REFLECTOR: Phenolic Pad option

[Chuck Harbert]

Kent, I used a piece of thin Formica to insulate the metal brake assembly 
from the gear leg. It is about 1/16" thick (.060") and it is big enough to 
also prevent radiant or convective heat transfer into the leg. It is drilled 
to fit between the axle and gear leg. It showed no signs of distress when I 
recently replaced a rotor. It doesn't tranfer heat like metals do.

Chuck H
Std RG

>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
>  From: Kent Murley
>  To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
>  Sent: Thursday, October 05, 2006 8:04 PM
>  Subject: REFLECTOR: Phenolic Pad Options
>
>
>  Anybody use something other than phenolic pads to protect their main 
> struts from brake disc heat?
>
>  My situation:
>
>  XLRG
>
>  I changed to Cleveland brakes a dozen hours ago (and toe pedals - love 
> 'em) and installed new phenolic pads per the usual method: the top of each 
> phenolic pad runs vertically up each strut to a height nearly a centimeter 
> above each brake disc. The only attach points between the phenolic pads 
> and struts are down by the axle to minimize transfer of heat.
>
>  The shape of my well used struts made the tops of the phenolic pads warp 
> away from the struts a couple centimeters and nearly touch the brake disc. 
> After the first flight one pad actually did touch its disc - wearing an 
> arc into the phenolic pad less than a millimeter deep. I jambed a one 
> centimeter spacer between the pads and the discs to sit overnight. Neither 
> pad has touched its disc since but they are close - within 5 millimeters - 
> and it varies after each flight. It may be the strut or the phenolic pad 
> or both that is changing shape with each set of heat cycles.
>
>  For other reasons I'm now replacing the left main strut and, after taking 
> the wheel off, the phenolic pad has cracked and is unusable, perhaps from 
> my manipulation. Should I use a new phenolic pad or can I fashion an 
> aluminum (or other material) plate that would not be subject to such large 
> (3mm) flexure in heat cycles but still protect my carbon fiber wrapped new 
> strut from the hot disc?
>
>  Kent