Rear Seats

[PaulSA]

I've just been trying to fit the rear seat frame. A couple of problems. Firstly, the outside of the frame at the rear fitting interferes slightly with the rudder cable. It looks like it may just clear if I grind of some of the weld at the front of the fork and maybe flatten the tube a little more - sound fair?

Secondly, I can't get the fourth bolt in - it's misaligned by maybe a 1/16". Couple of ideas - try using a ratchet strap through the seat frame and a beefy part of the fuselage structure. Strikes that the seat is going to move first. Or, go over-size on a couple of the attach holes to 5/16" to take out the misalignment. Ideas?

[svyolo]

I would try bending the seat frame as much as you can, but not by using the rest of the fuselage structure. I would try to make any change to the seat frame, and not the fuselage. The fit of my rear seat is one of the few things that don't fit well, but I haven't bothered to fix it yet.

[Mark Goldberg]

There have some instances of the rudder cable rubbing on the rear seat frame. Easiest fix is just some kind of rub block. A few have welded in another fairlead tube there.

We hear from builders occasionally that the attach fittings of the rear seat to do fit well. In most cases guys find a way to get it to fit without drastic action after playing with it for a while. Mark

[Archer39J]

Yeah the rudder cables interfere with the rear seats, there needs to be a fairlead there. I've debated the block idea, but now might tack a fairlead to the head of the bolt that attaches the frame. I just put the ratchet strap around the seat legs to bend them inboard, but still had trouble with the last bolt like you mentioned.

I ended up grinding a tip on a bolt and hammering it in from the other side, then tapping it back out from the other end with the unmodified bolt I would end up with. Worked great, but I'm dreading taking it back out to finish the seat...

Also check the studs, they have an eccentricity to them (at least mine did) so rotating them might help a little.

[swpilot3]

The rudder cables interfered with my back seat also. I welded an additional fairlead to the cluster. However, I really had to wrestle with my back seat to fit also. As Archer indicated there did seem to be a "correct" orientation of the studs and rotating them did help. Eventually, I had to file a little bit and bend the frame to make it fit.

[svyolo]

I think if you plan on removing the rear seat very often, it is probably worth the upfront investment in time to make it easy to R&I. Bend, pound, cut and reweld one leg, etc. I am pretty sure mine will fly with the rear seat removed a lot of the time.

I am leaning toward fairleads as well. Getting to that point soon.

[PaulSA]

Thanks for the replies. Unfortunately, I can't ratchet the leg in as it need to go out a smidge! It's only a 1/16th" so I'll have another look next week when I am back home.

As for the cables, I hadn't though of adding an extra fairlead.......

[tailwind]

Put a bumper jack between the legs of the seat and push it where you want.

[PaulSA]

Good idea.....

[Zzz]

My legs weren't just out of alignment, one was too short or the other too long...not sure which. It was close to a 1/4" that had to be made up. Instead of fight with using the Victor wrench, or cut off the fork and construct a longer one using the same method, I chose to do something different:

I cut off the forks on both the front legs, welded in a slug (side plug weld and circumferential weld) that was drilled and tapped for 5/16-24. Found these clevis forks online and Bob's yer uncle... adjustable fit. They're a touch overbuilt, but finding the perfect clevis fork is difficult.

If you're only 1/16" out, you might not get so drastic. You could fill weld the holes and redrill with an offset.

As for the rudder cable clearance, in my opinion, mid-run fairleads are needed. Several other builders have added them. Not sure why it's not in the plans.

[Mark Goldberg]

That fair lead by the rear seat was in our kits for a long time. Then Bob made a visit to the factory and said it wasn't needed. Added too much weight. After seeing the problem that resulted, those fairleads are now installed all current production 4 place kits. Mark

[PaulSA]

I did manage to get the last bolt in by using a ratchet strap between the seat frame and the gear mount - easy. Unfortunately, that won't work once the coverings are in. So getting the seat on and off, if I want to, will need some other method. Filling in the hole with weld and re-drilling sounds good. Looks like an extra fairlead is also needed. I can't imagine why Bob thought it wasn't needed - it's not even close to clearing the rear seat frame. Just hoping the rudder cable thimble will fit through the tube first - otherwise I am going to have to remake the rudder cables

[Mark Goldberg]

A rub block is an alternative. Mark

[PaulSA]

Nah..... It would work at a push but the extra fairlead is an easy and better fix. I have a few small welding jobs to have done so it's not really going to be that much of a hassle. Also, it clears the cable a little further back to the sides of the baggage area.

[svyolo]

I think I will make 2 fairleads by welding a piece of tube to a thin piece of 4130 plate. Drill and bend the plate to fit the threaded hole for the rear seat posts. It goes under the post when the seat is installed or not. Easy, removeable, and no welding on the QB fuselage.