PA-18 150 wing lift struts

[bhcuber]

Hello everybody. I am from Bosnia and Herzegovina therefore forgive me for my non-perfect English.
I am the member of Air Club Tuzla where we have PA-18 150 in our fleet. I have an issue regarding wing lift struts and wing lift strut forks. Any help/information is the most welcome.

Our Super Cub has accumulated 2000 flight hours and we are about to replace wing lift strut forks according to AD 2015-08-04. Although I read the AD several times with extreme care, I still have a doubt. Paragraph i (2) states that the installation of sealed wing lift assemblies (which includes wing lift strut forks) terminates repetitive inspection requirements for wing lift struts and wing lift strut fork removal, inspection, and replacement requirement. This is very clear to me. However, we do not have historical maintenance records for period before 1995, which had been destroyed during the war. That is why we don't know what kind of wing lift struts are installed on our Cub. We have the struts with the rivet installed at upper end which indicates that the struts are factory sealed. According to older mechanics in our country that is sign for properly sealed tube.

Here comes the question: How I can identify that wing lift assembly installed on our Cub is the one which does not require repetitive inspection or replacement of struts and forks? Is there a significant mark/feature to identify it? Any advice? Some photos attached.
Thank you very much for your time and support.

FR

 

[J5Ron]

They look like non sealed, small forks as well.

 

[PerryB]

Agreed.

 

[S2D]

Altho your struts could have been sealed by an AMOC (Alternate Means of Compliance), the fact that you have no record of it, and that you will have to replace the strut forks unsealing the struts, you will either have to get a new AMOC or just go back to inspecting the struts.
The strut inspection and the fork inspection/replacement are two different things. Original size Strut forks (which you have) were required to be removed and magnafluxed each 500 hrs and replaced each 2000 hours. the struts themselves just need to be inspected every 24 calendar months since they have already been corrosion proofed as evidenced by the rivet.

 

[pak]

While you are taking the time to swap out your struts, please consider installing the F Atlee Dodge strut/spar attach fitting reinforcement.

 

[bhcuber]

Thank you S2D very much. You cleared my doubt i.e. we still have old model of struts/forks. I know what to do now.