Deluxe Maxi-IV Fix-It Kit Alternatives?

[MetroRedLine]

A while back I bought a couple used Deluxe Innovations Maxi-IV 53' well car sets. Although nice-looking models with good detail, they suffered from production issues where the wheels would not roll freely due to interference with the underside of the car and the coupler's draft gear box. DI made a "Fix-It Kit," in the form of a set of small metal washers to be placed in the bolsters to raise the car a bit and allow the wheels to roll freely with no interference.

I contacted Deluxe owner Dave Ferrari numerous times over the years to acquire a pair of fix-it kits, and though promised them many times, he never delivered. Add to that the rumors/reports that DeLuxe was going out of business, and the official announcement in May 2019 confirming it so. No hard feelings, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt that he had bigger fish to fry than annoying N scalers bugging him about those dang Fix-It Kits.

Their website includes thus regarding the Maxi-IVs:
The Maxi-IV tooling is under the control of InterMountain Railway Company. We are out of Maxi-IV Fix-Kits and do not have the financial resources to produce more. Parts availability and product support are still an open questions.

I have a set of Maxi-IVs that I cannot run because of this issue. Are there any DIY solutions (i.e. 3D printing of the Fix-It Kits, commercially-available washers, etc) that can work?

[Glenn Poole]

I made my own out of approximately 1/32" plastic.  Took a sheet/strip of plastic and drilled a bunch of holes in it the size I needed to fit over the pin that is there.  Then took a pair of scissors and cut around the hole leaving only about a 1/32" ring.  Cutting around the hole does not have to be exact.

 

[Steveruger45]

What about the bolster washers that come (or came) with MT truck sets?

[cbroughton67]

I made my own out of approximately 1/32" plastic.  Took a sheet/strip of plastic and drilled a bunch of holes in it the size I needed to fit over the pin that is there.  Then took a pair of scissors and cut around the hole leaving only about a 1/32" ring.  Cutting around the hole does not have to be exact.

I've used varying sizes of craft store hand punches to make washers like this. They come in 1/16", 1/8", 1/4", and 5/16" sizes and easily cut through thin styrene. Fiskars and Darice are two the brands that come to mind.

[Bob Horn]

I used an MT bolster washer, just cut it on one side so it would open and fit around the protruding post. Bob

[JanesCustomTrain]

If a washer that thin does the trick, wouldn't wheels with smaller flanges achieve the same ?

Jane

[MetroRedLine]

If a washer that thin does the trick, wouldn't wheels with smaller flanges achieve the same ?

Jane

Here's the thing - I have about 4 sets of Deluxe Maxi-IVs -- 3 of them have Fox Valley (the smallest flange you can find) wheelsets and they work fine. But this one Maxi IV set I have still has truck clearance issues even with the FVM wheelsets. Upon close inspection it seems that it was tooled slightly differently.

[jereising]

I have probably a dozen Maxi IVs.  Every one of them is different. 

The one thing I noticed was the TTX seemed better than the BNSF, but they were still all different.

I did get some of the refit kits but also found washers in my parts stash that would work.  You just have to tweak each one separately - tweak and test, tweak and test.  I live in hope SOMEONE will give us a good Maxi IV. 

Matt, are you listening?

(And please, don't anyone tell me how good the Kato model is.  I got rid of mine years ago.)

[John]

Jim .. what was wrong with the Kato versions?  I don't have any

[Bob Horn]

Nothing! I have 9 Kato sets, 3 Deluxe and some 15-18 single 53' cars. All run well together. Bob

[sundowner]

The Di maxi IV were so frustrating to get to run right i got rid of mine fairly quick. Also had issues with some container not fitting at all.
The maxi iii were much better but fragile.
The Kato maxis I and IV could used body mount but they aways run good right out of the box and look good next to the new Atlas AP’s.

[MetroRedLine]

Jim .. what was wrong with the Kato versions?  I don't have any

The Katos Maxi-IVs are fine, it just takes some getting used to in terms of latching the units together, whereas the DIs simply drop onto each other easily.
The DI cars are also more detailed and have body-mounts.
The Katos are truck-mounted AND their coupler height is lower than MTL standards (as with nearly all Kato trains). I'm soooooo glad Atlas came out with the 53' single-units, because running my long doublestack (with the heavier DIs towards the front and the lighter Katos towards the back) with a rear DPU would occasionally thrust the rear truck-mounted coupler out of line on the last car and cause derailments. With an Atlas at the end, I no longer have that problem.

[Glenn Poole]

What about the bolster washers that come (or came) with MT truck sets?

to small, don't fit---just saw above where you can cut them and then spread them around the pin 

[jereising]

Jim .. what was wrong with the Kato versions?  I don't have any

Way too toylike - very finicky tracking - at least for me.  The DIs are nice once you get them running.  But you know what they say about opinions

[ednadolski]

The Maxi-IV tooling is under the control of InterMountain Railway Company.

SQOTD: any info at all about when/if these may be produced again?

Ed