Torqueing the aileron brackets?

Those two powder coated steel bits that bolt into the ailerons. Very tight quarters. How on earth have you guys torqued those? I can't get a socket cleanly onto either end.

One word “crows foot “. Ok so it’s maybe 2 lol. Get a set at hf there reasonable. Just make sure you have the socket 90* to the torque wrench. And you can use the same value.

Hope this helps

RD

Cheap tools

Go to a pawn shop. Buy sockets and wrenches from the cheap pile. Usually I pay about $.25
Grind, cut, bend, whatever works. Set of crowsfoot are useful too.

Another way to do this, if you can not get a modified socket or crows foot to work with a torque wrench, is to use a ring or open end spanner along with a spring scale (like fishermen use to weigh their bass). There will be some calculation required to apply the correct amount of pull based on the length (arm) of the spanner.

wirejock said:

Go to a pawn shop. Buy sockets and wrenches from the cheap pile. Usually I pay about $.25
Grind, cut, bend, whatever works. Set of crowsfoot are useful too.

Click to expand...

I ground down an el-cheapo 3/8" socket for the aileron brackets for my build, so that the socket diameter where it engages on the bolt head is about 1.5mm smaller than the rest of the socket. It just fits in some tight places where bolts are near brackets etc. I also filed down the end as there's usually a bit of curvature on the inside end of the socket, and on the tiny little AN3 bolt heads that bit of curvature would make the socket slip off if it was just a tiny bit misaligned.