Tip: attaching the ball stud mount on tippers

[Scott Will]

I've read on various sites how hard it is to get the nuts on the ball stud mounts... how little space there is to work behind the rails, etc.

What I did to make this a two minute job (after my 5 minute fabrication) is to simply get a strip of aluminum and attach two nutplates to it. Slide the strip up and behind the holes and waaaalaaa, you can easily insert and tighten both screws without worrying about getting a wrench on the nuts.

of course I don't have any pics to show for it (too busy working on the plane) but you know what a strip of aluminum with two nutplates looks like.

 

[dan]

Terrific idea, Scott! Match drill the bracket to a backing plate and go to town. Makes perfect sense...wish I thoughta that.

 

[RV7Guy]

Great Idea

Scott,

Hope others read this. I invented many new words when I was doing this

 

[Build9A]

thanks alot

Thanks alot Scott. You're just 18 months too late for me. I have the scars to prove it. Great idea. Jack

 

[fodrv7]

Super Glue

I wish you had suggested that last year.
I put the absolute samllest amount of Superglue on the nut and then stuck it on my little finger.
As I tightened the bolt, when it reached the nylon section of the Nylok nut it removed itself from my finger- together with a small amount of skin.
Painless!.................... Well almost.
Pete.

 

[Davepar]

I must be dense. How do the nut plates on the aluminum strip hold the nuts in place?

 

[N523RV]

Dave,

Dense you are... the nutplates REPLACE the nuts. So instead of trying to hold a nut, you just slide the aluminum strip with the two nutplates on it up behind there and insert the screws into the nutplate. If you have boney fingers, you can get the nuts one without too much grief.

BTW, I used this same technique to attach a couple of canopy guide blocks on my tip-up roll-bar. This is pretty handy trick.

 

[dwilson]

Duct tape works too

I take a small piece of duct tape and fold it into t circle with the sticky side out. Then put it on the tip of my fingere and apply it to the back side of the nut. It stays almost as good as super glue, but you don't loose skin when you peel it of.

If you are really tricky you can put the washer on at the same time!!!

Duane

 

[fodrv7]

Painless

But I like a little pain.
Pete

 

[Davepar]

Doh! Now I get it. This suggestion was just a couple of weeks late. I managed to get the washers and nuts on there with only a minimal amount of swearing.