rudder cable conflict with step mount

I noticed that the step on my 8A is in the way of the rudder cable on the port side. I know that some of my fellow builders must have also had this problem. Any ideas about how to deal with it?

Thanks,

Tony Johnson
RV8A Orlando

Worse yet, it's under the "permanent" floors so whatever you do won't be very easy to see or modify in the future. I started out wrapping a sheet of uhmw polyethelyne around the step tube and securing with safety wire. Probably would have worked OK, but it bothered me that it would be impossible to replace if it wore through. So I built a little bracket out of scrap Al and installed a fairlead made for the exposed cables on the lift struts of old Pipers (J-3, Supercub, etc.). These wear for many, many years on these old airplanes - and the cables are under considerable tension, unlike those in our RV's. The bracket is pop-riveted to the step tube. Wish I had a picture, but, alas, I don't.

I've seen pictures of where a depression was created in the step tube to accomodate the cable - either by cutting out a divet and welding a curved patch or simply by smashing the tube a bit with a heavy pipe. Neither appealed to me: the former seemed like too much work, the latter too crude.

Hope this helps. E-mail me if not clear and I'll try to clarify somehow.

John Miller

fairlead

John,

Thanks for your response. The fairlead is an interesting idea. It would seem that the fairlead would have to be inline with the rudder cable or the stress might cause the rudder cable to fray or cut into the step.

Two potential solutions come to mind, the first is to try to locate the path of the rudder cable above the step tube. That might be accomplished by repositioning the grommet that it runs thru, forward of the tube. Of course, you might have to re-position other grommets in order to keep them inline, which would set up a chain reaction of modifications.

The second would be to use a fairlead as you did. I am wondering about just drilling a hole thru the tube and protecting the edges with a fairlead or grommets.

Tony

welded depression

I did the "welded depression" thing. Actually, I had my neighbor do it(he's a professional metal whiz). It probably would be cheap to have done. Have 'em hog out half of a 1" hole perpendicular to the pipe(step) where the rudder cable will lay, then weld in a matching curved piece of metal, grind 'er smooth and paint. The welded in piece restores some of the structural strength.
Mark Andrews N598X

Hmmm - sounds like you guys had more of an interference than I did. The cable didn't quitet touch the top to the step tube when under tension. It would, however, have rubbed lightly when the right side was under tension and the left was slack. Didn't need much protection, but needed some. Perhaps more heroic measures are warranted in your case. If so, my fairlead idea wouldn't work and I think the divet with welded patch is the way to go.

John Miller

problem solved (I think)

Thanks for your thoughts on this problem. I think that I have found a solution. Last night I removed the read floor, removed the rudder cable and the grommet that it passes through just ahead of the step mount. I enlarged the grommet hole with a dremel.

I fabricated a small plate to cover the now oversized hole, which has a 9/16 hole in it. I positioned the plate to have the grommet hole higher than the original one, then drilled and clecoed it in place. I reinstalled the cable which now clears the top of the step mount.

This is a long way to say that I corrected the problem by moving the pass-thru grommet higher.

Cheers,

Tony