Axle Tubes

[toms]

I'm working on the first annual of my Champ 1706E. I pulled the wheels to repack the bearings an found that the inner shoulder and grease felt were not installed. The axle has a machined shoulder inboard and it appeared that this took the place of a separate shoulder. We put our heads together and decided that we should use a washer, felt, washer set up inside of the inner bearing but, now that its together it looks like the wheel/drum is moved outboard 1/16" and the inner edge of the brake shoe is showing. The axle strut does not look like the service manual with the axle terminating at the torque plate. It has an inner shoulder machined on to it outboard of the torque plate. Is this normal and how should I assemble the wheel and bearings properly?

BTW this annual has been a comedy of errors. I wish I'd written down all the things that have gone wrong along the way. It'd make a funny book.

Tom Seevers
Columbus (Delaware) Ohio
3 weeks into it and waiting on UPS for the 9th or, 10th time.

[skyking3286]

Can you snap a photo of it and let us see... there is a flared tubing that should be there, at least with the Goodyears. You said drums, so I'm assuming something different.

[Paul Agaliotis]

Tom,
If you have the Cleveland drum brakes there should be an aluminum spacer slid on the axle. This pushes on the inner bearing and acts as the seal surface for the felt. You might have a mixture of components causing the problem. At any rate the shoes should not extend from the drum surface.
Paul

[toms]

Mark and Paul,
I do have Cleveland drum brakes and the spacer is not installed. The previous owner had only the thrust washer and bearing inboard with no spacer or felt. The wheel fit properly this way but there was no grease seal. Just one of the many, many little things done incorrectly on this bird.
Good news? The airframe inspection shows a beautiful job done in restoring the fuselage, wings and empennage. Tomorrow will tell the tail on the A65.
Just wish the previous owners/restorers had paid more attention to little details like the landing gear and panel (John Deere oil gauges? Come on!).
This has really been a character building Annual Inspection!
Anyone need a oil pressure or temp. for their tractor?

Tom Seevers

[Paul Agaliotis]

Tom,
Many of the gauges used don't have the correct sweep for the A65. It should be a 270 degree sweep with the max pressure about 60psi. The Scott gauge is too hard to read accurately with its 80 degree sweep. This gauge is hard to find unless you go to a, tractor supply. Many tractors use the Continental industrial engine for power. Don't need to bother with TSO stuff, Aeroncas pre-date all of this nonsense.
I'm not sure the thrust washer is inboard on this wheel. I remember a felt and it's retainer on the IB/OB side and the spacer and nut pushing on the cones when tightened.
Paul