slotted nuts;
  • While holding the bowl, screw the lock washer all the way;
  • The rotation is adjusted: the bowl is loosened or tightened;
  • When the carriage mechanism rotates without interference, you can install the connecting rods.

If after all the work done the carriage jams, the bearings or the entire carriage should be replaced.

For more information about carriage maintenance, watch the video: