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Thread: Trying to find a peice of PA22 front and read strut tubing for a splice repair

  1. #1

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    Default Trying to find a peice of PA22 front and read strut tubing for a splice repair

    Hi all,
    Vagabond struts happen to be about an inch shorter than PA22 struts. I just found this out the hard way on my Wagabond project. I couldn't get the proper dihedral set on the wings with stock PA22 struts. To shorten them I'll have to do a proper splice repair. Would anyone know where I can find a piece of front and rear Tri-Pacer strut material? A couple of feet of each would probably be enough. Piper struts that have been damaged would make a good candidate for this as long as i can get enough material out of them.
    Thanks in advance, Phil

  2. #2
    Wag-builder's Avatar
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    Default Re: Trying to find a peice of PA22 front and read strut tubing for a splice repair

    Phil,

    Why can you not cut the barrel out and shorten the strut and weld the barrel or a new barrel back in? There is an unseald strut on ebay for $120 and you might be able too make an offer because it has been listed for a while. He has both front and rear struts listed.

    Steve

  3. #3

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    Default Re: Trying to find a peice of PA22 front and read strut tubing for a splice repair

    I built a set for a Wag a bond by cutting PA22 struts at the fuselage end and shortening them. I used new barrels and the old forks. The 1961 PA22 struts were from my Colt and were nice shiny metal, no corrosion if anybody is curious.

  4. #4

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    Default Re: Trying to find a peice of PA22 front and read strut tubing for a splice repair

    So which end would be easier to fabricate, the fuselage end or the wing end?
    strut van.jpg

  5. #5

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    Default Re: Trying to find a peice of PA22 front and read strut tubing for a splice repair

    I think the fuselage end is much easier to fabricate in place. I wanted to look into my struts even though I had bore scoped them. I cut the old barrels out with a thin cutoff wheel in a 4.5 angle grinder with some help from my 3 inch die grinder. Takes a while to get them out but wasn't difficult. I don't remember exactly but I think more than an inch needs to come off.

  6. #6

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    Default Re: Trying to find a peice of PA22 front and read strut tubing for a splice repair

    Thanks for the comments guys. The first strut I did exactly that, I cut the PA22 front strut down by an inch at the fuselage end. Got a new barrel and fitted and welded. I was thinking that cutting and splicing the strut might go a little quicker. Cub Junkie is correct, the front strut is shortened approx an inch and the the rear is shortened about 1.3". One thing about opening the strut up, is that you get a good look inside.

  7. #7

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    Default Re: Trying to find a peice of PA22 front and read strut tubing for a splice repair

    Looking at the plans, did all the PA-16, PA-20/22's have the internal flange rosette welded into the strut? I've never noticed that before.

    PS Philk, how did the insides look? Any surface rust?

  8. #8

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    Default Trying to find a peice of PA22 front and read strut tubing for a splice repair

    Don't recall if the PA-16 had the internal tube. I do know that the Vag and Clipper have the aileron cable routed up the trailing edge of the strut. The strut is a smaller profile tube on the -15/17 &-16, so using a modified PA-22 strut on a Vag will result in the cable not lining up with the trailing edge of the strut. You will have to move the fuselage pulley, and perhaps the wing pulley to make it work


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  9. #9
    Stephen's Avatar
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    Default Re: Trying to find a peice of PA22 front and read strut tubing for a splice repair

    I have to build new struts for a Bushmaster. Both Univair and Airframes sells new struts with the top end left open. Airframes sells the premade strap and pieces to finish the upper end. I will cut strut length to fit and set the angle at the wing attachment. The finished strut will be sealed. Airframes also recommends drilling a small hole and putting some Corrosion X in and resealing the hole. I don't know what the rear strut diameter is for the Wag but, Airframes uses Chromemoly for the smaller diameter struts. I don't see why you would need to splice a strut. If you choose to use old struts there should be plenty and their only value is for scrap metal. Ask around locally because shipping is expensive.
    "You can only tie the record for flying low."

  10. #10
    Stephen's Avatar
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    Default Re: Trying to find a peice of PA22 front and read strut tubing for a splice repair

    Quote Originally Posted by AKJurnee View Post
    Looking at the plans, did all the PA-16, PA-20/22's have the internal flange rosette welded into the strut? I've never noticed that before.

    PS Philk, how did the insides look? Any surface rust?
    Univair and Airframes rosette welds an internal support for the front strut on their new sealed struts. Jason at Airframes says they inset two U channel supports but only on the 22 & 20 struts.
    "You can only tie the record for flying low."

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