Re: REFLECTOR: front control bearing

[DAlexan424@aol.com]

In a message dated 1/7/99 5:20:59 AM Pacific Standard Time, Jim_Agnew@ibm.net
writes:

> Sam DaSilva and I inspected the bearing mount yesterday and came to the 
> conclusion
>  that a retaining plate over the back side of the bearing with a hole 
> slightly
>  larger than the torque tube would solve the problem.  The two existing AN-3
> bolts
>  would be changed to standard flat head ones and would be more than
adequate. 
>  We
>  also discussed this with Simon using my plane since this bearing is clearly
>  visible.  Although there is no axial load on the bearings for the aileron 
> torque
>  tubes I'm tempted to also put captive retaining plates on them.  I will
look 
> at
>  the rear bearing on the stick torque tube to see if it should also get the
>  retaining plate.
>  
>  At this point I'm thinking that 1/8" 6061-T6 aluminum would be adequate but
> I have
>  not ruled out thinner steel since these plates are nothing but large
washers 
> for
>  all intents and purposes.
>  
>  Jim
>  
>  
 That's what David and I were thinking of. Just a little cap plate to cover
the bearing and capture it to the mounting plate. Shouldn't take more than 30
minutes to make once set up in a lathe. And the hole doesn't have to be as
small as the tube unless one were worried about the bearing coming apart and
if that is the next worry du jour, then the bearing needs to be replaced. But
the bearing will work fine I think. Not THAT much axial load with a sliding
tube. 

Lord, this could get complicated unless we check our nature to be
perfectionists at the door. I can just see this developing into a pair of
tapered Timken bearings, shimmed to fit with a mandatory 25 hour inspection
and zerk fitting on all sides!

We can be a strange lot sometimes.

Dale Alexander
173 RG Gull-Wing