Eye bolts

[FastTex]

My F is missing the eye bolts (I have heard some reasons why this appears to be a popular problem...). I went to Lowes and bought several eye bolts and found the 3/8" dia by 4" length worked perfectly on one wing (left). On the other wing the thread seems damaged and the eye bolt does not want to go in. What do you guys suggest? Just buy a threading bit and try to fix it? 

[carusoam]

Tie down rings...

• They are on the remove before flight list...
• No, they don’t fall out either.
• Lasar has some fancy alternatives for aero dynamic ones...
• They get removed to jack the plane up at annual....
• Tensile strength is important, don’t get ones that just look right...
• The tail tie-down is more sensitive to weight and length.  It can hit on the ground...

Best regards,

-a-

 

[RLCarter]

4”? Seems kinda long, mine are 3” overall. Running a tap through to straighten the threads will work but if not done correctly will cause more damage, 

[N201MKTurbo]

It needs to be a hoisting eyebolt, Lowes and HD don’t usually sell them. 

[Guest]

The thread in the wing fitting is normally 5/16-18 NC.  

Clarence

[Bob_Belville]

Check out the LASAR combo tie down and Jack point. Should be worth the difference

Sent from my XT1710-02 using Tapatalk

[FastTex]

I plan to install them only when needed on the wings. I'm ok with the tail one. Not planning to fly with them on. Even if I buy the Lasar kit for $45 I still have the problem on the thread...

 

[FastTex]

4 hours ago, RLCarter said:

4”? Seems kinda long, mine are 3” overall. Running a tap through to straighten the threads will work but if not done correctly will cause more damage, 

4" including the "eye"...the thread only is 2"...

[Andy95W]

7 hours ago, FastTex said:

Even if I buy the Lasar kit for $45 I still have the problem on the thread...

 

Use a nut inside the wing just above the threaded block.  You may have to grind it a little to get it to fit.

Helicoil could also work.

[EricJ]

21 hours ago, FastTex said:

Even if I buy the Lasar kit for $45 I still have the problem on the thread...

 

14 hours ago, Andy95W said:

Helicoil could also work.

One of mine is helicoiled.   I noticed the tail of it sticking up inside when I had the inspection plate off once.   Definitely can be done.

And +1 on the Lasar tie down/jackpoint kit.   Definitely worthwhile.

Edited December 23, 2018 by EricJ

[aviatoreb]

I’ve got two Bollt eyes.

[kpaul]

The tie down rings in mine are not original, it appears that at some point someone stripped the threads and then oversized the holes.  This year at annual I have having them helicoiled so I can install the Lasar tie down/jack points.

[Yetti]

17 hours ago, Andy95W said:

Use a nut inside the wing just above the threaded block.  You may have to grind it a little to get it to fit.

Helicoil could also work.

^^^^that.   It's a very thin piece of angle alum in the wing.  There is an access panel just behind it.

[MikeOH]

On 12/22/2018 at 1:35 PM, Bob_Belville said:

Check out the LASAR combo tie down and Jack point. Should be worth the difference

Sent from my XT1710-02 using Tapatalk
 

That’s what I have; don’t have to take ‘em off, thus they are always there when you do need to tie down.

Very happy my plane had them installed.

[gsxrpilot]

+1 for the LASAR combo tie down/jack points.  Tying down the plane using the my LASAR tie down points on the ramp in Kanab, UT today. It was my first landing in UT (need to update the map)

Visited Zion and Bryce.

[Hank]

My tie down eyes have 5/16" threads, and stay in the wing except when needing to jack up the plane. If the LASAR kit was thicker where the rope went through, even just bent over itself, I'd probably get them, but I'm not a fan of running my ropes over that sharp edge. 

I thought the one in the tail was in really bad shape, and so did the powder coat guy when I took them all in with my towbar to be redone. But after cleaning and recoating, we both decided the threads are fine, and they screwed in nice and tight like they should.

[FastTex]

I'm afraid my two receivers are different. Maybe someone did some work in the past. I will go and verify today. I didn't see a bolt in the left wing but when I inserted the 3/4" it went in properly. Maybe there is a nut up there...in the right wing I can see the thread from under the wing and I can see it needs to be fixed. Maybe it's the original 5/16"... 

[FastTex]

Just to close the loop...I ended up tapping the right wing with a 3/4" bit. Now both wings perfectly receive a 3/4" eyebolt (from Lowes). Good to have them available in the rare occasions I need to tie down. That's all I was trying to accomplish without involving physic, math, mechanic and thermodynamic calculations = Keep it simple.

As always, thanks everybody for the feedback.

Happy 2019!

[Brandontwalker]

I just went the helicoil route at the last annual as the threads on the right wing were in rough shape. On mine, the clearances were too tight to install a nut on top. Also installed the Lasar tie downs. They were a bit expensive, but look great.


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[PT20J]

Careful about nuts and other mods - these are designed to be breakaway so you don't damage the spar if you forget to untie.

[Andy95W]

4 minutes ago, PT20J said:

Careful about nuts and other mods - these are designed to be breakaway so you don't damage the spar if you forget to untie.

I'm hopeful you have information or documentation to prove this, because it just doesn't seem correct to me.

I don't think any of our engines, even on the M20TN, have enough horsepower to "breakaway" both wing tie downs.  And if you're only talking about one tiedown, I'm hoping the pilot is smart enough to realize he's going around in circles as he realizes he forgot to untie one wing.

[PT20J]

54 minutes ago, Andy95W said:

I'm hopeful you have information or documentation to prove this, because it just doesn't seem correct to me.

I don't think any of our engines, even on the M20TN, have enough horsepower to "breakaway" both wing tie downs.  And if you're only talking about one tiedown, I'm hoping the pilot is smart enough to realize he's going around in circles as he realizes he forgot to untie one wing.

Yep, there's a little pop sound and they come right out. 

[RLCarter]

that makes them pretty worthless for securing 

[PT20J]

All engineering is a trade off. There really isn't that much force on the eyes when the plane is tied down. They probably won't hold in a hurricane or tornado, but by reducing the break away force they can protect the spar against the more likely occurrence of taxiing away with the wing tied down.  Lot's of airplane structures are designed that way; for instance, the engine mounts on jets are designed to break away and let the engine fall if it goes out of balance enough to risk structural damage to the wing.

My point is that airplanes incorporate many non-obvious design decisions, and you need to be careful when making changes.

Skip

[N201MKTurbo]

My plane was tied down at KTUS once when a T storm came through. It broke the city chains. The plane traveled about 200 yards across the ramp and was stopped by a King Air’s propellor. 

Those tie down eyebolts are stupid strong.