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Gear legs

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jeynon2

Joined: 25 Oct 2007
Posts: 24
Location: Southern Illinois

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 4:09 pm Post subject: Gear legs

Is there some trick to inserting the gear legs into the spar box.  I've sanded the paint out of the tube, and loosened the nuts holding the spar box to the fuselage.  I've also done some sanding on the gear leg.  I can get it about halfway in with some difficulty, and back out with more difficulty.  I assume the answer is keep sanding the gear leg until it goes in, but I thought I'd check here first.



Thanks.



John Eynon

Lightning #53

Carbondale, Illinois

sttwig(at)wabroadband.com
Guest

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 10:52 pm Post subject: Gear legs

John,



I feel your pain.  I spent a lot of time doing just as you have done.  I

found that the slightest bump that you can hardly feel in the spar box

socket will bind up the legs.  If you use some fine sand paper on the legs

to smooth them up and then insert them, the bumps will leave a mark on the

gear leg when you try to insert them again and then pull them out.  Then you

can locate the bump and go after it.  Also you need to keep sanding the gear

legs down.  When you get close you can put some lubricant on the leg and it

will slide in fairly easily.  Mark at Arion told me they use a moly lube on

them.  You have to be able to turn the legs in the spar box socket when you

do your wheel alignment.  I'm no expert.  What I outlined here is what

worked for me.



Steve

Kit #48



--

landonp(at)bigpond.com
Guest

Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 12:33 am Post subject: Gear legs

Hi John

I used a Drill extention(14" one) with a scotchbrite pad wrapped opposite to 

turn direction (sufficient pad to be slightly larger then gear leg tube) and 

attached to female end (tied it on with lockwire ),Around this I attached a 

strip of Wet and Dry 80 grit(carb)Paper.You twist this into tube (dip in 

water) and use your elec drill  to turn. Areas that you find as a tight spot 

when you put leg in is where you concentrate effort to.This worked well for 

me.



Cheers



BK

---

jeynon2

Joined: 25 Oct 2007
Posts: 24
Location: Southern Illinois

Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 2:17 pm Post subject: Re: Gear legs

Thanks for the responses.  It's reassuring to know I'm not the only one spending hours sanding his shaft.



John Eynon

Lightning #53

vettin74(at)yahoo.com
Guest

Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 5:48 pm Post subject: Gear legs

John,

   

  Normally we do not have this much trouble with the legs...make sure the the hole in the bottom of the fuselage is at the correct angle to allow 1/8" gap around the leg ...they will bind and go in crooked if they touch just a bit...otherwise sanding is ok but take your time and do not go to the grinder...

   

  nick



jeynon <jeynon2(at)verizon.net> wrote:

  [quote]--> Lightning-List message posted by: "jeynon" 



Is there some trick to inserting the gear legs into the spar box. I've sanded the paint out of the tube, and loosened the nuts holding the spar box to the fuselage. I've also done some sanding on the gear leg. I can get it about halfway in with some difficulty, and back out with more difficulty. I assume the answer is keep sanding the gear leg until it      [quote][b]

sttwig(at)wabroadband.com
Guest

Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 10:23 pm Post subject: Gear legs

I spent a lot of time sanding both the spar box tubes and the gear legs to get them to fit and that was before the spar box was fit in the fuselage.  They are a tight fit.  I think that all the welding around the bottom end of the tube in the spar box distorts it a bit.  If I was going to do it again, I would take the legs to a machine shop and have them put them into a lathe and remove enough to make them fit.  The bottom ends are the same situation.  If they are to “bottom out” in the wheel and brake weldment, a significant amount needs to be removed there, too.  

   

Steve  

Kit # 48  

         

  

From: owner-lightning-list-server(at)matronics.com [mailto:owner-lightning-list-server(at)matronics.com] On Behalf Of nick otterback

 Sent: Sunday, February 03, 2008 5:46 PM

 To: lightning-list(at)matronics.com

 Subject: Re: Gear legs  

  

     

John,  

    

   

    

Normally we do not have this much trouble with the legs...make sure the the hole in the bottom of the fuselage is at the correct angle to allow 1/8" gap around the leg ...they will bind and go in crooked if they touch just a bit...otherwise sanding is ok but take your time and do not go to the grinder...  

    

   

    

nick

 

 jeynon <jeynon2(at)verizon.net> wrote:  

  [quote]  

--> Lightning-List message posted by: "jeynon" 

 

 Is there some trick to inserting the gear legs into the spar box. I've sanded the paint out of the tube, and loosened the nuts holding the spar box to the fuselage. I've also done some sanding on the gear leg. I can get it about halfway in with some difficulty, and back out with more difficulty. I assume the answer is keep sanding the gear leg until it    	  Quote: 	
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vettin74(at)yahoo.com
Guest

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 6:17 am Post subject: Gear legs

Steve,

   

  I will call teh weld shop this morning...this is not the intended fit of these parts, and has not been for the first 40 kits or so...

   

  Nick



Steven Sundquist <sttwig(at)wabroadband.com> wrote:

  [quote]      v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}  o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}  w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}  .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}                I spent a lot of time sanding both the spar box tubes and the gear legs to get them to fit and that was before the spar box was fit in the fuselage.  They are a tight fit.  I think that all the welding around the bottom end of the tube in the spar box distorts it a bit.  If I was going to do it again, I would take the legs to a machine shop and have them put them into a lathe and remove enough to make them fit.  The bottom ends  are the same situation.  If they are to “bottom out” in the wheel and brake weldment, a significant amount needs to be removed there, too.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

   

  Steve

  Kit # 48

   

        

  From: owner-lightning-list-server(at)matronics.com [mailto:owner-lightning-list-server(at)matronics.com] On Behalf Of nick otterback

Sent: Sunday, February 03, 2008 5:46 PM

To: lightning-list(at)matronics.com

Subject: Re: Gear legs



   

    John,



     



    Normally we do not have this much trouble with the legs...make sure the the hole in the bottom of the fuselage is at the correct angle to allow 1/8" gap around the leg ...they will bind and go in crooked if they touch just a bit...otherwise sanding is ok but take your time and do not go to the grinder...



     



    nick



jeynon  <jeynon2(at)verizon.net> wrote:



  [quote]  --> Lightning-List message posted by: "jeynon" 



Is there some trick to inserting the gear legs into the spar box. I've sanded the paint out of the tube, and loosened the nuts holding the spar box to the fuselage. I've also done some sanding on the gear leg. I can get it about halfway in with some difficulty, and back out with more difficulty. I assume the answer is keep sanding the gear leg until it 

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8[quote][b]Be a better friend, newshound, and  [quote][b]

Colin K.

Joined: 04 Sep 2006
Posts: 157
Location: Oklahoma

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 5:29 pm Post subject: Gear legs

I have not fitted my spar box, engine mount or gear legs Nick, so I was able

to try fitting the gear legs to the appropriate holes today, with no impact

of them being attached to the fuselage.

 

First the bottom weldments: all three went on to within an inch of bottoming

with little effort, so I am guessing that when I clean off the paint, they

will go fully home.

 

The main gear legs go into the spar box about 2 inches with some effort

_________________
Colin K.
OK

vettin74(at)yahoo.com
Guest

Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 6:21 am Post subject: Gear legs

Colin,

   

  I have discussed the matter with the weld shop and they will turn down future gearlegs some. For yours you will have to sand them as everyone else has. The weld shop has a gear leg to check these items but he believes that a combination of a new QC guy and a gear leg which was with in tolarance but slightly undersize to blame for a run of these legs.

   

  Nick



"Colin J. Kennedy" <cjk129(at)cox.net> wrote:

  [quote]    I have not fitted my spar box, engine mount or gear legs Nick, so I was able to try fitting the gear legs to the appropriate holes today, with no impact of them being attached to the fuselage.

   

  First the bottom weldments: all three went on to within an inch of bottoming with little effort, so I am guessing that when I clean off the paint, they will go fully home.

   

  The main gear legs go into the spar box about 2 inches with some effort . The outside diameter of the top of the main gear legs is 1 3/8". As the tubes are cut off at an angle, I need to get something deeper inside to measure the inside diameter and I don't have a good tool for that. I think something more than removing the paint will have to be done, but this is the next thing I will try.

   

    The nose gear leg will not go into the engine mount at all. The outside diameter of the top of the nose gear leg is 1 3/8". The inside diameter of the tube measures at 1 3/8" too, so no clearance. I think something more than removing the paint will have to be done, but again, this is the next thing I will try.

   

  I am a working at a slower rate as compared to some of the other builders, so I will not take any drastic measures until you come to a conclusion.

   

  By the way, great engine seminar this  weekend! I'm sorry if I was one of the people keeping you from taking calls! I'm sure we can all work together to resolve these challenges!

   

   

    Colin K.

  OK

  http://www.mykitlog.com/cojaken

   

   

   

    

   

   --

Colin K.

Joined: 04 Sep 2006
Posts: 157
Location: Oklahoma

Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 5:25 pm Post subject: Gear legs

Thanks Nick.

 

I will give it a try.

 

Colin K.

OK

http://www.mykitlog.com/cojaken

 

 



--

_________________
Colin K.
OK

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