Wheel replacement? Wear in bearing race

Larry Korona

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Larry
During inspection of wheel bearings in my C172M I found that the race had broken loose and is spinning in the wheel half itself. The mechanic said that the wheel assembly has to be replaced. I'm surprised that there is no way to build up material so that the race would fit tightly again. I'm just wondering why, I don't doubt my mechanic, but certainly not pleased with the $$ this is going to cost.
 
During inspection of wheel bearings in my C172M I found that the race had broken loose and is spinning in the wheel half itself. The mechanic said that the wheel assembly has to be replaced. I'm surprised that there is no way to build up material so that the race would fit tightly again. I'm just wondering why, I don't doubt my mechanic, but certainly not pleased with the $$ this is going to cost.

Maybe you could get it built up. There are too many buts for most people.
Besides the whole legal issue.
The 'buts' for me include but are not limited to; would a shop be able to use the correct alloy and any heat treatment needed, how long with the repair hold, if it fails what is the possible outcome, fixing it might end up costing you some large fraction of a replacement.
 
Maybe you could get it built up. There are too many buts for most people.
Besides the whole legal issue.
The 'buts' for me include but are not limited to; would a shop be able to use the correct alloy and any heat treatment needed, how long with the repair hold, if it fails what is the possible outcome, fixing it might end up costing you some large fraction of a replacement.
4/3 for example.
 
Normally this would have been caught on an annual inspection long before it had a chance to become like this.

Sounds like that wheel hasn't been inspected (or greased) in years.
Positive that it was done last year not sure if it was done the year prior. Cessna manual says to do every 500 hours I fly about 100 hours a year.
 
Positive that it was done last year not sure if it was done the year prior. Cessna manual says to do every 500 hours I fly about 100 hours a year.
That will work if it’s kept in a hangar. Out in the rain, not so much….

100 hours of flying is maybe 500 miles of rolling wheels, if you do a lot of landings and not much cross country, even less if you occasionally go places. Can’t see that happening in 500 miles.
 
That should never happen. It is a press fit. Usua cause is wheel bearings to tight.
To your dilemma, Loctite Bearing Mount for Worn Parts depending on how loose it is. Could give you some time to find a good used one.
 
If original ; it was likely a “ 3 piece McCauley wheel. Nothing good I can say for them. Parts are scarce, pricey and still junk. Muy suggestion is to get the Cleveland Conversion Kit. New wheels, bearings, discs, calipers and pads. Might not cost much more than wheel replacement.

My belief is that loose races are caused by improper bearing ADJUSTMENT. A complete lack of preload will do this. Several ways to go about it but you ant zero side play and just a tiny bit of bearing drag.
 
If original ; it was likely a “ 3 piece McCauley wheel. Nothing good I can say for them. Parts are scarce, pricey and still junk. Muy suggestion is to get the Cleveland Conversion Kit. New wheels, bearings, discs, calipers and pads. Might not cost much more than wheel replacement.

My belief is that loose races are caused by improper bearing ADJUSTMENT. A complete lack of preload will do this. Several ways to go about it but you ant zero side play and just a tiny bit of bearing drag.
It's from the nose wheel, would like it think that everything was adjusted properly never noticed and issues with and side play.
 
If original ; it was likely a “ 3 piece McCauley wheel. Nothing good I can say for them. Parts are scarce, pricey and still junk. Muy suggestion is to get the Cleveland Conversion Kit. New wheels, bearings, discs, calipers and pads. Might not cost much more than wheel replacement.

My belief is that loose races are caused by improper bearing ADJUSTMENT. A complete lack of preload will do this. Several ways to go about it but you ant zero side play and just a tiny bit of bearing drag.
Two piece assembly for the nose wheel
 
Yea looking for a used wheel anyone out there has a D30500 Cessna McCauley Nose 5.00x5 Wheel assembly?
Call the salvage yards: Wentworth, Atlanta, Dallas, Faeth, etc. The cost for any approved repair would be well north of the cost of another rim/wheel. Races can be changed with relative ease. Spinning a race in a wheel had other issues going on and is an uncommon failure in my experience.
 
That will work if it’s kept in a hangar. Out in the rain, not so much….

100 hours of flying is maybe 500 miles of rolling wheels, if you do a lot of landings and not much cross country, even less if you occasionally go places. Can’t see that happening in 500 miles.
Plane is hangared do mostly cross country flying only time I'm doing a lot of landings is for currency or bi annual checks
 
As an experimental builder/[owner, this would be a minor expense. Just curious what the cost of something like this for a Cessna?
 
I'm surprised that there is no way to build up material so that the race would fit tightly again.
When this happens in other contexts, like a car, there's a thing called a railroad fit... you use a punch to upset several spots around the circumference, and restore the tight fit.

Paul
 
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Positive that it was done last year not sure if it was done the year prior. Cessna manual says to do every 500 hours I fly about 100 hours a year.

I suppose if you operate in dry dust free conditions you could get away with that. I clean, inspect, and repack each year and have found pitting from water contamination often enough over the years.
 
Was the nose wheel fairing removed?

It seems that the removal/ install of a nose wheel fairing can be a factor. There is about 1/4 inch total difference between ON/OFF that has to be made up with washers or the wheel is very loose. I’ve found this loose condition fairly often.
 
Was the nose wheel fairing removed?

It seems that the removal/ install of a nose wheel fairing can be a factor. There is about 1/4 inch total difference between ON/OFF that has to be made up with washers or the wheel is very loose. I’ve found this loose condition fairly often.
Yes the fairing was removed and put back using the same hardware
 
My point is if you only used the the same hardware and the fairing is no longer in place then the wheel WILL be loose. Additional washers are needed to make up for the thickness removed.
 
My point is if you only used the the same hardware and the fairing is no longer in place then the wheel WILL be loose. Additional washers are needed to make up for the thickness removed.
Nope, replaced wheel fairing and all assorted hardware,
 
There is no approved process for building up worn bearing bores. And one would spend more money on it that it's worth, anyway. Those wheels have thin sections throughout, to minimize weight while being strong enough, and welding up a worn bore would cause plenty of problems, not the least of which is warping and loss of heat-treatment strength. A wheel that failed could wreck the whole airplane, and who wants that?

Center-punching the bore is also out. Stress risers that lead to cracking, and not very effective anyway.

Most likely a bearing failed at some earlier time, maybe due to lack of lube, and spun the cup in the bore and wore it. The owner at that time was cheap, and just shoved a new cup in there and hoped for the best. That leaves a later owner responsible to fix it right. In fact, the shoulder that the bearing cup sits against might also be worn thin and could break free and let the cup fall into the wheel cavity. An accident of some sort ensues.

Loctite to retain the bearing? Not an accepted standard practice, but in my homebuilt, if the clearance was less than .001", I might do it. As a mechanic I sure wouldn't do it to a type-certified airplane belonging to someone else.

Best to replace the wheel, and replace it with new, not some half-shot junkyard stuff.
 
Here’s a race that, well, in pretty bad shape. Some heat, then new parts involved. Not aviation related. :)

E7FC7F97-05D2-4C32-8288-7A22096BCA1F.jpeg
 
There is no approved process for building up worn bearing bores. And one would spend more money on it that it's worth, anyway. Those wheels have thin sections throughout, to minimize weight while being strong enough, and welding up a worn bore would cause plenty of problems, not the least of which is warping and loss of heat-treatment strength. A wheel that failed could wreck the whole airplane, and who wants that?

Center-punching the bore is also out. Stress risers that lead to cracking, and not very effective anyway.

Most likely a bearing failed at some earlier time, maybe due to lack of lube, and spun the cup in the bore and wore it. The owner at that time was cheap, and just shoved a new cup in there and hoped for the best. That leaves a later owner responsible to fix it right. In fact, the shoulder that the bearing cup sits against might also be worn thin and could break free and let the cup fall into the wheel cavity. An accident of some sort ensues.

Loctite to retain the bearing? Not an accepted standard practice, but in my homebuilt, if the clearance was less than .001", I might do it. As a mechanic I sure wouldn't do it to a type-certified airplane belonging to someone else.

Best to replace the wheel, and replace it with new, not some half-shot junkyard stuff.
I've done similar for axles on skid steers. At 110 an hour plus materials to build up and machine the surface you would be way money and time ahead to just replace...even if there was an avenue to do what op wanted.
 
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