The International Cessna^® 170 Association

Help!
Would there be someone who knows a substitute for the rivets that attach the control wheel to the tube. I know Cessna has some. but I was sure there was another solution than big dollars. Any help would certainly be appreciated.
Thanks
Dave O

Hi Dave, seems like I remember a post about a substitute part. Trying hard to remember if it was the old forum or somebody at the airport, or this forum - remember it being cheaper is all at this point, but I am looking hard. Anybody else remember anything? It might have been a cheaper source than cessna, dag gum this memory.

There were some posts about these rivets back on the old yahoo club site. I think someone found a source with reasonable prices for the Cessna rivets or an approved equal. You might be able to access the old yahoo site & go back thru the old posts,if whoever did the posting doesn't step up with the information.

Eric

Thanks Eric, that narrows the search down a lot - I'll go look there. Are you going to make it to Oshkosh?

Negative Oshkosh,too far & too damn many people. I do go to the Arlington EAA fly-in every year,it's about 30nm from home. It's advertised as the third largest in the counrty (after Osh and S&F)--more crowded than I like but I figure I can put up with it once a year,especially when I can go home at night. I'm actually gonna camp out there Friday night,for a change.

Eric

Dave, these are from the old site.

From: Grog_c170B
Date: Mon Oct 29, 2001 6:22 pm
Subject: Re: Control Wheels

Bill, It is possible to plate the shafts with the
control wheels still attached, but NOT advisable.<br>You
could never be certain of removing all of the solution
needed to chrome plate the shafts; that is, you could
never be sure that all of the plating solution (which
is slightly corrosive)would be gone from inside of
the yoke connections. It is not that difficult to
remove (drill out) the old rivets. If you care to
replace the old rivets with new, one might contact one's
AI to see if you might use new 7/32" aluminum
rivets. (Yup, good old Cessna used an odd-ball here). The
original rivets were of the "hollow-end steel" variety. As
to baking Cr Mo type steels, as in AISI 4130, make
sure that they are baked as George suggested, EXCEPT,
they ought to be baked within 1/2 hr. after plating. I
would be more than happy to make new "hollow-end steel"
rivets for you, I made my own setting tools to properly
flare the undersides. I make the rivets from 1004
steel. Again, talk to your AI 1st. Bryan

From: av8djc
Date: Thu Nov 1, 2001 6:29 am
Subject: Re: Control Wheels/Rivets

For another
option:<br><br><a href=HTTP://www.avion.com/CesCntrlWl.html
target=new>HTTP://www.avion.com/CesCntrlWl.html</a> <br><br>Let's see, $135 for
rivets, $100(?) for
chroming, $75 for Imron and hardener, $35 for Teflon balls,
so for about $250 I'll be fixed up on one little
project.<br><br>What are your favorite suppliers for Cessna parts

From: Patphillips_99
Date: Sat Nov 3, 2001 9:01 pm
Subject: Re: Control Wheels/Rivets

Hi I made replace rivets for my control wheels. I
bought larger head chrome plated tubular rivets the
right lenght about a $3 each . I machined the head to
the right size. And I bought the special punch which
rolls the bottom of the rivet over. I might a few
around if you need some ......Pat

thanks for all your help.
The conrol wheel and shaft are already chormed and painted. But I do need the rivets. I would be glad to pay for someone to make them.
Thanks
DaveO

I might be opening a can of worms but my '54 has bolts securing the control yoke (wheel) to the tubes. Two bolts per wheel. Actually they are round head machine screws. I think they may be #12-24 or 1/4-20. The airplane came to me this way, and the wheels seem to stay on real nice...even with a tailwheel newbee giving them a good workout Perhaps the machine screw are a no-no installed by a previous owner fed up with the rivet game I have to admit that machine screws make more sense than rivets. I can take the wheels off when I want to without the drilling and related messes

My control wheels are attached with appropriately sized roll pins cut flush. Then a stainless steel 6-32 screw with washers on each end and a fiber lock nut runs through the roll pin to trap it. Better than new, probably heavier but a lot cheaper than new Cessna parts.

You need to go back to the old site and try to find my post about the longer Cessna rivets I found that are a lot cheaper than the correct part number. They can easily be shortened and would be the best thing to do for legallity and looks. I'm sure I posted the part numbers. I'm unable to just look at them for you because I'm in Washington for the summer and they're in Arizona!

I'm going to do mine this winter but still need to find a reliable chrome shop that I can trust to bake them properly.