Boggie Bar - RV-7 Towbar

[TCONROY]

Anyone have a Boggie Bar towbar for their -7 or -9? We just received a brand new one but noticed the inside diameter of the bar doesn't fit over the castle nut/cotter pin side of the tailwheel. The other side is large enough to fit over the bolt head. The one side does fit over the exposed threads, but not completely over the castle nut. Anyone else have this issue?

[ao.frog]

I had exactly the same problem.

I took the towbar to a local welder. First he cut off about 3 cm of the end that didn't fit on the castle nut.

Then he welded on a 3 cm piece which had a large enough diameter to fit on the castle nut and locking pin.

He did the job in 10 mins.

Swapping and welding those two pieces where a piece of cake...

[rv7guy2]

I've have used a Boggie Bar on my RV-7 for the past 3 years..love the thing! I replaced the axle bolt on the Bell Tail wheel fork with an undrilled bolt and an all-metal lock night of appropriate size. Fits the Boggie Bar clasps just fine..no issues, no need to cut and weld, no modification at all! Add that nut to your walk around checks before every flight but so far, after 3 full years and hundreds of takeoffs and landings, it hasn't come loose, one fraction of a turn.

Dave C
RV-7
C-GCPD

[Dan Langhout]

Originally Posted by rv7guy2

. . . . . . . . . I replaced the axle bolt on the Bell Tail wheel fork with an undrilled bolt and an all-metal lock night of appropriate size. Fits the Boggie Bar clasps just fine..no issues . . . . . . . . .

I also use mine to pull the plane into the hangar with an electric winch (slight incline from grass field to hangar floor). Works fine.

[Snowflake]

Trevor, I have a hangar mate with a non-Bogie but similar towbar, and had the same issue the first time I tried using it on my -6. I looked at his nut and he has simply squashed the head on the cotter pin slightly and bent the free legs on the other side so they both wrap towards the free end of the bolt.

That brings the cotter pin within the major diameter of the nut, and allows the nut to fit into the tube on the towbar. If the Bogie is sized the same, it should work for you as well.

This results in a slightly non-standard appearance on the cotter pin, but it's still secure, and still hasn't moved for many hundreds of hours of flight operations.

While you're at it, buy a bolt that's 1/8" longer, and add a couple of washers under the head before re-installing. That will give you a longer "shaft" to engage with the Bogie on that side. It will work, but it feels a little marginal, using the Bogie on just the bolt head.

[TCONROY]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I called Bogert Aviation and they sent me some pictures showing the loop of the cotter pin bent over slightly so it wasn't sticking up past the outside diameter of the nut. When I get home I'll give that a try. If that doesn't work, I think an undrilled bolt with all metal lock nut is a good solution.

[crabandy]

I used a double wrap of .040 safety wire instead of a cotterpin.

[wspani]

Visit TEKASSIST.NET

[N941WR]

Originally Posted by wspani

Visit TEKASSIST.NET

If you are going to post a URL, please include the entire thing so we don't have to cut and paste it to our browser.

Also, you had better check with Doug about advertising on his site before registering and randomly posting your link to every post you can find with a tow bar.

Just say'n....

[Smilin' Jack]

Trevor
i use the bar and I only had to flatten the cotter key on the loop and make sure the legs of the key were between the castle and bent up to the bolt center verses being bend around the nut
Works great
Jack