Cracks and Brake Calipers

[criffus]

(Apologies if this post exists elsewhere...)
I pulled a brake assembly off of my 61' 250 a few days ago to replace a seal. We decided to go ahead and clean the thing up for repainting and discovered cracks where the anchor bolts (pins) mount to the cylinder body. (see attached pic) I went ahead and inspected the other side and sure enough, another crack. So I'm sitting with two cracked brake calipers. I'm sure that a few of you have seen this before.

Anyway, I'm looking for guidance on repairing things. I spoke with Webco and they are looking for some used replacements. (Not my first choice) While on the phone with them, I learned that there is a wheel and brake conversion kit put out by Cleveland that can be installed on my plane with field approval. I'm trying to get some more information on this option. Apparently the parts are around $2K.
I checked Spruce and a few other places online, but I can't seem to find anything that's listed for a PA24. (I might not be looking in the right places.)

Can anyone "shine a light" on this for me? I really don't want to put any more "used" parts on my plane if I can help it, not brakes anyway! Any insight is much appreciated.

Thanks much,
Chris

similar crack at both ends

[Michael Rath]

Chris,

I was in a similar situation to you. I have a 62 250 that had bad rotors. It would have been a thousand bucks just to change the rotors out. I replaced the wheels with part number 40-84 and brake number 30-41. Webco has a copy of the 337 to do so. I looked high and low for the Cleveland kit myself and Webco had the best price at 2k. If someone else knows where to find it cheaper lets us know.

I am very happy with the conversion. I got rid of all the antiquated parts and now my brake rotors are a snap to change. No more rivets and all my brake shimmy problems are gone!

[Zach Grant L1011jock]

I did the same conversion on my 180. Well worth the money for what you get and the headaches it saves!
-Zach

[skipsouthernsky]

Dear Chris,

What's the chance that you could send your caliper off to a competent welding shop, have them remove the steel pin, weld up around where the crack is, beef up the area in the process, and remachine the hole and reinstall the pin? Sounds a whole lot less expensive than the purchase of a bunch of new parts. It seems to me that the place out in Nevada or California that welds Comanche landing gear struts would be able to accommodate that. It appears in your picture that the part is thinned in the area that cracked. A little extra material in that area would go a long way towards strengthening that place so it wouldn't happen in the future. Not sure if that is aluminum or magnesium.

Sincerely,
Skip Dykema

[criffus]

Thanks for the insight(s) folks.
I will probably go ahead and do the Webco deal and replace all I can. (Ever get the feeling that your plane has a vacuous snout that just sucks up dollars like an addict?!) I like the thought of just having "done with it" and not wondering when the part I didn't replace goes south...
Philip was nice enough to send me some useful info on getting my field approval done. I don't think it will be the saga that my FSDO-Paranoia side thought it would be.

Skip- I asked a local machinist/welder about the option of welding. I'm with you on the fact that it shouldn't be too hard to weld the thing up and add material back where it was shaved at production. (I assume Piper did this for clearance ??) Anyway, I'm told that the caliper bodies are in-fact magnesium and that welding is a bit more involved. -Frankly, as I look at the condition of the rest of the brake assembly... I am not encouraged, so I'll bit the bullet (or the is it the credit card these days?) and just replace all I can.

Best to all - Chris

[Kristin Winter]

Chris,

If you have an electronic copy of the stuff that Phil sent you, could you post of email it to me at kristin_winter at comcast dot net. There is another local pilot in need and I am trying to draft the 337 so it can get approved.

Thanks!

[Don Nelson]

Chris, I did the Webco conversion a couple years ago on my '62 250, so that I wouldn't have to do the riveting. Then sold it last year before I'd gotten my moneys worth out of it. Sigh!

Anyway, if you should change your mind about used calipers - and would use them, I'll send you mine. No cracks as far as I can tell!

Best, Don

[Kory Kearney]