Leading Edge Nutplate Rivets contacting Wing Spar

[CharlieWaffles]

I cleco'd my leading edge to my left wing this afternoon. It all looked good and I squeezed the bottom rivets, riveted the ribs and then saw that the rivets for the rear nutplates in the seam are touching part of the main spar. On the bottom side, it appears the offset of the rivet is about the thickness of the difference between the spar and the stiffener. On the top, the ricket is a bit thicker. Not sure if this is by design? Perhaps its just a case of the top rivets needing to be set more?

 

[CharlieWaffles]

Looks like it has come up before - http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=53883&highlight=nutplate+spar

Called vans and they said to go ahead and over-smash the rivets to remove the contact. Just need to keep the nutplate in place.

 

[GAHco]

Change it!

Replace it with a single leg nutplate?

Just an idea, and you may need to plug the inconvenient hole.

Best wishes

 

[Pirkka]

Replace it with a single leg nutplate?

And do I recall correctly if I say that I've seen L-shaped nutplates as well (seems to be called corner nutplates)? They might fit there as well. Google and Spruce helps here for reference pictures:

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/hapages/anchornuts.php

But Genuine aircraft hardware seemed to carry these as well.

I also have wondered, why Van's doesn't offer nutplates, where the rivet holes would be dimpled by default as those exists as well.

 

[paul330]

A different nutplate doesn't really help since you still have to fill the hole with a rivet. It's a while ago, but I seem to remember that I over-squeezed the rivet a smidge and filed it down a tad - sorry for the technical jargon

 

[Wayne Gillispie]

Over squeezed mine too.

Just enough clearance.

 

[CharlieWaffles]

Yup, that worked. I over squeezed the rivets and they clear now.