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Dave's RV-7A Builder's Log
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Date: 6-15-2014
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Number of Hours: 2.50
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Manual Reference:
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Brief Description: Drilled axles
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With all of the family activities this weekend, I decided to sneak out to the hangar today for a couple of hours by myself...it IS Father's Day after all.
The plan was to drill both main gear axles for the final installation of the axle nuts. Once again, the best laid plans don't necessarily translate to successful outcomes. There are three sources of information regarding the installation of the wheels--the builder's manual (refer to previous post), the Matco installation documents included with the wheel assemblies, and the various forums where builders share ideas, techniques, etc. This essentially means that there are at least three "correct" methods of installing the wheels.
The primary challenge seems to be getting the nut to the correct tightness (no wheel side-to-side movement, while still able to spin) and drilling two holes through the axle that actually line up to allow a cotter pin to be inserted. In my case, the Matco instructions were very specific regarding NOT allowing the grease seal (black ring inside the wheel in the picture) to turn with the wheel. There was even a reference of up to 26 lbs of torque required to turn the wheel due to the friction caused by the grease seal. I figured that the company that makes the wheels gets the deciding vote on installation. Off we go.
Tighten everything appropriately, lightly drill a marking hole in the threads, remove assembly and drill both sides. Reinstall wheel and tighten the nut, only to find that I can't tighten it enough to get the holes lined up...how is this possible? Over to the left side and that worked great. Hmmm...will have to research my options to get the situation on the right resolved.
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Left side drilled
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