@Mixed Freight, I used the "other end" of a drill bit that fit near perfect, the alignment was very good.
@redjimmy1955 and @ADCX Rob - your comments make sense - I guess I'll have to break one of the axles loose tomorrow and see if there isn't a sweet spot. That's the practical side of things. I still don't understand how adding those little bearings can propogate attraction or repulsion over the distance between the axles - seems like that's just too great a distance, and yet... a believable answer would be that there is a magnetic flow through the frame, but then the frame is made of aluminum!
I guess I'll just break 'em loose tomorrow and give it a try - thanks for the suggestions!