struts just not fitting....

[hangarb7]

Greetings.

OK, new front struts by Wag Aero, '46 BC12D

I know about the warning that with a 10' long strut, the bottom fitting can be damaged by the long leverage of moving the strut around.

So I slip the bolt in at the bottom, and the top of the strut is literally 4" away from the wing attach point!!

I was sick.

I was advised to try the other strut and lo' and behold, it was real close to fitting. Pushed it in between the spar brackets and I can get the bolt started but it will not line up in the rear attachment. It is a about a half hole diameter off. Moving the wing does not seem to change it much.

Suggestions?

JackD
N44057

[woodmw]

Re: struts just not fitting....

Here is a link to Airframes Alaska struts:

http://www.airframesalaska.com/product-p/af-tcraftset.htm

Toward the bottom of the page, there are links to documentation, one concerning strut angle. It acknowledges the problem and describes how to measure the angle. I would measure the old and new strut angle, and be on the phone to Wag Aero monday morning. Unfortunately, I suspect the solution will require more cash.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: struts just not fitting....

Wag took care of this problem on mine at no charge. There was a delay while the struts went back and forth. Lucky for me I had plenty of old bad struts. No flying, but at least I didn't have to remove the wings.

Hank

[hangarb7]

Re: struts just not fitting....

Oh no! I am aware of the Alaska Airframe angle warning. I did measure my struts before I sent them to Wag Aero and when I mentioned it to Phylis, she let me discuss it with their weld shop foreman.

He told me that they have never had a problem with anyone using their struts!!! I believe the factory specification says 1-1/2 degree angle on the top hole and mine measured 4 degrees on one and 2-1/2 on the other. When I told him that, he said that the difference in angle in that small space would not be that much of a change in position. I am not sure at this point how much change is needed as the back of the hole is high compared to the attachment. It is almost like the hole is twisted out of position rather than an angle difference longitudinally.

Now this is distressing. Hank, I assume you only had a problem with the front struts. How did you describe to them what you needed them to do? Did they build you new struts or change your struts? Did you pay the freight costs to and back? I picked these up on the way back from Oshkosh.

Thanks,

JackD

[astjp2]

Re: struts just not fitting....

Yeah, I just put in the bolt on the top end, and moved the lower into position with a slight grunt and slid in the bottom bolt....on 4 different airplanes. Tim

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: struts just not fitting....

It has been quite a while but what I remember is calling them up and telling them how far the strut was off at one end when the other was in position. As I remember you could put one end in first and the other was very close but the strut wouldn't go in and the bolt wouldn't go through. When you started with the other end in first, the opposite end was no where close to the lugs. I don't remember which end I tried first, the fuselage or wing end.
When I told them what was happening they were really nice and I felt like this was a problem they had seen before. There was something about two angles depending on which plane you had. They paid shipping but I did get a better mailing tube to send them. The cardboard tube with wooden plugs had protected the struts they shipped but HAD gotten damaged on the way (tube did it's job). No damage to the struts, but I didn't want to ship them back in a damaged tube. I made new ones from PVC pipe sections and they returned the repaired struts in the PVC pipe. I didn't see the Alaska Airframe information until well after my plane was all together (at least that I can remember). I did not talk to the shop or welding person, it was someone in the offices.
Wish I could remember more details, but it was handled so well I really didn't take much note of things. Had a problem, reported it, shipped them back, got repaired struts, repaired struts fit fine. All pretty easy and the delay didn't impact me since I had some junk struts and plenty of other work to do on the plane. It was really pretty much of a non-issue and I thought they handled it well. I DID get my struts back and had to repaint the end they modified to fit. Wasn't a big issue as I had told them I wasn't happy with my paint job on the struts when I did it before trying to put them on. I re-sanded the color coat and sprayed again (STILL not too happy with my job, but that is on me. Looks great from 6'.)
Your description of one end looking like the hole is twisted out of position rather than an angle difference longitudinally was what I saw too.
Hank

Oh no! I am aware of the Alaska Airframe angle warning. I did measure my struts before I sent them to Wag Aero and when I mentioned it to Phylis, she let me discuss it with their weld shop foreman.

He told me that they have never had a problem with anyone using their struts!!! I believe the factory specification says 1-1/2 degree angle on the top hole and mine measured 4 degrees on one and 2-1/2 on the other. When I told him that, he said that the difference in angle in that small space would not be that much of a change in position. I am not sure at this point how much change is needed as the back of the hole is high compared to the attachment. It is almost like the hole is twisted out of position rather than an angle difference longitudinally.

Now this is distressing. Hank, I assume you only had a problem with the front struts. How did you describe to them what you needed them to do? Did they build you new struts or change your struts? Did you pay the freight costs to and back? I picked these up on the way back from Oshkosh.

Thanks,

JackD

[vetdrem]

Re: struts just not fitting....

I bought a set from UNIVAR and have the same issue with one of the aft struts. I use two pieces of 2x2 to torque the strut enough to get the upper bolt in after the lower bolt is in place. I cut half the strut profile into each 2x2 then clamp the two together over the strut giving me a 4' lever. I cringe every time that I do it, but it works.

Louie

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: struts just not fitting....

I would feel a LOT better if the strut was heated (stress relieved) so it was NOT under a pre-load all the time. There SHOULD NOT be a constant load on the strut. It should slide in and accept the bolt without having to load it so it will fit together. Any pre-load on the strut will subtract from the strength of the strut when additional load is put on it in that direction (and ADD to it if the load opposes the pre-load....which is why many times tension is put on re-bar before and while concrete is poured).
I would call UNIVAR and get them to weigh in on this since they would be potentially liable of the strut failed. I have a feeling that all they did on my strut was twist it while heating it so the holes stayed aligned. I WOULD NOT do that unless they were good with it, but I would be very nervous if nothing was done.

Hank

[hangarb7]

Re: struts just not fitting....

Thanks Hank. They ARE really nice at Wag Aero, and when I questioned Bridget about any issues she connected me immediately with Jonas, their weld shop supervisor. He assured me that they had never had a problem and that I shouldn't have any issue with them fitting.

One problem is that to ship them back to them, and then pick them up, I have to drive over 70 miles round trip and pay toll road fees just to get them to UPS.

I will talk to Bridget on Tuesday after I get an experienced guy I know to look it over but I think they are going back. And from what Louie claims on his Univair rear struts, I guess I have to try those as well. I never anticipated any problem on the rear struts because of how they are made and they have some adjustment. so I am now forewarned about that.

Thanks, Hank and Louie. I will report back.


JackD

[jstall]

Re: struts just not fitting....

Bottom line, me too, I finally got my set of factory struts, back in 2010 and they were set at about 0 strut angle front strut I needed 6 degrees not even close. I was unaware at that time of any "strut angle" issues. The originals fit perfect and are clean as a pin, no rust at all, so I stayed with them. This AD is a joke and should be recended, never has been a T Cart lost due to "STRUT FAILURE", it was a scam of Harry, and Joe the FAA inspector. I got all this verified several years ago, Joe subsquently left the FAA over this, or lets say "took retirement" then went to work for who other? Harry. Fact is if you have to pry bend torgue or otherwise anything to get these to fit the fix is worst that the bite, it puts stress on attach fitings at the fuselage and or the strap at the spar not a good deal at all. Its a joke on all of, and the FAA should be willing to recend this AD in my opinion.

Deal cost me 3 grand for "NOTHING", and these jokers were working on another AD that would have effected the landing gear structure but they got put out of business before they got that one going

RANT OFF

JS
ALVA,OK

[Scott]

Re: struts just not fitting....

Greetings.

Pushed it in between the spar brackets and I can get the bolt started but it will not line up in the rear attachment. It is a about a half hole diameter off. Moving the wing does not seem to change it much.

Suggestions?

JackD
N44057

If you have access you could try loosening the spar bracket attach bolts. There may be enough tolerance in the bolt holes in the brackets to get you half a hole at the strut attach point.(this assumes your wings aren't modified for the gross weight increase)

Failing that I think cold forming as Louie suggested wold be fine. A small twist like that would be no problem just ensure that it is the strut tube that is formed and not the weldments at either end. To be clear, you're actually going to twist-form the tube over its entire length such that the bolt holes line up as opposed to twisting it just to get the bolt in.