Fitting elevator hinges on HS stab

The plans call for assembling (riveting) the rear spar of the horz stab before fitting the hinges for the elevators. Is there anything wrong with fitting these while the rear spar channels and flange strips are clecoed to the jig? I would drill them undersize and final drill once the rear spar was riveted. Just trying to minimize set up time and priming sessions.

Thanks.

You need to wait until the rear spar is riveted together so that you get the hinge centerpoint spacing EXACT.

Too late?

Thanks for the reply, but I've already drilled them. My reasoning was if the prepunched kits already have them drilled, I could pre-drill the hinge brackets while the horz stab and flange pieces were still clecoed together and to the jig. I did drill undersize just in case. What do you mean by the "centerpoint spacing" and how can this change during the riveting process on the rear spar? I can't imagine the riveting process moving the pre-drilled holes more than difference between a #40 and a #30 drill.

Thanks.

The plans will call for the rod end bearings on the elevators to be a certain distance out from center -- those should also be the center point of the hinges so there is no strain on them.

When you rivet the two halves of the rear spar together you will be looking for an outside dimension and adjusting a small space between them to hit it.