A

APACHE 56

Well Known Member
The RV8 plans call for the bell crank to control stick pushrod to be 69 3/16". I inadvertently cut one of them to 69 1/16". Of course I can order a new length of stock and will do so if the collecive wisdom is that is the thing to do. The issue for me is that when I assemble the rod end bearing and threaded rod end to obtain the overall length of 72 11/16" I only get ~3/8" thread in the threaded rod end. Doesn't seem as though that is enough. However I defer to the more experienced heads in the group.
thx,
Don Stiver
 
You're right,

That's not enough. At least 1/2 of the threads should be inside the fitting.
 
-7 here

I'm not building a -8, BUT on my -7 I cut both pushrods to exact size per the drawings. When it came time to adjust the control sticks and bellcranks to elevator, the forward rod needed to be longer to position the sticks correctly. This left the threaded rodends with too little engagement.

SO I picked up new tubing(along w/ finishkit) and will remake the control stick to bellcrank piece AFTER taking an installed measurement.

YMMV
 
Rods are short as well

I just finished installing the wings and to my dismay both rods were cut to proper length and are both too short. I could only get 6.5 revolutions of thread which is less than 3/8 of an inch on all bearings left and right side. I locktighted the threads thinking at the time a great idea, but couldn't sleep until i made it up in my mind to order new rods and caps and make them at least an inch longer per rod. Van's technical said to lengthen the other rods going to the ailrons a little. This didn't work! And i don't know why they would tell me that. The bellcrank jig is for a reason and by extending those rods everything starts binding or touching each other. Also everyone when you install these rods, make sure to go back and forth with the stick to make sure the bearings are not set to tight one way or the other, without binding on the bearings.

Note -- If you can measure the length for these rods when you install your wings the first time. Measure twice cut once. Good luck. Vans measurements seem short in my experience.
 
jrvssgl said:
I just finished installing the wings and to my dismay both rods were cut to proper length and are both too short. I could only get 6.5 revolutions of thread which is less than 3/8 of an inch on all bearings left and right side. I locktighted the threads thinking at the time a great idea, but couldn't sleep until i made it up in my mind to order new rods and caps and make them at least an inch longer per rod. Van's technical said to lengthen the other rods going to the ailrons a little. This didn't work! And i don't know why they would tell me that. The bellcrank jig is for a reason and by extending those rods everything starts binding or touching each other. Also everyone when you install these rods, make sure to go back and forth with the stick to make sure the bearings are not set to tight one way or the other, without binding on the bearings.

Note -- If you can measure the length for these rods when you install your wings the first time. Measure twice cut once. Good luck. Vans measurements seem short in my experience.
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Thanks All -
 
Too Short

Mine came up short and I switched to a long rod end. If you need more length than use a long on each end. Everything now fits as it is supose too.
 
664781 said:
Mine came up short and I switched to a long rod end. If you need more length than use a long on each end. Everything now fits as it is supose too.
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Rod ends can be pretty expensive, but with shipping on a big piece of tubing, I too wondered whether just buying longer rod ends might be more helpful here than refabbing a new push tube.
 
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