Day 95

Working some more on the Undercarriage.

Today we were able to get the tube and tires mounted on the main wheel hubs. To do this the hubs are disassembled from the axels, the brakes and rotors are removed, and the hubs are split. The tubes are then slightly filled with are to give them sharp. Next, a generous amount of chalk is applied to the tube so that it will move around freely as it is inserted into the tire and keeps it from binding up. The valve stem is then inserted through the hole in the hub and pulled through using a valve insulation tool.

The hubs are then bolted back together and torqued to their factory recommended amounts. This is done taking care that the inner tube has not gotten wedged between the hubs. After the bolts are torqued a rubber O-ring is inserted between the hubs to help protect and keep the tube from wearing down inside the tire against the hub seem.

The break rotor is also bolted on and torqued to factory specs. Next the axels and axel bearings will need to be greased and reinserted. We had a question as to the correct kind of grease to use on the axels. Once we know that, we will finish up the main wheel hubs and then move onto mounting them onto the fuselage.