Swappin' out bungees

Lets see if I can make this work

We're doing an annual on the Pepsi Cub and had to do the bungee swap over the weekend. The pictures that follow depict the method we use to do that. Doesn't require any special tools or equipment other than a piece of "U"-shaped steel with a hole cut in the middle as you'll see. Other than that the pics tell the story.

and one more....

Great idea, but you didn't show us a picture of you pulling the rope out.

Yeah, no picture taken sorry. The rope gets real tight, unable to untie the knot, so we usually sacrifice it. Cut it as close to the bungee as possible so there is very little to pull out, then its just a matter of getting a pair of pliers and employing the Armstrong method to remove the rope.

I love how I'm classified as a "Super Cub Guru" now. Yeah right, neophyte is more like it! But seriously, I've learned a lot from all y'all on this site. Thanks!

Great idea, but you didn't show us a picture of you pulling the rope out.

Click to expand...

Or the other method would be to cut the rope as close to the bungee as possible, wrap the loose end a couple turns around the hoist's hook and start pumping. Pulls the rope right out, and without the strain or worry of the rope flyin' back at you.

Installing new Bungees

I don't know what I might have done if I hadn't seen the pictures of you-all installing the bungees using the engine lift. I did one thing a little different though. Rather than weld a bracket to the channel-iron for the lower end of the strut, I cut a hole in the channel-iron big enough for the end of the strut to go through and slipped a bolt through the strut end to retain it. Everything went as "slick as a whistle". Thanks for the idea.

The next thing I need to find out is where to buy a set of safety cables. If I'd had them on I don't think I'd be looking for a new prop. It was the lower end of the shock strut that failed first. It was rusted from the inside until it was "paper thin". I'm installing all new landing gear (except wheels and breaks) from WAG Aero.

...Clyde

delete

Clyde is probably talking about J3 (nonhydrosorb) shocks if he is getting them from Wag. The silicone works on the hydros, but the only way on the earlier gear is to put a lot of grease between the uppers and lowers, and check them often. Also slosh them with tube seal before assembly. Punch test the shock lowers during inspection if they look suspicious. I don't know why Piper didn't make it so the lowers slid into the uppers so they wouldn't be such rain catchers.

When replacing bungees on the early gear, always replace the leather bumpers at the same time.

Get your cables from Atlee, they would have saved your prop.

Uh Oh! Leather bumpers? I didn't see anything like that on the old ones and don't have them with the new. :-? Will they show on the J3 parts book? Where do they go? Thanks for the information. Just about when I think I pretty much know everything on the Cub (J3) I learn about something else. ...Clyde

The leather bumpers are inside, that is what the stop bolt hits when the shock is fully compressed. I would hope if you bought new gear that the bumpers are installed, but you never know about Wag... Univair sells the bumpers, or you can cut them out of good harness leather. A sharpened Lycoming tappet body just happens to be the right size cutter. Never use rubber or anything else, leather is the only thing that will hold up to the pounding.

ALWAYS disassemble and clean the shocks when changing bungees, expecially the end of the slide slot for cracks and distortion, and the lower for corrosion.