Author Topic: safety wire front axle  (Read 14017 times)

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Offline nrhs sales

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safety wire front axle
« on: March 23, 2015, 03:26:52 PM »
So has anybody safety wired a set of forks with flush front axles?  if so how did you do it.  here is a pic to help show what i am talking about:


Offline fredvance

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Re: safety wire front axle
« Reply #1 on: March 23, 2015, 03:32:12 PM »
Drill through the fork leg.PITA
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Offline donpearsall

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Re: safety wire front axle
« Reply #2 on: March 23, 2015, 04:25:12 PM »
Yes - As Fred said, you have to drill through the forks and the axle as well as the pinch bolts. It is almost impossible to line up the holes the next time you put the axle back in so you end up drilling several holes over time.

I thread the wire first through the pinch bolts then the axle so that when it is twisted I can stuff the twisted end into the hollow axle.

Don
550 hp 2003 Suzuki Hayabusa Land Speed Racer

Jessechop

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Re: safety wire front axle
« Reply #3 on: March 23, 2015, 05:23:15 PM »
Dan, is there a hole in the bottom of the leg?

Offline nrhs sales

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Re: safety wire front axle
« Reply #4 on: March 23, 2015, 05:35:11 PM »
yes there is between the pinch bolts.

Offline rouse

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Re: safety wire front axle
« Reply #5 on: March 23, 2015, 06:09:54 PM »
I'm just curious  :?, but why would you not just safety wire the pinch bolts.

 Those forks have been design to the every "enth" degree  by the manufacture, so I question just how wise it is to start poking holes where they don't belong????

Safety wire would never hold that axle if it started to move, anyhow, it would simply shear the wire off. 

If safety wiring the pinch bolts don't satisfy the requirements as they are, I'd think that going with a thou bolt ( that can be properly safety wired) would have to be looked at to reliably solve the issue.

Rouse
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Jessechop

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Re: safety wire front axle
« Reply #6 on: March 23, 2015, 07:02:39 PM »
There is a post I did on Lorings page I did with pictures. Just a sec I will link it

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Offline nrhs sales

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Re: safety wire front axle
« Reply #8 on: March 23, 2015, 07:36:39 PM »
that should work.  Thanks!!

Offline wobblywalrus

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Re: safety wire front axle
« Reply #9 on: March 23, 2015, 10:54:56 PM »
The fork clamp area is highly stressed, subject to cyclic loading, and an aluminum part.  Any way to wire the axle and leave it untouched will reduce fatigue fracture worry.

Offline RansomT

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Re: safety wire front axle
« Reply #10 on: March 24, 2015, 06:33:23 AM »
First, I am "unflushing" the pinch bolts on one of my bikes so I can safety wire it.  Placing a small spacer between the bolt head and folk on a ~10mm longer bolt. 

Second, on certain bikes, I have always questioned why we drill through a high stress point area to safety wire a recessed nut that can't turn without removing the pinch bolts.

Offline rouse

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Re: safety wire front axle
« Reply #11 on: March 24, 2015, 10:31:50 AM »
I have safety wired countless items on aircraft and I have never seen anywhere that you would drill holes in a designed part to safety wire a bolt.

safety wire keeps bolts and nuts from loosening, it is not a fastener. If the fasteners aren't right to secure the components properly, then change the fasteners.

Properly safety wiring the pinch bolts should be sufficient to do the job.

Did the idea of drilling thru component parts come from an aircraft engineer?? It's not unheard of for racing sanctioning bodies, and or tech. inspectors to go off on a tangent and over think what good engineering practices really are.

Rouse

   
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Offline nrhs sales

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Re: safety wire front axle
« Reply #12 on: March 24, 2015, 11:38:18 AM »
Quote
Second, on certain bikes, I have always questioned why we drill through a high stress point area to safety wire a recessed nut that can't turn without removing the pinch bolts.

I do not understand it either but these are the rules we are being forced to play by.

Quote
safety wire keeps bolts and nuts from loosening, it is not a fastener. If the fasteners aren't right to secure the components properly, then change the fasteners.

exactly!!
« Last Edit: March 24, 2015, 11:43:35 AM by nrhs sales »

Offline rouse

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Re: safety wire front axle
« Reply #13 on: March 24, 2015, 04:16:24 PM »
Several years back a "Major Sanctioning Body" required that race car chassis be built using a certain grade of material. Within a couple years virtually every car in competition was built using that mandatory material. Well after some disastrous accidents involving severe wrecks and chassis breakage do to using that material, someone final took an engineering  look at  what was going on. The finding was simple, the mandated material grade had been forbidden in aviation for the past 70 years are more, because it was likely to crack or break. The material had a very good tensile strength, but very poor fatigue properties.

I am a safety "nut", so I am not trying to be contrary to safety requirements, just the opposite, however I do question when folks start to demand you do things that make no since whatsoever  in engineering terms.

So back to the safety wire; If the axle is design to be held in place with the pinch bolts, then safety wiring them properly to stay tight should be what is require. If you are required to start poking holes in an engineered fork tube, then you should take a close look at just what effect that has on the area you poke a hole in.

Safety is your responsibility just as much or more than the tech. inspectors, I'd say more so.   

Rouse
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Offline wobblywalrus

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Re: safety wire front axle
« Reply #14 on: March 24, 2015, 07:53:21 PM »
Rouse, what is that steel?  I need to avoid using it.

Try making a hex shaped plug that fits in the axle hole with about 1/4 inch sticking out.  Then, drill and wire the plug.  No holes will be in an engineered part.  You can pull the plug out when it is time to undo the axle.