Landing gear axle assy.

[larrym 1]

I am just installing my bush gear - change from the Grove. The directions for the axle somewhat baffles me. I am using skis, so I will tap the required thread in the sides of the axle. The directions show that the wheel will go on, foloowed by a spacer of sufficent length then the axle nut, which will tighten against the spacer and be on the outter most part lf the axle. This being the case, then the ski attach bolt will interfere with the wheel nut cotter pin. Why not thread the axle to the wheel, which would eliminate the outer spacer, and allow a cotter pin which would not interefere with the ski attach bolt?

Thanks,

larry

[akflyer 1427]

are these the avid skis? I am assuming that you are using the wheel skis also?

[larrym 1]

are these the avid skis? I am assuming that you are using the wheel skis also?

:BC:/>

Yes, evrything is Avid. I question the method in the book.... I would have threaded the axle nut all the way to the wheel without a spacer. That way, I could cotter pin the axle nut, and put the skis on or off without regard to it. What am I missing?

[EDMO 1078]

Yes, evrything is Avid. I question the method in the book.... I would have threaded the axle nut all the way to the wheel without a spacer. That way, I could cotter pin the axle nut, and put the skis on or off without regard to it. What am I missing?

I know nothing about your settup, but as a machinist/A&P, I wonder if threading all the way in and drilling a hole that far in could make a fracture point on the axle when you put weight on the ski outboard of that point?

Just something to think about - they must have had a reason for being "unreasonable"?

ED in MO

[Av8r3400 1179]

You need the spacer behind the nut to hold pressure on the bearing face, only. The nut won't do this. Also the spacer acts as a washer in the event of bearing failure holding everything together and not allowing rotational force to be put on the nut.

[larrym 1]

Yes, I understand the need for a spacer to provide force against the bearing, however the book shows a spacer in excess of 11/2" wide. I have enough thread on the axle to do as I what I would consider normal, so I will do so.

Thanks,

larry

[Av8r3400 1179]

Maybe a universal axle to fit several width wheels?

[SuberAvid 617]

On the axles that I got it was one axle rod with external threads on both ends. You had to cut it in half and to length, and thread the inside of the cut axles on both ends to axcept the 3/8" dia. ski bolts. The inside of the axle has to be flush with the axle tube on the inside of the landing gear and ski mounts inside of the landing gear bolted to the inside face of the axle. The length of the axle is determined by the distance between the ski support tower attach points since the outer ski mount is bolted through to the outer face of the axle. The 3/8 bolts into the center of the axles are the pivot trunions for the skis. Since these have to be able to pivot you cannot tighten these bolts too tight and you will need to safety them to secure them from backing out. Since they have to go at least 3/4" or so into the axle to get good strength, I drilled two holes for the axle nut cotter pin to use depending on which wheels I was running summer or winter (for the wheel skis you have to run the stock Avid/Matco wheels). The cotter pin hole has to be located little more than the 3/4" from the end of the axle to clear the depth of the ski bolt. The axle retaining bolt through the gear leg also has to be located far enough from the inside face to clear the inside ski bolt.