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Brake line routing down the gear nosewheel model...

Michael Burbidge

Michael Burbidge

Well Known Member
The plans show the brake line going down the aft side of the gear. But the brake line fitting exits the fuselage in front of the gear. I assume that it is not a problem running the brake line down the front of the gear. It would require some very tight bends at the top to run down the aft side of the gear.

I was just a little worried about the fairing clamp at the top of the gear since the fairing is thinner aft of the gear than in front.

Michael-
 
On my 7a I ran them down the front. The plans say front or rear of the gear leg. No problems with the fairings either.
 
I might be wrong, but I don't think the plans say front or rear.

One reason to route on the rear side is it protects the line from impact. A locked up brake or lack of braking ability, during a forced landing in in an area where objects that could imp[act the gear legs exist , could mean the difference between maintaining control or not.
The other reason is that if you stay with using hard line but don't put a loop in it at the bottom, you will never get the brake caliper off to change brake pads, without disconnecting the brake line (then requires re-bleeding the brakes).
 
rvbuilder2002 said:
I might be wrong, but I don't think the plans say front or rear.

One reason to route on the rear side is it protects the line from impact. A locked up brake or lack of braking ability, during a forced landing in in an area where objects that could imp[act the gear legs exist , could mean the difference between maintaining control or not.
The other reason is that if you stay with using hard line but don't put a loop in it at the bottom, you will never get the brake caliper off to change brake pads, without disconnecting the brake line (then requires re-bleeding the brakes).
Click to expand...

This is the reason I too ran my brake lines aft of the main gear legs.
 
rvbuilder2002 said:
I might be wrong, but I don't think the plans say front or rear.

One reason to route on the rear side is it protects the line from impact. A locked up brake or lack of braking ability, during a forced landing in in an area where objects that could imp[act the gear legs exist , could mean the difference between maintaining control or not.
The other reason is that if you stay with using hard line but don't put a loop in it at the bottom, you will never get the brake caliper off to change brake pads, without disconnecting the brake line (then requires re-bleeding the brakes).
Click to expand...


Just following the plans for the 7A on drawing C2 at cross section B7 states to run the lines down the front. And you make a good argument about forced landing, but if things are hitting the gear that hard, you might be going over anyway:D
 
Found it on the C2...

Thanks Bret. I see it on C2.

Man I wish I had a pdf version of the plans and instructions that I could do a search on. Near the end of the build you've read the plans and instructions so many times. Often times I remember reading something somewhere in the plans. But where is the question... Was it in the plans, was it on the forum, was I dreaming...

Thanks!
Michael-
 
bret said:
Just following the plans for the 7A on drawing C2 at cross section B7 states to run the lines down the front.
Click to expand...

If it does, it is a mistake. I will look into it on Monday.

bret said:
but if things are hitting the gear that hard, you might be going over anyway:D
Click to expand...

Imagine a landing out in the scrub brush with lots of bushes with trunks in the 1 - 2 inch diam. range. None would probably be big enough to put you on your back but a 50 MPH impact with the gear leg would squash the line flat.

Or, how about an unfortunate impact with just one runway light because of a crosswind gust. The lights are designed to break away, but at speed it would still likely mash the brake line flat.
 
Last edited:
bret said:
Just following the plans for the 7A on drawing C2 at cross section B7 states to run the lines down the front. And you make a good argument about forced landing, but if things are hitting the gear that hard, you might be going over anyway:D
Click to expand...
I believe the -9 and/or -9A drawings are the same Bret, and FWIW I'm pretty sure that I read in the text that it was OK to go front or back. All that said, mine are running down the front too, and with a service loop both for vibration isolation and for servicing the wheel and brake pads.
 
rvbuilder2002 said:
If it does, it is a mistake. I will look into it on Monday.



Imagine a landing out in the scrub brush with lots of bushes with trunks in the 1 - 2 inch diam. range. None would probably be big enough to put you on your back but a 50 MPH impact with the gear leg would squash the line flat.

Or, how about an unfortunate impact with just one runway light because of a crosswind gust. The lights are designed to break away, but at speed it would still likely mash the brake line flat.
Click to expand...

Say it isn't so, you mean there is a mistake in the drawings from Vans? Is there a correction call out in the plans or on the website? NO! This is very bothersome. My fuse and finish kit were delivered Jan. 2013. This is a wonderful website to discover and correct deficiencies but sheesh!
M. How much does it cost Vans to make a change in the drawings, they are Digital right? Click copy paste done ya? I have read about incorrect information that has not been corrected for a decade!
No need to look on Monday, I just double checked, it states to run the brake line on the front of the gear leg.
 
I ran mine down the front because I intended to use the wooden gear stiffeners shown in the plans. (I still have not yet installed the stiffeners after a year+ of flying, even though they're fab'd and under my bench.) I never lost any sleep about running the lines down the front, and they've certainly been no problem. You needn't worry about making sharp tubing bends at the bottom, since there's a flex/expansion loop required there anyway .... OR go with the woven SS flexible lines and avoid that too. :D
 
This is ludicrous. There is no GOOD way to get the line from the front around to the back and still have the gear leg fairing fit per plans. The gear leg fairing covers the fitting for goodness sake. One would have to cut that away and rely on room made in the intersection faring to make the transition from front to rear with some pretty sharp bends. Mine are in the front and will stay there.
 
Mine are on the front (A model) - with SS flex lines.

I don't think I'd be inclined to make a change unless someone has a really compelling argument to do so.

Dan
 
There are 6 RV at KJZP and 4 of the six have the brake lines down the front of the gear legs. The other two I have no idea which side they ran the lines. Two A models and 4 tail draggers and all have the loop at the caliper end. 3 are older than 10 years.

I ran mine down the front and put the leg stiffeners on the back it seems to be working well for my 65 hours so far.

Jack
 
I did mine per plans down the front with the loop in the aluminum line, no stiffener. Flew it for many hours, spent a lot of time chasing tire pressures, balance etc trying to reduce seemingly random gear leg shimmy and finally just put the wood gear leg dampers on and changed to better tires and balanced them really carefully. As part of that process I got the stainless flex lines and ran them down the front again. I broke the cardinal rule of changing more than one thing at a time, but I wanted to minimize the need to keep fussing with it so I applied all the known fixes at once. It's now fixed:D
 
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