Causes of Worn Gantry Rails on Water Wizard

[toddmullens]

Does anybody know the root cause of worn spots in the gantry track. I have 16 water wizards in service and at least 8 of them have "speed bumps" all down the track. I can understand worn spots at the front of the track (exit side) if the home prox goes out, but all down the rail??? I have ignored the problem long enough and I have to do something. It sounds awful during a wash, not to mention whatever other problems this is causing or will cause. Anybody have any ideas on possible options to repair the rail, as well as what i can do to prevent it from happening?

 

[Tom Thumb]

I have not had that problem yet, but would be interested to know if you have spoke with anyone at Coleman about this.

 

[Reds]

I can't imagine what would cause the track to wear unevenly. I would think that it would wear all along it's length. I wear out wheels occasionally but my tracks are fine. I only have 2 WW's, one with 65000 washes on it and one with 35000 on it. Both tracks look to be fine. I am going to pull a string on them after reading this thread to see if they are straight. I do have one that is making a strange clunking noise when it is going in one direction only. Wheels and bearings are good so I don't know what is wrong. What kind of noise is your WW making?

 

[toddmullens]

I can't imagine what would cause the track to wear unevenly. I would think that it would wear all along it's length. I wear out wheels occasionally but my tracks are fine. I only have 2 WW's, one with 65000 washes on it and one with 35000 on it. Both tracks look to be fine. I am going to pull a string on them after reading this thread to see if they are straight. I do have one that is making a strange clunking noise when it is going in one direction only. Wheels and bearings are good so I don't know what is wrong. What kind of noise is your WW making?

The rail has small bumps along it. I compare it to a dirt road that has been washes out from rain causing what they call around here a washboard. So if you have ever been on a very rougn dirt road, you know how your car bounces around. This is whats happening to the gantry as it travels down the track. The noise it makes is from the machine hitting the bumps all down the rail. I am at a lose on this! In the event that I have a bearing go out, I make it a point to change all bearings and wheels at the same time because i was told that the wheels will wear down and adding only one new wheel while the other wheels are old will cause problems

 

[pitzerwm]

could you just run a light grinding wheel down it, taking off the "bumps"?

 

[Jim L.]

Water Wizards are not the only automatics experiencing washboard tracks. I have an older A-OK with the same problem.

 

[Greg Pack]

could you just run a light grinding wheel down it, taking off the "bumps"?

I have seen the dips filled and then ground down level

 

[wisheewashee]

Tracks...of my tears

Many of thos pits in the track are caused because the gantry got hung up on something and the wheels literally ground a pit into the rails. I have a few.
The gantry can be blocked somehow and th ewheels will spin a groove into the rails like a grinder.

Find a good welder who can cut the pit outs and weld back in a piece of metal to flatten it out..