Thorp Air Command - T18.net

I am going to replace the neoprene washers and the bushings on the landing gear on my T18. I received the washers from CSA. Any suggestions on the bushings? CSA did not have them.

David

I thought I had a set of those bushings but I couldn't find my shop I looked them up in aircraft spruce you can buy the 4130 tuBing for $5. part number is 03 dash 02 800.

I think he is looking for the rubber parts. I would go to the rubber supply house and see if they had tube or solid round and drill the hole.

A good rubber supply house should have the one with the hole .

RB

Bushings?! My hangar partner has the bushings. He couldn't find them either so he had a company make them and he had to get a whole batch -- he has about a hundred!!! Who needs some?

His name is Tom Jones and his email is Thomas.p.jones@nasa.gov . He's just finishing an engine upgrade to his T-18. From an O-290 to an O-320E2D with 10:1 pistons.

Tony

I have not seen any type of bushings in my landing gear. Is it constructed like a shok absorber?

I do not have my plans in front of me so I canot reference the drawing numbers and the actual size of the parts involved. My post to find the bushings was over a year ago. I found some and actually just replaced them this past October during the conditional. On the lower part of the landing gear there is a bolt on each side that attaches the landing gear to the airframe through the fire wall. The bolts go through a spacer and a bushing that is made of 40 shore neoprene. There are also two washers on each side made of 40 shore neoprene. My T18 was completed in 1981 and has 1500 hours in it. The washers were in extremely bad shape. The bushings needed replacing but considering their age were not too bad.

The bushings are there, but no - there is no shock absorbtion. I believe that they are there mainly to make the installation of the 2 lower bolts easier due to the design of the gear assembly. Being a large weldment that has to be heat-treated after fabrication, and with thermal expansion & contraction between dissimilar metals after installation, etc., holding dimensions for close tolerance hole positions at all three points would be problematic... at least that's how I look at it. If that's off-base I hope someone smarter than I am will chime-in. The top attach point is solidly bolted to the airframe. I've often thought that the durometer value of the rubber components is not too important as long as they are stiff enough and tough enough. We molded some out of urethane one time - I don't remember the specifics of the compound. The only shock absorbtion you have is from your tires and a very limited amount of flex from the legs (a little more if the legs are tapered and/or longer, as some have been).

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John Evens
Arvada, Colorado
T-18 N71JE (sold)
Kitfox 7 SS N27JE

Yep, what John said.......Dan

I search for new rubber rubber washer. I need a complete kit. keep me posted if someone have this part for sale!
Thanks!

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Thierry
French Canadian T-18
C-FPVE #091

Pm sent.
Cubes

I order my new washers from Cubes.
Excellent services and the parts are perfect!
Happy to make business with you

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Thierry
French Canadian T-18
C-FPVE #091

Thierry,
I love your posts... the work you're doing is inspiring! I think you do very well with the English language... I wish I could do half as well with the French I took in school! I don't think I remember any of it except how to count to ten. Your post about "business" reminds me of a German exchange student who lived with us for awhile. One day he came out of the bathroom waving his arms and very upset. He was trying to tell us that the toilet was clogged and overflowing. He finally said - "But don't worry, there's no 'big business!'" I couldn't stop laughing, but it was very clear what he was talking about.

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John Evens
Arvada, Colorado
T-18 N71JE (sold)
Kitfox 7 SS N27JE

Thanks Thierry. I promise not to do any of Johns business with you!
Cubes

I just received an excellent set of 4 washers and 2 bushings from Cubes today. Thanks Cubes for being a knowledgeable source for great parts! I didn't have a clue where I would find replacements for these old rubber parts until someone mentioned you on the forum.

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John Twigg N12055 SN.79 Pittsburgh, PA (KFWQ)