Can the top wheel exhibit any free play when the saw is tuned
correctly? I've got a Jet 18 inch, and the top wheel seems to be
adjusted - tracking is good, with blade running right in the center of
the tires - however the top wheel will wobble side to side. Up/down
free play seems to be negligible; I assume due to proper setting of
the tracking adjustment screw. The side to side freeplay lessens
somewhat when the blade is tensioned, but will still move.

I guess I thought it should be rigid, like a properly adjusted vehicle
wheel bearing. Bottom wheel is very solidly adjusted, doesn't move
either way.

Anything to worry about?

Thanks,
John Sellers

I have that saw and there is no play in either wheel. Time to look into
bearings...



wrote in message
.. .

Can the top wheel exhibit any free play when the saw is tuned
correctly? I've got a Jet 18 inch, and the top wheel seems to be
adjusted - tracking is good, with blade running right in the center of
the tires - however the top wheel will wobble side to side. Up/down
free play seems to be negligible; I assume due to proper setting of
the tracking adjustment screw. The side to side freeplay lessens
somewhat when the blade is tensioned, but will still move.

I guess I thought it should be rigid, like a properly adjusted vehicle
wheel bearing. Bottom wheel is very solidly adjusted, doesn't move
either way.

Anything to worry about?

Thanks,
John Sellers

Nope. Tension is what controls the wobble. Just look at the tensioning
system to see how low-tech it is.

wrote in message
.. .

Can the top wheel exhibit any free play when the saw is tuned
correctly? I've got a Jet 18 inch, and the top wheel seems to be
adjusted - tracking is good, with blade running right in the center of
the tires - however the top wheel will wobble side to side. Up/down
free play seems to be negligible; I assume due to proper setting of
the tracking adjustment screw. The side to side freeplay lessens
somewhat when the blade is tensioned, but will still move.

I guess I thought it should be rigid, like a properly adjusted vehicle
wheel bearing. Bottom wheel is very solidly adjusted, doesn't move
either way.

Anything to worry about?

Thanks,
John Sellers

On Mon, 3 Jan 2005 21:47:19 -0500, wrote:


Can the top wheel exhibit any free play when the saw is tuned
correctly? I've got a Jet 18 inch, and the top wheel seems to be
adjusted - tracking is good, with blade running right in the center of
the tires - however the top wheel will wobble side to side. Up/down
free play seems to be negligible; I assume due to proper setting of
the tracking adjustment screw. The side to side freeplay lessens
somewhat when the blade is tensioned, but will still move.

I guess I thought it should be rigid, like a properly adjusted vehicle
wheel bearing. Bottom wheel is very solidly adjusted, doesn't move
either way.

Anything to worry about?

Thanks,
John Sellers
On my 18 inch Grizzly (an old model) I found that the upper wheel
mounting block fit very loosely into the tracks in the cast iron
frame. Poor machining on the cast iron work. I ended up shimming
both side to side and back in forth in the tracks. Now the upper
wheel is very solid and adjusts smoothly. YMMV

TWS

On Mon, 3 Jan 2005 21:47:19 -0500, wrote:

Can the top wheel exhibit any free play when the saw is tuned
correctly?

What's "wobble" ? Is this a movement under force, with the tension
spring pulling it back to one side ? That's normal.

Is it smaller, but not under spring tension ? That's time to look at
the top bearing.

"Andy Dingley" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 3 Jan 2005 21:47:19 -0500, wrote:

Can the top wheel exhibit any free play when the saw is tuned
correctly?

What's "wobble" ? Is this a movement under force, with the tension
spring pulling it back to one side ? That's normal.

Is it smaller, but not under spring tension ? That's time to look
at
the top bearing.



Andy, thanks for checking to see what the problem actually may be. I
may not have described the "perceived problem" with enough precision.

There is not any wobble when running. As I mentioned, the blade
tracks very true, right in the center of the tires. The movement I
see is when I physically force the wheel side-to-side, when shutdown,
as if to check for play. (That's the normal mode I'd use on a vehicle
wheel - it's sort of ingrained.) The wheel moves right back when I
release. I suppose this is from the blade tension? If it's not
tensioned, it's much easier to move it side to side. No top-to-bottom
free play movement is noticed; I think this is because the tracking
adjustment screw is locked down securely?

I don't think this is a bearing problem, the saw hasn't seen that much
run time. I'm just trying to ascertain if it needs any tweaking, for
optimum performance.

Thanks again,
John Sellers

On Thu, 6 Jan 2005 18:22:08 -0500, wrote:

I think this is because the tracking
adjustment screw is locked down securely?

I've not seen a mechanism where "the tracking adjustment screw locks
down". They're usually a rather cheesy piece of garbage where the
tracking adjustment acts as an end stop, and the force of the tension
spring is used to hold the wheel axle against it. This works, but it
will "give" in one direction if you pull (or maybe push) on it in one
direction.

To check the bearings, you're usually best to grab the unbladed wheel
at the _sides_ and wobble it, not the top and bottom. This may also
show up sloppiness in the tracking adjustment trunnion, but that's a
design problem, not wear.
--
Smert' spamionam