Azuza wheel rims torque

[N111YX]

That's not the first Asuza bolt to break. It's basicallly an un-issued service bulletin to replace Asuza bolts with AN bolts.

These wheels are made for go carts. They work but the bolts are the weakest link.

[WaiexN143NM]

hi all,
yes good idea to replace the azusa bolts w an hardware if using the stock brakes. as for the sonex hyd brakes they come with the flush countersunk hex bolts. paul are both of your sides (left and rt wheels) doing this wear pattern?
anyone else experience this. ? it almost seems like the wheel has got some play to the axel.
are the bearing races seated down fully?
do you think that one of the bolts came loose a little ? heavy braking and the nylon lock nut melted a little
and the bolt vibrated a little loose? maybe we should be using all metal locking nuts.

keep us posted!

WaiexN143NM
Michael

[lpaaruule]

Tech support says it's unlikely that the disc is flexing, and said to make sure the pucks land squarely on the disc, and the caliper can float a little on the clevis pin during reassembly. I take this to mean, make sure it isn't binding.

I'm almost 100% sure that both sides had the brake pucks wearing at an angle. I'll double check that when I get back out to the hanger, but that may be a while. Also, the wear angle of the pucks both slope to the outer edge of the disc, which is why I suspected disc flex vs caliper binding.

Other than that, I got the part number for the bolt so I can get a replacement.

[WesRagle]

Hi Guys,

I'm almost 100% sure that both sides had the brake pucks wearing at an angle. I'll double check that when I get back out to the hanger, but that may be a while. Also, the wear angle of the pucks both slope to the outer edge of the disc, which is why I suspected disc flex vs caliper binding.

I'm just going to throw this out there for consideration.

On previous planes I've owned, while doing wheel maintenance, I always tightened the axle nut until there was moderate rolling resistance on the wheel and then backed off a little. I had been doing the same with the Onex. Now, I had always had a problem with my Sonex hydraulic brakes. I needed to pump them up after each landing before they would work and I didn't understand why.

When I recently changed my tires I decided to torque the axle nut down really tight and then back off. I no longer have to pump my brakes on landing. Could have been that while tightening the nut in the past the puck was partially extended and I never tightened the nut enough to properly seat the puck and had been flying around with a slightly loose wheel. This might cause the pucks to wear at an angle.

YMMV,

Wes

[WaiexN143NM]

hi all,
one thing i forgot about my install with the sonex hyd brakes, i installed a square backing plate, from tracy obrien,
that i welded to the axle. this gives me 3 bolts holding the red brake body to axle , instead of the small one tab.
there is no float or flex, the pucks wear evenly on my discs.

WaiexN143NM
Michael.

[lpaaruule]

Finally got back from an epic vacation (in my Jeep, so I won't go into detail), and installed the new brake parts. I noticed that it took quite a bit more torque to remove the bolts from the side with the broken bolt than the other side. I'm guessing that I might have overtorqued the wheel with the broken bolt. These are course thread, and I might have used the fine thread torque. On the other hand, the side with the broken bolt had much less tread on the tire than the other side, so maybe it was a heating issue due to the right side being used more.

I replaced all the wheel bolts and nuts, and torqued the new ones to 45 in-lbs in hope of putting the least amount of stress on them as I can do safely. I also over tightened the axle nut, then backed it off to make sure that everything was seated correctly.

I did some taxiing, and a short flight, and the breaks are working really well again. I'll have to think about whether I'm going to replace these as a regular PM item or not.