lower rudder hinge wear tolerance

[N74DV]

My lower rudder hinge has a bit of slop in the fore/aft axis. Due to many years of having tension tailwheel springs applying pressure I'd guess.

I haven't measure the slop yet but I'm wondering if there is a specific amount of slop that is acceptable.

I can measure it with a dial indicator (yes I know... a dial indicator on a Tcart???) but I'm wondering what is an acceptable limit.

[flyguy]

Re: lower rudder hinge wear tolerance

If it scares you it is too loose. LOL Seriously I can measure the thickness of the factory replacement (from the 80's) bushings I have if you want to measure and calculate how much material remains on yours. I'll measure them anyway so I can just put it here this evening.
DC

[Guest]

Re: lower rudder hinge wear tolerance

Driving out the old bushing and replacing it it pretty easy to do. They are standard bronze bushings as I recall.

[flyguy]

Re: lower rudder hinge wear tolerance

OOPs, ran into a disaster yesterday. Will check the thickness of bushings today. I problably need to replace mine, but I am really concerned with dorking around with the welded fitting.
DC

[N74DV]

Re: lower rudder hinge wear tolerance

Driving out the old bushing and replacing it it pretty easy to do. They are standard bronze bushings as I recall.

ahhhh...... so there's a bushing in there. I assumed it was just steel tubing with a clevis pin.

sounds simple enough. where does one source a bushing?

[Len Petterson]

Re: lower rudder hinge wear tolerance

Try a local bearing supplyer bronce bushings comes in standard sizes maybe to long but a file will fix what.

[Forrest Barber]

Re: lower rudder hinge wear tolerance

From the factory the bushing is in the single part that turns.It is a 1/4 " thin wall bushing. The pin is secured into the other part so it does not turn.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: lower rudder hinge wear tolerance

OK, you didn't hear it from me but Tractor Supply carries the exact bushing. There are a lot of taylorcraft parts in the Tractor Supply bins. Of course I have never actually used any of them.

[Guest]

Re: lower rudder hinge wear tolerance

My original hinge pins have sort of a of straight knurl at the head end to keep it fixed on the small hinge half.

The knurl gets worn off and the pin rotates in small hinge half rather than in the large half that has the bronze bushing.

So to remedy that when installing the pins pins just before driving it in the last 1/4" I put Loctite on the last 1/4" on the head end.

Dave

[flyguy]

Re: lower rudder hinge wear tolerance

Finally got the dial caliper and the bushing in the same place at the same time. The inside dia. of the bushing is .250, the pin is .245, and the thickness of the bushing wall is .032. All inches. Pretty thin.
Guess that means if there is very much play that the bushing is worn thru.
DC
Anyone find a way to make the aileron pin rotate with the aileron so the pin wears on the bushing and doesn't wear out the aileron bracket? I used all my knurled pins on my previous Tcarts and the ones in this one are smooth.
Dc

[Guest]

Re: lower rudder hinge wear tolerance

Finally got the dial caliper and the bushing in the same place at the same time. The inside dia. of the bushing is .250, the pin is .245, and the thickness of the bushing wall is .032. All inches. Pretty thin.
Guess that means if there is very much play that the bushing is worn thru.
DC
Anyone find a way to make the aileron pin rotate with the aileron so the pin wears on the bushing and doesn't wear out the aileron bracket? I used all my knurled pins on my previous Tcarts and the ones in this one are smooth.
Dc

DC,

I spread the aileron hinge a little so the it exerts a tiny pressure on the cotter pin and I put loctite under the pin head.

That solved it for me.

Dave

[flyguy]

Re: lower rudder hinge wear tolerance

That should work. I think I need to find some shorter pins, or some thin washers. Seem a little long to me. Thanks.
Darryl

[Guest]

Re: lower rudder hinge wear tolerance

One or two of mine had to have a 1/4" washer installed under the cotter key to tighten it up. Dave

[Ron Greene]

Re: lower rudder hinge wear tolerance

My original hinge pins have sort of a of straight knurl at the head end to keep it fixed on the small hinge half.

The knurl gets worn off and the pin rotates in small hinge half rather than in the large half that has the bronze bushing.

So to remedy that when installing the pins pins just before driving it in the last 1/4" I put Loctite on the last 1/4" on the head end.

Dave

Group,

This thread was just starting to get good and dried up. In the absence of knurled clevis pins what other methods are being used to ensure the pin does not rotate so that all the wear is placed on the bushing.

Ron Greene

[Robert Lees]

Re: lower rudder hinge wear tolerance

If recovering, you could weld a flat on the control surface part of the hinge and file a corresponding flat on the pin.

I did this on my new aileron brackets:


I have previously used 0.005" and 0.010" shim steel to "jam" the pin in the bore, and I have also used Loctite.