What is the best way to attach the flap cable to the bellcrank? Do you just use a thimble, or cable ring, around the bolt? Are washers used to keep things lined up?
Have never noticed any issue there. Stainless thimble on an AN smooth bolt surface would take a long while. Not a lot of movement there. Obviously one of those areas you always check and keep lubed.
This was a picture I took at teardown for rebuild. Regular AN forks will work instead of the deeper Piper fork which is quite expensive and not needed here because of the attachment.
The 18A has the turnbuckles inside the fuselage, so it has only the cable eye at the connection.
I wish they were there as they are a pain to access if you install a metal headliner.