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Floxing Nose wheel fairing

Stockmanreef

Well Known Member
How is one suppose to flox the brackets on the nose wheel? I can't think of a way to do it without making a horrible mess. Unless you flex one side then the other side after the first side cures.

Also, do you still take off one of the brackets when you put on and take off the rear fairing. I can muscle it with the brackets in place, but it is not pretty.

thanks
ken
 
Sounds similar to the question I posed about the -10 nose pant a few days ago. Are they the same design?
 
I think that the nose wheel fairings must be similar. After reading the thread you posted, I determined that I missed something. I think that the brackets are attached permanently to the fairing, since they can be slid off by unscrewing the hex nuts for the tow bar.

SO maybe the best approach would be to do the following:

1. remove the brackets from the nose fork.
2. put the flox in place.
3. put the brackets into place on the fairing.
4. screw brackets in place lightly to the fairing.
5. slid the rear fairing back on to the nose wheel forks.
6. screw in the hex nuts.
7. tighten down the screws to the fairing.

I reread the plans and it does not seem to be the way the plans state to do it.
 
I think that the nose wheel fairings must be similar. After reading the thread you posted, I determined that I missed something. I think that the brackets are attached permanently to the fairing, since they can be slid off by unscrewing the hex nuts for the tow bar.

SO maybe the best approach would be to do the following:

1. remove the brackets from the nose fork.
2. put the flox in place.
3. put the brackets into place on the fairing.
4. screw brackets in place lightly to the fairing.
5. slid the rear fairing back on to the nose wheel forks.
6. screw in the hex nuts.
7. tighten down the screws to the fairing.

I reread the plans and it does not seem to be the way the plans state to do it.


Pretty much what I did. Seemed to work fine - one advantage is that you can confirm alignment as screws are tightened so the flox fixes the brackets precisely.
 
And

I covered the brackets in packing tape and greased the screws so the flox would not stick to them. Once the flox was cured, it was a simple thing to separate the pant from the bracket. This made it easy to go back and clean up the excess flox as well as making the bracket removable from the pant...
 
I just now did this the plans-way, but was careful not to allow the flox to wrap much, and careful not to over-tighten the screws so as to leave the bracket ears in their non-stressed condition.

I plan to pull the brackets and pant in one piece after it sets up, then separate the pieces and apply more flox to any areas that look like they need more. After that sets, I'll thickness sand the flox bedding so it grabs the edges of the flanges enough to carry some shear but not too deeply, and reinstall the whole assembly by sliding it on and bolting in with the standoff cap screws.

I would likely do future removal with the brackets still screwed to the pant. Not sure if I'd jeopardize my paint job by glassing over the screw heads, though - just in case.
 
Another mod I made was to attach the aluminum pyramids to the brackets with countersunk screws. Now, they come off with the pants. I also attached stainless steel washers to the pants around the tow bar holes with nutplates and extended the cap screws so they are just visible outside the pants. I may lose a knot, but I will be less likely to damage the paint installing and removing the tow bar.
 
I beefed up the inside of the pants with extra layers of fiberglass in the areas where the brackets attach and the holes for towbar/hex screws, prior to "floxing" the brackets. Did this on the wheel pants as well.
 
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