Loose Carriage Wheels

[Busy Quilting]

My right front carriage wheel is able to be turned by hand quilte easily. Is this how it is supposed to be?

Found this out when I was trying to clean the wheels by using some "ammonia damp batting" and moving the machine. The wheel stayed still as I moved the machine back and forth.

I have tried to tighten the bolt underneath and adjust the carriage bolt too. But it is still able to be turned by hand easily.

Doesn't seem to be affecting the movement.

Back to finish cleaning the rest of the machine. Four more quilts to do before Christmas.

Lyn

[Quilting Heidi]

Lyn,

If you move the machine back and forth and that wheel isn't turning then I would say it is definitely a problem. You say that you have tried to adjust the cams and it doesn't get the wheel any closer to the carriage? I can turn my wheels but the machine will move on the base. I can't just turn the wheels and have it stay in place. I'd call APQS if this is the case.

[Busy Quilting]

My husband has more strength than I have in my wrists and was able to tighten the underneath bolt so it no longer turns as freely.

I will get to replace these wheels next year with edgeriders, so problem will be solved.

Lyn

[quiltmonkey]

The underneath bolts should be tightened all the way tight after adjusting your cams on the top. I have two wrenches I hold at the same time; one to hold the cam (on top) in place, the other to tighten the bottom bolt up tight. When I want to adjust my cams again, I loosen the bottom bolt and move my top cam bolt and then tighten up the bottom again. Make sense?

PS: You want your cams in the back to match, and you want your cams in the front to match. Otherwise you'll not have a good wheel balance on your carriage.