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Wheel pant repair -- how many layers?

DaleB

Well Known Member
We recently discovered a chunk missing from the rear of the wheel opening in our nose wheel pant, and a couple of trailing cracks. My guess would be a chunk of gravel or something dragged through by the tire. Anyway, I think I can clean up the cracks, epoxy them and can put a couple layers of glass over them. For the missing chunk, how many layers of cloth should I plan on? I have:
  • West Systems epoxy
  • Flox
  • Micro
  • Peel ply (Dacron fabric)
  • ACS #7520 E-glass cloth, 8.5 oz.
  • Some light weight cloth, probably 3 oz. E-glass from Spruce
I wouldn't say I've never worked with glass before, but my previous experience is probably meaningless. I would think the proper way would be to sand/grind a taper on the edges so that when I lay down the new cloth it makes a scarf joint, with an inch or two of overlap. I'm thinking the heavier 8.5 oz. cloth for everything. Am I on the right track?
 
We recently discovered a chunk missing from the rear of the wheel opening in our nose wheel pant, and a couple of trailing cracks. My guess would be a chunk of gravel or something dragged through by the tire. Anyway, I think I can clean up the cracks, epoxy them and can put a couple layers of glass over them. For the missing chunk, how many layers of cloth should I plan on? I have:
  • West Systems epoxy
  • Flox
  • Micro
  • Peel ply (Dacron fabric)
  • ACS #7520 E-glass cloth, 8.5 oz.
  • Some light weight cloth, probably 3 oz. E-glass from Spruce
I wouldn't say I've never worked with glass before, but my previous experience is probably meaningless. I would think the proper way would be to sand/grind a taper on the edges so that when I lay down the new cloth it makes a scarf joint, with an inch or two of overlap. I'm thinking the heavier 8.5 oz. cloth for everything. Am I on the right track?

If you follow DanH's suggestions for repair, the number of layers will be what is needed to execute the repair. You can use .011" per layer for #7520 to estimate the number to restore the original thickness. Various methods can provide a "backing" to lay the patch over after the edges are tapered. Do you already have extra layers around the perimeter of the tire opening? Restore that last.
 
I would think the proper way would be to sand/grind a taper on the edges so that when I lay down the new cloth it makes a scarf joint, with an inch or two of overlap. I'm thinking the heavier 8.5 oz. cloth for everything. Am I on the right track?

Yep, scarf it. Four plies is about right, or just count the existing plies when you cut the scarf.
 
Thanks, guys. No, there are no extra layers anywhere... pants were done per plans by the builder. I figure by the time I'm done there will be an extra layer or two all around, at least on the back half of the pant. I don't want to get too carried away.
 
No intention of hijacking the thread but I think this may be pertinent.

In light of the possible cause of this damage, what pant/tire clearance is the community using and are you happy with that figure?

And something that may be considered when building or rebuilding one of the wheel pants: My Cardinal wheel pants have a (16ga?). removable and adjustable steel strip at the aft end of its wheel pants, behind the tire. They refer to it as a scraper. It is curved to match the approximate curve of the tire and it must be removed to provide adequate clearance if the tire is to be removed. The service manual calls out a 1/4" to 3/8" clearance adjustment when replacing the scraper.

I considered adding this to the RV but have more than enough work just trying to get it completed. Maybe later?
 
Look in Kitplanes mag January 2018 page 36.
Allen
Ha!! Perfect, thanks for pointing that out. That's exactly what I am doing, plus a couple of 6" long cracks that will be easy to fix. I found the 11/17 and 2/18 issues laying around here, but just read the article from the January issue on line. It must have gotten buried under a pile here and I missed reading it.

As a side note, Kitplanes has been far and away the best magazine I've subscribed to in years. I wish I'd done it sooner.
 
Caution to not add too many extra layers to this area & make it too strong. It's near inevitable that this area will be damaged again in the future... you don't want a small damage patch to turn into a gaping rip!
 
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