Waiting on Aircraft Spruce to ship my parts I went to the front of the aircraft. There is always something to do. I pulled each wheel (one at a time) and checked / torqued several items. I had not torqued the four bolts that hold the brake mount and wheel pant mount. Everything came off, was double checked and reinstalled; including adding more grease to the bearings. All of this was in preparartion for installing the axle nuts which require drilling a #30 hole through the axel for retention of the nut.
The process I used was to set the tension on the bearings using the axle nut. Once I was satisfied there was sufficient resistance and the bearing did not spin I marked the axle with a #40 drill. The axle nut has a #30 hole in every flat. Using that hole and an angle drill I marked the axle, pulled the nut off and drilled using #40 through the axle. I put the nut back on and inserted a 3/32 rivet in the #40 hole that I had just drilled. With the nut "locked" in place with the rivet I drilled the opposite side with the #40 bit. I place another rivet there and pulled the first rivet so I could drill with a #30 bit. Using a 1/8" rivet in the first hole I drilled the second hole with the #30 bit.
Maybe a lot of extra effort but my holes are aligned and the cotter pin taps into place. Went to get some lunch. I had a conversation with a friend of mine who is building an RV-8. He suggested drilling #27 instead of #30. The second tire was a repeat of the first, except I used a #27 bit. The cotter pin slides into place instead of having to be tapped into place. It slides without being sloppy, just a nice tight fit.
I haven't bent either cotter pin, so I will pull the first one and drill it #27 as well.