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RV9A Safety wire on wheel pant bracket

ron sterba

Well Known Member
Getting ready to mount my NEW mwheel pant on the right main year leg. Plan drawing C-2 . Center diagram Sect-A-A and detail C.....mounted my U-808 bracket to my axle nut with a AN4-H-5 bolt. According to the Detail C it states to Safety wire AN4-H-5 bolt head to axle nut cotter pin, how is that suppose to be accomplished. Do you drill a 1/16 hole in bracket just above the bolt head and route safety wire through it to cotter pin from bolt head? Always appreciate your help. I replaced the tube and turned tire around on the rim to wear down the others side of the tire surface too.
 
Just route the safety wire from the bolt head around the bracket to the cotter key. OR, you could just drill a hole in the bracket itself and safety wire it there.

Vic
 
Just route the safety wire from the bolt head around the bracket to the cotter key. OR, you could just drill a hole in the bracket itself and safety wire it there.

Vic

Just don't leave it off!

In one case I know of, an A&P who left the wire off of a friend's wheel pants and that bolt backed out on one side, allowing a wheel pant to rotate on landing, causing a ground loop.
 
In the beginning of Phase 2 I overlooked this feature. Bolts were not drilled for safety wire and I flew some hours with ladings on unimproved surfaces. On a preflight I noticed an extra play in the fairing. Turned out the bolt completely backed off but was still there. There was still enough stiffness and support in the bracket/fierglass geometry to hold it in place. I should have checked it earlier :)
 
My tip for this is if you are lock wiring the head of the bolt to the cotter pin, make sure you put the cotter pin in from the front. The access inside that bracket is tight and wiring it to the cotter pin aft of the axle is significantly more difficult.
 
lock washer

I use a lock washer there. Very hard to safety wire in this location.

The bolt also goes into a platenut that holds it very securely and there's plenty of friction when removing the bolt that I don't see how it could ever vibrate loose. (at least on my plane it is)

Happy to be proven wrong.
 
I use a lock washer there. Very hard to safety wire in this location.

The bolt also goes into a platenut that holds it very securely and there's plenty of friction when removing the bolt that I don't see how it could ever vibrate loose. (at least on my plane it is)

Happy to be proven wrong.

I think other posts in this thread have already done that......;)
This bolt being discussed, probably experiences the highest variable vibration levels of any bolt in the whole airplane. It is not difficult to safety wire, so it makes sense to do so.
 
The particular bolt called out on the print, an AN4H-5A, does not even exist on the hardware page under the VANS website. There is a 6A and a 4A, but not a 5A.

I find it interesting that the prints would call out a part that the company doesn't sell.
 
The particular bolt called out on the print, an AN4H-5A, does not even exist on the hardware page under the VANS website. There is a 6A and a 4A, but not a 5A.

I find it interesting that the prints would call out a part that the company doesn't sell.

I don't find it interesting at all that humans aren't perfect (whether they think they are or not).
So in that context, what value does your post add to the discussion?
 
Hi Greg, just stopping in Vans now and I will ask. Wow great responses you guys. One thing I am going to change is that the bracket on the outside by the axle will have four platenuts on the bracket and I will screw the outside of the wheel pant to that bracket I?m not going to do the rivet thing in the plans I was told that this was a lot easier for maintenance and getting to that air valve if I had to remove the pant. How are you so cool here Vans. I?ll tell them you all said hi. Ron
 
Well just left Vans and it always cost me money, don’t get me wrong because it’s all about upgrades especially the Dynon HDX display. So I’ll be ordering a 10 and a 8 “ to replace my touch 10 & 7”. Ok back to AN4-H-5A. It’s supposely its on the web store now but it wasn’t in the paper catalog 2016. So what I’ll be doing is safety wiring AN4-H-5A to a hole ( drill in Bracket)’ since the bracket will have four #8 screws to the wheel pant. Thanks Ron
 
Maybe pointing out a part specified that is not sold could suggest that it would be a good idea to get some?
 
Maybe pointing out a part specified that is not sold could suggest that it would be a good idea to get some?

The post immediately before yours shows that the are (Ron walked in to Van's and bought some).

My point in my earlier post was that just because they weren't found in the online store, doesn't necessarily mean they aren't available.
 
I got tired of ordering bolts with the heads drilled for safety wire and waiting a week so I bought a Safety Wire Drilling Jig.

While expensive ($64.85), it has saved me time and money over the years.
 
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Extras??

I?m the guy that orders 1 size longer and 1 size shorter. Maybe 2 sizes on occasion. How else do u happen to have the right size when the next ?occasion? presents itself and u have what u need.
 
These Nord-Lock washers are they something of the future?? Is there a supplier who sells them for AN 3 & AN-4 & AN-5 bolts? There called anti vibration washer. The description sounds like preferred washer over a split washer because it offers equal pressure against the bolt head under surface. Ron in Oregon
 
MRock wood have you built the front pant,leg & intersection fairings? In my instructions it says after building these you’ll never want to build a fiberglass airplane!!! And every pant is just a little different from the supplier. I believe that now. In addition to making the main gear outside bracket I decided to also turn the tire around on the rim to wear down the other side of the tire and re-grease the bearings. Brake pads still look good. I got a chance to look at a main wheel pant with the outside bracket riveted to the wheel pant and all the could think is how in the heck does one get up in the wheel pant to get the bolt on done! Hats �� off to the ones who have done it that way. I used two different platenuts on the outside bracket. One with screw hole and then two rivet holes ( in that order ) and a corner platenut slightly trimmed to meet close quarters ( grinder wheel ) and redrilling one new hole on the platenut. I think I can be a jeweler. Iam going with this idea from other builders and now I understand their point of view.
If anyone wants to break a bead on a tire I learned a neat trick. Get a hold of a 1” square piece of UHMW ( I think I got the letters correct) harder than nylon, 5 inches long and cut ta 1” wedge of about 60 degrees off the end. Then to break the bead (let the air out) on the tire/ rim simply use a mallet to pound the wedge ( cut end facing up ) the UHMW bar slides down the edge of the rim breaking the bead and NOT MARING the rim metal or tire.
Mr Gizmo / Ron in Oregon
 
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