Mailing List lml@lancaironline.net Message #70802
From: Dan Ballin <dballin@gmail.com>
Sender: <marv@lancaironline.net>
Subject: Re: [LML] Re: Safety wiring will pants
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2014 12:11:27 -0400
To: <lml@lancaironline.net>
Not that this would work on an ES and I don't have wheel pants on my RG Legacy, but I work as a builder for X-Air which is a light sport.  We have a small hole in the pant just aft of the bolt.  We then take some safety wire and wrap it a few turns around a small washer (probably about a #6) and then put both ends through the hole.  You now have one end of the safety wire secured and can use the ends as you normally would to secure the bolt head using a ANxH- bolt

Dan

On Wed, Oct 15, 2014 at 7:34 AM, George Wehrung <gw5@me.com> wrote:
That’s a great idea Bill, Thanks.

I am thinking of mounting a smaller head-drilled bolt aft of the main bolt with a NyLock Nut and safety wire both bolts together.


On Oct 14, 2014, at 3:12 PM, Bill Bradburry <bbradburry@verizon.net> wrote:

I too have lost one of these bolts.
I haven’t done this, but you could drill a couple of 1/16 inch holes in the wheel pant maybe ½ inch or so apart, aft of the bolt and run a safety wire thru them.  Alternatively, you could flox in a small loop of safety wire just aft of the bolt that you could use as an attachment for a safety wire.  Similar to the way that the fuel drains in the wings are safetied
 
Bill .
 

From: Lancair Mailing List [mailto:lml@lancaironline.net] On Behalf Of Skip Slater
Sent: Tuesday, October 14, 2014 9:38 AM
To: Lancair Mailing List
Subject: [LML] Re: Safety wiring will pants
 
When we built up my ES wheel pants, we bonded a large metal washer to the outside of the bolt holes, then put filler on the sides to blend it in and a couple of BID over it.  The idea was to prevent stress from cracking the fiberglass by creating a hard point and spreading the load.  It doesn't protect the paint - I put a flat washer under the bolt to do that.  I've also lost bolts and spacers twice, even though I preflight exactly the same way Gary described; by wiggling the back end of the pant to check for tightness on each walkaround.  Even though I now put Locktite on the ends of the threads, that bolt will still back it's way out over time.  I just found one loose the last time I went flying a couple of days ago and it took about a turn and a half to get the bolt tight again.
 
If I had it to do over again, I'd probably figure out a way to secure the bolt because it's been a persistent issue. 
 
Skip Slater
From: Gary Casey
Sent: Tuesday, October 14, 2014 3:49 AM
Subject: [LML] Re: Safety wiring will pants
 
I have found that the bolt needs to be part of the preflight inspection. Just wiggle the aft tip of the pant and if it moves, tighten the bolt. I hesitate to really tighten it as it would crush the pant material, so it's a judgement call. If you don't tighten it enough it for sure will come loose. I'm guessing, but it seems like about 10 ft-lbs is enough. One way to fix it would be to put a small (SS?) metal plate on the surface screwed to the pant, maybe with one screw behind the hole. Then put a star washer under the bolt head. Those bolt heads bug me - they must be costing 2 knots! I was going to either build a cavity in the pant to make them flush or to find a button head bolt. I did neither.
Gary


I have lost my outer bolt and spacer two times now for my wheel pants on the=
main gear.

Has anybody considered a way to safety wire the bolt to the wheel pant the b=
olt to prevent loosing them inflight?

I just hope it didn't hit anybody.


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