Brake replacement "continued"

[Rick Greer]

I'm in a bit of a jam. I'm afraid listening to the "buddy" probably wasn't the best idea on my part. I just got my Comanche back from the avionics shop (had some radios installed) four weeks worth. Decided to finish the job we started a month ago. with the right side brakes this time. We removed the right wheel broke down the tire and tube, removed the hubs, then proceeded to separate the brake disc from the wheel hub. Sprayed it to get it loosened up. All went well this time, especially since we learned how from doing the left side. I did not know we, him and I, weren't suppose to do this work. I specifically asked him was it okay for the "owner" to do this. Which meant drilling out the rivets from the old brake disc. Further, we should have gotten an STC to cover this, that I didn't know either. Call it ignorance, stupidty, take a shot. So what do I do now? What options do I have to make all this legal? Can I replace the wheel hubs and the brake discs? Should I get the sTC approved? By the way, I know nothing about STCs. to top it all off, we're still struggling to get the right side back on the gear. I'm thinking the STC would have talked about how to do this and perhaps the parts needed. Like now bolts since the new ones should have been a little longer with the stainless disc now.

[Ray B]

I do not know if or why you need an STC for the work you described, but I do know you need a qualified A/P and IA to get you back on track. The work is not that complicated but must be done correctly or your in for a bad outcome. I'd suggest you look in the ICS Flyer for the closest Comanche savvy shop and fess-up to what you've done so far and ask for guidance. The FAR's do lead one astray a bit in this area. As owner you can change the tires and tubes and grease the wheel bearings. But to do so requires removing and replacing the brakes. And that requires an A/P license . (So you can only do the nose tire legally). Ray B

[DAVEG24]

OK. You replaced the rivet on disc with a bolt on disc. How did you get the new disc to "seat" to the hub? Did you machine out the ridge on the hub? If not, you have posssibly created another problem that may lead to wheel failure and/or brake failure. While not legal by the FAR's, it has been done before. You may at some point have your plane inspected by a sharp IA, who will notice the illegal fix. What he (or she) chooses to do at that point will determine your fate. There is no STC for this "fix". Now that it's done, I would suggest that you just let sleeping dogs lie. If you pursue your quest for legality, you will end up with at least a new wheel half (maybe two) and two new rivet on discs. Either that or you can contact Cleveland and they will tell you all the parts you need to change (including calipers) in order to use bolt on discs. Is your braking satisfactory? It's not a flying issue, it's a stopping issue. If everything works, I'd be inclined to just forget about it, but that's just me. I still have and use rivet on discs. Let your conscience be your guide.

Dave Gitelman

[md11flyer]

I maybe am a bit annal in regard to legalities, but if for what ever the reason your aircraft is damaged
and your insurance company finds the illegal fix, they will in most cases deny the claim because they would view the aircraft as unairworthy.
I might be taking this a bit too far... but food for thought.

Gary