Re-tiring for Retirees

[Stew Robertson]

Hi Rich
just wonder how you made out with your retiring the carrier wheels
with they withstand the speed

[Haridimos]

One friend here and owner of the sole surviving Bren Carrier re-rubbered eight UC wheels recently. Here is a photo:

IMG_9450 11-03-2012 rsz.jpg

And finally, one (maybe stupid ) question I have to the bren carrier masters is: all the bearings of the wheels are the same?

IMG_9453 rsz.jpg

kostas

[RichardT10829]

no the front idlers are different (the inner bearing has a 50mm ID bearing) the rest are all 40mm ID bearings.....unless you make a shim then you can run on 50's

[Lynn Eades]

The wheels all have the same bores. the inner front bearing mounts to a stub axle that is bigger in dia. (50mm) at the inner end. The outer end is 40mm. this is because of the loading as well as the front stub only being supported at the inner end, whereas the other axles are all supported at both ends.
So the o.d. of all bearings are the same. What Richard is saying is that the 50mm bore bearings are cheaper to buy. I think Kevin did the research and turned up spacers to enable the use of the 50mm bore bearings at all locations. The bearings are a standard metric 6000 series ball race. I think all are inter-changeable from the early bren through to the T16. There are some semi thrust bearings in some carriers, and some are fitted with bushes. The rule would be to use the same style of what ever type in each wheel assembly.

[The Bedford Boys]

We have some LP wheels fitted with bushes. How many people are running wheels with bushes instead of bearings? Or does everyone use bearings?

Cheers.

[Lynn Eades]

The current bearing number is still the same for the 40mm one @ skf 6408,
The 50mm bore bearing is (I think) skf 6410.
the location of where the different bogie wheels are fitted probably only effects the ride height and the track adjustment.
Michael, That return roller is different to what we out here are used to seeing. Is it MkII or T 16?

[The Bedford Boys]

Originally Posted by Michael R.

Be aware of the error occasionally made to fit a track adjuster wheel in place of a standard bogie wheel. Perhaps not so much done in error as in necessity, post war, outside of MOD/DND use.

Here are two examples, one as a trailing bogie, the other in a pair, mounted reversed so the spoke rib is showing to the outside. Each on two different Carriers.

Photo 5, what is the piece of tube protruding from the hull infront of the rear suspension unit? Is this an exhaust conversion like the NZ Tekapo conversion, or is it to mount some sort of pontoon wading equipment or the likes?

[Stew Robertson]

I think what you boys are talking about is the ice or mud scrapers at the rear of the carrier That is the only thing that looks like a tube that I can see
but then my eye sights not that good