Aileron bellcrank play

[Rallylancer122]

Was doing a condition inspection yesterday on my Dad's RV-8 and noticed something peculiar on the right hand aileron bellcrank out in the wing. I didn't build the plane, but it appears the bellcrank rotates around a bushing held in between 2 brackets with a 1/4" bolt. There's no play axially, but longitudinally (up and down in this case) there's about a sixteenth of play. The bolt is clamping the brackets up tight on the bushing. The left wing does not exhibit this play.

Is this normal, or do I need to shim this? When I actuate the ailerons it doesn't appear to move longitudinally. I can just move it when I push on it with the inspection panel open.

 

[Mel]

This is normal and very common. As long as the play is just in sliding the bell-crank up and down on the pivot, there's no problem.

 

[lr172]

This is normal and very common. As long as the play is just in sliding the bell-crank up and down on the pivot, there's no problem.

+1
Just be sure the bolt is tight, clamping on the center support that the bushing is sliding up and down on.

 

[SquawkVFR]

This is normal and very common. As long as the play is just in sliding the bell-crank up and down on the pivot, there's no problem.

+1

There is another option to fix this issue if you're willing to spend a little time and money. Sky Designs makes a bellcrank bearing kit that fixes the axial play issue. Not to be pedantic, but I think you mixed up your terms. Axial means "along the axis" which is the issue you're describing. Radial play would be if there was slop between the inside surface of the bellcrank and the bronze bushing. So, what you have is axial play, which, as Mel said, is normal and expected given the design of the factory Van's bellcrank design.

 

[RV7A Flyer]

Was doing a condition inspection yesterday on my Dad's RV-8 and noticed something peculiar on the right hand aileron bellcrank out in the wing. I didn't build the plane, but it appears the bellcrank rotates around a bushing held in between 2 brackets with a 1/4" bolt. There's no play axially, but longitudinally (up and down in this case) there's about a sixteenth of play. The bolt is clamping the brackets up tight on the bushing. The left wing does not exhibit this play.

Is this normal, or do I need to shim this? When I actuate the ailerons it doesn't appear to move longitudinally. I can just move it when I push on it with the inspection panel open.

As noted in several other posts, this is normal...see DWG-15A


The key point here is that the bolt/nut and the bellcrank bracket *must capture the bronze bushing*. The bushing must not rotate, and the bellcrank rotates *around* the bushing. Note that the drawing calls for the bushing to be slightly longer than the steel tube of the bellcrank.

You said you noticed this axial play on one wing...there should be at least a smidge of play on both bellcranks. Go check the other wing.