Cleveland Cracks

[mike newall]

My buddy in Florida has found a crack on a Cleveland wheel.

Now, here in Blighty, we have a fairly practical approach to this.

Dig it out, tig it back up, spin it on a lathe, carry on.

It is cast alumin(i)um and therefore is weldable.

Comments please - or does anyone have a spare C 38500 with drum brakes ?

Mike

[N86250]

Ad 48-08-02 says "Remove the tires and inspect the wheel flanges for fatigue cracks. The wheel should be replaced if cracks are found." Anything else is a deviation from the Airworthiness Directive and will require an "alternate form of compliance" or some other form of approval for welding the cracked part. I would guess that would not be easily forthcoming from the FAA. Early Pipers such as the Pacer and early Tri-Pacers with 600x6 wheels and drum hydraulic brakes used the DHB version of this wheel. Drum Hydraulic Brakes. It is rated for a higher load capacity and I believe it is dimensionally interchangeable. Substitution of a like part or AC 23-27 should be enough documentation to make the change from a DMB wheel to a DHB wheel as a log book entry I would think. Welding and hiding it would not be a problem until the wheel broke again and caused an accident. Then the mechanic who got suckered into returning the welded wheel to service is going to have some explaining to do. An old FAA Safety Inspector used to say "It's all good until something goes wrong and gets our attention. Then we are going to come see the mechanic who signed his name in the logbook". jrh

[mike newall]

I guess that's the difference from there to here.

Our Aeronca's are on a UK version of Experimental and satisfactory repair techniques may be used.

IMHO a good repair would be just as good as the original bearing in mind modern techniques etc etc.

I will advise my friend accordingly.

Thanks

[rkittine]

Getting a DHB Wheel on a Certificated aircraft here, that originally had a DMB wheel, (6" Clevelands) does require a log book entry and I got a field approval. Even if the UK allows the repair, I would consider the chance of it happening again. I wanted to change out both for safety and so as not to have to do the AD inspections, which I guess you do not have to do in the UK either. In any case, I feel a little safer with the higher strength wheel and I am still looking for another one as a spare. I would think you would also want to make sure that you balance it after welding.

[Paul Agaliotis]

Now if we want to get down to the nuts and bolts of it, the AD states that the wheel SHOULD be replaced. Kind of an open definition.

"It depends on what the meaning of the words 'is' is." –Bill Clinton

Just install the DHB's and forget it. Every Tri-Pacer had them.
Paul

[Dennis]

Paul,

I like your attitude! Tri pacer wheels are the way to go.

Dennis

[Mikek]

My buddy in Florida has found a crack on a Cleveland wheel.

Mike

Inner half with the Drum?

[rkittine]

Any good Tri-Pacer Wrecks around?