Low throttle Odyssey II jerking / bucking - Legacy SD40

I think I may have found an issue. One of my traction tires has a groove in it that lines up with brake shoe. I've heard people saying to run the MTH traction tires. Does anyone know which MTH tires I should order for my SD40?

Someone posted an MTH tire chart link, (maybe it was Marty?) you could search that with the dimensions from the Lionel parts list.

DE-0000018 are diesel tires, that's what I use on Lionel diesels.

For a few years I have been replacing all the Lionel tires with the much superior MTH tires.  They will make your locomotive glide very smooth.  I hit on this a few years ago when some E and F units were coming back at Charles Ro with the same complaint.  Some tires were so fat and distorted the wheels would not turn inside the F unit side frames.  We ordered hundreds of MTH tires and problem fixed.  The Lionel tires today are much improved.  I have just under 100 Lionel locomotives and every diesel got the tires cut off and replaced with the MTH tires.

I'm not quite as anal about changing the tires Marty, only the ones that are giving me issues get replaced.

I demand perfect operation on every locomotive.  Anal, yes.  I am also the same on other peoples locomotives as I am on my own.  I would never send out a locomotive with one MTH tire on one side and a Lionel on the other.  Like my cars, tires get changed in pairs.  Not changing matching tires could get by most people but I refuse to do that.

I would never send one out mismatched.  However, if the locomotive is operating perfectly with Lionel tires, I don't change them.  Yes, I also demand 100% operation from my stuff, it bugs me when everything doesn't work right.

Thanks guys I ordered a bunch of the DE-0000018 tires. I'll let you know if that solves it.  One of my tires has a distinct cut/rub line that lines of perfectly with brake shoe. It doesn't appear to be rubbing while Im holding it, but running may be different story.

Marty Fitzhenry posted:

For a few years I have been replacing all the Lionel tires with the much superior MTH tires.  They will make your locomotive glide very smooth.  I hit on this a few years ago when some E and F units were coming back at Charles Ro with the same complaint.  Some tires were so fat and distorted the wheels would not turn inside the F unit side frames.  We ordered hundreds of MTH tires and problem fixed.  The Lionel tires today are much improved.  I have just under 100 Lionel locomotives and every diesel got the tires cut off and replaced with the MTH tires.

Marty you just hit a note that maybe causing me some frustration with a purchased Lionel Legacy 4-12-2.  At moderate and higher speeds it starts wobble. I bet its those darned traction tires! I will have to get me a set of those MTH tires.

Thanks!

Marty Fitzhenry posted:

For a few years I have been replacing all the Lionel tires with the much superior MTH tires.  They will make your locomotive glide very smooth.  I hit on this a few years ago when some E and F units were coming back at Charles Ro with the same complaint.  Some tires were so fat and distorted the wheels would not turn inside the F unit side frames.  We ordered hundreds of MTH tires and problem fixed.  The Lionel tires today are much improved.  I have just under 100 Lionel locomotives and every diesel got the tires cut off and replaced with the MTH tires.

I had that exact problem and used that exact fix. Glad to know I can do the same when it comes time to replace the tires on my other Legacy diesels. I bought one of those MTH repair kits that come with huge backs of replacement tires.