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Hey everyone,
We have the "Gill International" standards that ride in a track. Right now one of them is binding up and is very hard to move. Have any of you every encountered this problem? and hopefully found a solution? I took the whole thing apart and all the wheels move freely, So i am a bit stumped.

Any thoughts?

Can you post a close up photo of the base/mechanism so we know exactly what you have? Does the "truck" assembly move freely when it is on the ground outside of the metal tracks it normally runs in?

I will try and get a photo tomorrow. But the standards do move freely when they are outside of the metal track.

That's good that they roll well. So the first thing that comes to my (engineering) mind is binding. The next thing to do is try sliding the standard by pushing on the truck assembly (not on the main upright). When you do this, note if the truck twists, or is already twisted relative to the base that it runs in. If it is twisted, straighten it and try pushing again. If it is already straight, does it slide smoothly or is it still hard to move?

If these are the kind of standards I'm thinking of often the track gets "crushed" a little so the base gets "pinched" at some point. Measure the opening (top to bottom) and see if it is the same distance all along the track. If it has been "crushed" a little you will have to find a way to pry the opening back to its original distance. Some time ago I made a simple little device (screw type thing) to "open" up the distance between tracks. I keep it in my gear box which goes to meets. Of course since I made it I have not had on single chance to use it, but I'm ready! Good luck let us know how you make out.

Dan

drcurran wrote:If these are the kind of standards I'm thinking of often the track gets "crushed" a little so the base gets "pinched" at some point.

That can certainly qualify as a cause of binding! Good idea Dan

Yes, ours is horrible... they don't move up or down well either... It always gets stuck when it has to pass through certain heights.

Ok here are some Pictures. I have noticed that the axel in the middle does not touch, not sure if thats normal or not. If the whole thing is not level could that cause binding? i.e. maybe i need to take a level and adjust the feet. I will check for twist and take some measurements tomorrow and see if the track is bent.

Coach J - These are the type of standards I was thinking of. If something heavy get drop (or stored) on them the top can be bent closer to the bottom and prevent the wheels from moving smoothly. Get base out of the track and measure to see if this is the case. Often you can not see the bend. Straight edge might also help. Keep us informed.

Dan

So I was able to measure the track this weekend and it checked out OK, no bend. I brought a Level and leveled the base out and it seemed to help a little bit. However,its still more difficult to move then it should be. Back to the drawing board.

master wrote:That's good that they roll well. So the first thing that comes to my (engineering) mind is binding. The next thing to do is try sliding the standard by pushing on the truck assembly (not on the main upright). When you do this, note if the truck twists, or is already twisted relative to the base that it runs in. If it is twisted, straighten it and try pushing again. If it is already straight, does it slide smoothly or is it still hard to move?

What were the results of trying these things mentioned earlier? (Push at the location of the roll of duct tape and in the direction straight into your third photo.)

If you take the base out of the track will it roll on the floor without binding / sticking? If it does then it would seem the issue has to be with the track. Some of those standards do have a wheel on each side pointing out to the side to keep the base centered in the track. If you have these wheels, make sure they are turning smoothly. Keep us filled in as you progress!

Dan