I am trying to determine the proper shimming procedure for the side bearing arrangement in the image below. Currently, the roller does not protrude above the top of the cage. I have been looking on the web to find out what the proper height of the roller above the top of the cage is. I have not found anything that even looks close to this. The number that is cast into the end of the bolster is B7A-03EB MN. The car body will be raised about 3.5 inches higher to get the coupler height at the correct location. I am planning on installing wear plates to the bottom of the car body to also take up some of the height difference.

Ed

.

Hi Kelly,
Thanks for the info so far and here are a few more details. This for a tender that is receiving a truck transplant. The carbody needs to come up to make the deck height and drawbar pocket/coupler reasonable. The frame is straight & square and coupler pocket is back to original spec. The "new" trucks have been rebuilt but the bolsters are just that much lower.
Gratefully acknowledging all the help received thus far.......mld

The cast in lettering you identified is the AAR side frame and bolster interchange code. The B is a bolster. The 7 indicates it is a 70 ton truck with 6 X 11 journals and 33" wheels. The A indicates it has ASF ride control snubbing. I would have to look up the rest of it, but if it fits it probably is not significant. I would suggest you shim the body center plate down with interlocking shims. I would not depend on the bolts in shear in the longitudinal direction. Likewise the body side bearing wear plate can be shimmed down. This can be done with plow bolts except you will need a tapered shim under the nut to accommodate the bolster bottom cover plate angle. The roller can be replaced with a solid or built up block. The roller side bearings never worked well since the rollers always got beaten flat and quit rolling. Make sure to keep the clearances Kelly sited for side bearing clearance. Set the clearance without center plate lube, then put the lube in. It will mash down quickly.

Thank you everyone for the information that you have passed along so far.

With this side bearing cage set up, is it good practice to place a shim in between the roller and the truck bolster to act as a wear plate for the truck bolster?

Ed

No. The bottom of the cage should have a V shaped taper in it to keep the roller centered. The shim goes above the body booster wear plate.