4 Place Axle and Castle Nut Question

[robcaldwell]

I've searched through my manuals and here looking for details on drilling the axles for the 1 1/2" castle nuts. What have others experienced in this process? Also, is there a preferred tool (socket or wrench) for seating/tightening the large castle nut?

[Mark Goldberg]

Rob, perhaps you are over thinking on this. The axle nuts do not have to be real tight. Just snugged up against whatever spacer is on the axle that is against the wheel bearing race. Then drill the holes for the thick cotter pin where the nut calls for it. Mark

[robcaldwell]

I guess I am receiving conflicting information. Some are reporting drilling the threaded axle is difficult and will require a clamp on jig with a drill guide. I would also like to obtain the proper tool to appropriately tighten (snug) the nut.

[whee]

Things might be different for different wheels I guess.

We used ABI wheels and brakes on our BH. There is no spacer on the axle, the nut goes directly against the bearing and there is just barely enough room to drill the hole in the axle for the cotter pin. There is no way to get a tool on the nut because it goes into a recess in the wheel. No tool is needed though; you can get it plenty tight by hand, too tight even.

The way I drilled the holes for the cotter pin:
1. Install the wheel and the nut with the nut set to the proper tension (tight enough there is no slop but not so tight that the wheel doesn't spin freely)
2. Determine which notches in the castle nut you want the cotter pin to go through and mark those locations on the axle and the nut.
3. Count the number of axle threads showing on the outside of the nut.
4. Mark the axle threads exposed on the outside of the nut as a double verification to the thread count.
5. Remove nut and wheel.
6. re-install nut (leave wheel off) and locate the nut so the notches line up with appropriate marks and the proper number of threads are exposed.
7. Carefully drill one hole using notch in the nut as the drill guide.
8. Carefully drill the second hole that is opposite the hole previously drilled. The burrs from drilling the first hole should keep the hole aligned but you might want to insert a screw or cotter pin through the first hole to help keep it properly located.
9. Install wheel, nut and cotter pin.
10. repeat on second axle.

[Battson]

I recommend you tighten the nut by hand in all cases, carefully read in the instructions before doing this or you will damage the bearings. De-burr the threads if hand tightening isn't easy.

Drilling is not a hard job, just mark the locations using the nut as a guide and drill two holes. Use a centre punch to mark and pilot drill if necessary, so the hole doesn't wander.
Remove the wheel and nut, then drill the holes one at a time. They don't need to be perfect or even circular.

Don't fit a pin until you're ready to fly. The wheels come off a few times in my experience.

As you near the end, you may like to make a register of things not to forget before you fly. This pin could be one such item.

[swpilot3]

I second what Whee and Battson are saying. It's not difficult to do. Snug the nut by hand then back it off a smidge. Use a center punch and drill. Go slow and be careful, it's not difficult.

[Archer39J]

I tightened mine while rotating the wheel and backed off until I couldn't perceive resistance anymore. Then I just marked the inside of a castle and it's opposite, removed the nut and wheel, center punched and hand drilled, deburred and ran the nut on and off and that was it.