Bowden cable??

[1avidflyer 1983]

I didn't want to hijack the other Bowden cable thread, so I moved mine over here. I'm replacing the trim cable on my Avid rebuild, as the original is 25 years old, and I can get at it easy now with everything uncovered. I was thinking that a Teflon coated cable might work better and be less inclinded to rust up. Looked at Aircraft Spruce and their regular Bowden cable is $2.35 a foot with the inner cable included. It's just spiral wound galvanized wire with an inner wire. Wicks doesn't have that type of Bowden cable, but they do have the coated cable housing I was thinking about using. You have to buy the inner wire separate, but with that figured in, It's still about half the price of what Spruce wants. This question isn't about spending less money, but rather about getting the better product. Any opinions about which cable type to use? I've bought some cheap choke cables and in a year sitting outside they were rusted up and junk. Chinese junk ofcourse and I'm sure Spruce's stuff is not like that, but that's part of what is driving my thought process. I'm attaching a picture of Wicks cable housing. Thanks, Jim Chuk

PS I'm changing the rudder cables also. Spruce has un streached and prestreached cable. Wicks has only the unstreached judging by their price. Any thoughts on which is normally used? I looked on line and found that prestreached is subjected to a load of 60% of it's breaking strength.

Edited 6 Mar 2015 by Jim Chuk

[EDMO 1078]

Jim,

If you buy the stainless cables, you don't have to worry about rusting or lubing them annually. You can prestretch them, and you should have adjustments on them.

I like the looks of that Wicks covered wire housing. What size wire and housing do you use for your trim? I was thinking .078 wire in 3/32 hole in 7/32 housing.

EDMO

BTW - I bought a big roll of sillymeter Chinese cable at Harbor Freight for $10 - it is a few thousands under 1/8", but have about talked myself out of using it. Not SS.

ED

Edited 7 Mar 2015 by Ed In Missouri

[1avidflyer 1983]

Hi Ed, the trim cable was 7/32" OD, and that is what this cable housing is from Wicks. It also uses the .078 wire. Jim Chuk

[TJay 1041]

Jim is the Plane you are redoing the yellow one in the picture?

[1avidflyer 1983]

No, the plane I'm redoing is the one I had with a Jabiru engine in it. Here is what it looked like the last time I recovered it. Jim Chuk

[Luked 71]

Hey Jim, sorry for the thread jack, but I really like your plane. That's very similar to the way I want to paint mine. I like the classic red and white.

[TJay 1041]

looks nice, looks like you got alot of nice projects over there, Glad I cold take one off your hands ha.

[EDMO 1078]

Jim,

If you have any photos of how you ran your cable from front to tab, I would like to see them.

I'm planning on White, Red, and Blue - matching my Cessna wingtips.

EDMO

[1avidflyer 1983]

Ed, the trim cable ran through a series of short 5/16" tubes welded on through the fuselage. That was standard on a MK IV from the factory. I'll try to get a couple of pics for you. TJay, I'm glad that you got that kit from me. I obviously have to many things on my plate as it is. Luked, it's kind of hard to see, but the wings have a scalloped pattern on the front top and bottom. That scalloping was painted, the stripes down the side was pressure sensitive vinyl that I cut and applied. It was real tough doing the cowl part. The eagle wing was hard to get the backing off and laid out straight, but it came out pretty nice I thought. Jim Chuk

[EDMO 1078]

Hi Ed, the trim cable was 7/32" OD, and that is what this cable housing is from Wicks. It also uses the .078 wire. Jim Chuk

Wicks has 2 sizes of cable housing, and about 4 sizes of wire - I planned to use the same as you.

EDMO