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Replacement screws/bolts


Ben2k9

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I had to repair my wheel pants due to them breaking where the old bolts and rubber washers were.  I form fitted stainless washers for the wheel pants after fiber glass repairing the pants.  To do this, buy 1" stainless "fender" washers at ACE.  Then drill the washers to accept the 6mm bolt.  Hammer form to "cup" the washers to match the pant surface.  Convex on the outer washer and concave on the inner.  File all sharp edges of the washers to a smooth rounded edge.  These then hold the wheel pant from moving and cover a wide surface of the pant.  Throw away the rubber washers.  These are the reason my pants failed.  This system has worked now for 5 years with no degradation at attachment points of the pants.

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No rubber on the wheel pant. Washer on both sides. The rubber allows the pant to work up and down during flight and that eats out the wheel pant hole that will have to be patched later on. You want stainless washers on both side to sandwich the wheel pant and when you tighten it tight the wheel pant will not move. make the washer on the inside at least 1". The one on the outside needs to fit in the wheel pant depression.

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Right with Roger's reply.  The rubber washer is bad news.  Form the inside and outside washers to fully conform to the surface of the wheel pant so they sandwich the material.  Torque the bolt to firmly compress the washers.  I rounded the edges of the washers to make sure they don't eat into the wheel pant.  Keep the bolt tight by application of a small dab of loctite and check to make sure bolt is tight occasionally.

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22 hours ago, Roger Lee said:

No rubber on the wheel pant. Washer on both sides. The rubber allows the pant to work up and down during flight and that eats out the wheel pant hole that will have to be patched later on. You want stainless washers on both side to sandwich the wheel pant and when you tighten it tight the wheel pant will not move. make the washer on the inside at least 1". The one on the outside needs to fit in the wheel pant depression.

1” diameter or thickness?

 

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1" diameter. You just want to sandwich the plastic between the washers to keep it from moving and the threads of the screw acting like a file and eating out the hole larger.

 

p.s.

Do the same thing for the front wheel pant. On the right side of the front put a spacer about 7/16" in length between the axle and the washer. You can buy either plastic or brass spacers at Ace Aviation and just use a Dremel tool with a reinforced cutoff blade to trim it to the right length.

Get rid of the rubber as it does not hold the wheel pant solid.

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