Fabricating a race removal/installation tool
I will admit to flying a lot more than blogging lately, but I think most of you might understand (if not condone) this temporary absence.
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| "I hate to admit it, but this is a lot more fun than building!" |
But let’s get back into the thick of things with a new maintenance item. Perhaps due to the increased flying tempo, I recently discovered another nose-wheel race experiencing galling symptoms. Because I had never checked it before, it's hard to tell how long this issue has been present.
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| Nose wheel halves, new bearings/races (left), old bearings (right). |
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| Right wheel half with damaged steel race |
Unfortunately Terry (JT's builder and my honorary father in law) did not remember the type of wheel he installed in the nose, except that he bought it from a guy with a Cozy who was upgrading his own nose-wheel to something bigger.
Not a lot of info to go on, but a starting datapoint nevertheless.
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| Trying to identify this wheel |
Armed with this bit of info and a couple of pictures, I was able to identify it as a Grove 49-3A. After a couple of emails to Grove, I had the bearings info… Timken LM11949 and LM11910.
Grove sold the bearing/race combo for roughly $20 a set, a bit pricey but better than the $40 per set from Aircraft Spruce. With a little more research, I found them new online (off brand) for $6 per set, so I purchased two and the whole repair job cost me a mere $12, shipping included.
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| These things are "a dime a dozen" on eBay |
You might remember from the last time I did this type of job, that I ended up fabricating a tool for this purpose. Unfortunately, because of the smaller size of the nose-wheel, a new tool had to be made once again to remove and install the bearing race. Interestingly, I ended up harvesting another part of the same welding practice piece as I did previously in order to make this new tool.
Here are some photos from the process…
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| Found something with the perfect diameter |
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| Repurposing my welding practice piece |
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This tool doesn't have to be super precise, but it does have to be square.
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| Facing (squaring) both sides of the new tool-to-be |
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| Using tool to press out the old race |
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| Nose-wheel half with race removed |
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| Removal tool and removed damaged race |
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| The old race will make the perfect installation tool |
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| Welding the race to the removal tool |
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| Installation/removal tool nearly finished cooling down |
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| Facing (squaring the end) and turning (reducing OD) the installation side of the tool |
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| Finished tool staged for race removal. |
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| Finished tool staged for race installation. |
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| Close up of the new nose-wheel race removal/installation tool |
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| Tool clear coated and labeled for future use. |
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| Pressing out race #2 |
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| Wheel halves without bearing races |
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| New race about to be pressed in |
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| Pressing the steel race into the aluminum nose wheel-half |
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| Steel race seated into nose-wheel bore |
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Both nose wheel halves with races installed
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| Greasing the bearings |
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| Bearings added |
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| End covers installed, ready to add tube and tire. |
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| New slick tire and tube mounted on the nose-wheel |
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| Nose-wheel installed and ready to go. |
All is left to do now is go for a test flight.
I know... but someone's got to do it! 😉
