Tail brace wire installation

[N2709P]

An older thread with a new question. Were the old tail wire clevis’s steel and the new stainless? The ones on my TriPacer are steel and the Univair ones are advertised as stainless. When I was installing the new brass nipples and washers, the clevis’s felt very “soft”, almost like they were cracked. I inspected them with a 10X scope and found no damage but they just did not feel right. The Piper SB and AD regarding installing the round wires mentioned the special washers and bushings but no directions as to replace the clevis’s.
N2709P

[Steve Pierce]

Yes, the old ones were steel, prone to rust and I have found some cracked. New ones are stainless. I have not found a stainless one cracked.

[N2709P]

Thank you Steve! I bought new stainless ones. Loosing a tailwire has the potential to make a really lousy day. We found the round wires were installed on the aircraft but no special washers or bushings. One wire had vice grip marks necessitating replacement.
N2709P

[Subsonic]

Hmmmm...mine are original steel (2850 hours), and the clevis's and nuts have a little rust around the edges. They've not been off the plane since I bought it in 2016.

How often should they be inspected? Do they actually need to be removed to be inspected, or can I just wire brush, mask and repaint them in place?

If not, should I remove, clean, inspect, paint, and re-install one wire of the quadrant at a time so to minimize trim changes? How best to proceed?

[Steve Pierce]

I would clean and touch up in place. The ones I have seen break were really pitted or missing the 40131 washers.

Service Bulletin 966 is a good reference if you do remove them.

[Adam Hile]

New question on a '51 Pacer s/n 790. Working on trial fitting everything before it gets covered. I wasn't the one that took it apart. The tail brace wires were installed with AN4 bolts through the horizontal. I see according to dwg 12647X that there is to be a bushing (80012-005) inserted and welded in the horizontal. Got the bushings for the clevis's (82732-072) from work - Preferred Airparts. I see we do have the 80012-005 in stock. Probably ought to get those and have them welded in? Frames are uncovered. Or did some of them use AN4 bolts through the horizontal? Not sure what the difference would be.

[Steve Pierce]

The clevis has a 1/4" hole. The vertical stab should be drilled for a 1/4" bolt but the horizontal stabs are drilled for 3/16" bolts. The bushings go in the clevis' to allow rotation as the horizontal stabs is rotated slightly up and down with the trim jackscrew. There is a good drawing of the complete assembly.