Torque tube bearings - glue or no glue?

[JohnTC02]

Originally Posted by kthane

Replacement TTs comes with new bearings. Why in the world would you ever feel the need to remove them? You'all need to put the duct tape down, please ;-)

One reason may be to replace a worn bearing, unless damaged in a crash TT's don't wear out but bearings do.

I never glue my bearing but use tape as mentioned here, after nearly 1800 flights on my Trekker 800 I'm still using the original TT but have changed the bearings before.

[ArchmageAU]

Originally Posted by kthane

Replacement TTs comes with new bearings. Why in the world would you ever feel the need to remove them? You'all need to put the duct tape down, please ;-)

Scotch tape, not duct tape. TRex 700 new booms and TT come separate (Gaui X5 you can get them pre-assembled). If assembling yourself, you need to ensure bearings are approximately (but not exactly) evenly placed along the TT and do not slip.

The recommendation is to use CA, but scotch tape round the TT provides adequate resistance to prevent the bearing slipping along the TT only contacting the inner race.

[rcflyerheli]

I don't know how much CA everyone thinks is needed, but the smallest drop of thin CA you can do and then spread around the TT is way more than enough. It secures the bearing in place, but is not so much that it welds the inner race to the TT.

There is a reason that you want to fix the inner race besides just trying to get the TT inserted into the boom and that is that you don't want the TT rotating inside the inner race of the bearing. That drop of CA works for both purposes.

FWIW, I have not damaged any of the bearings that I have had to move or to relocate.

[ArchmageAU]

Originally Posted by rcflyerheli

I don't know how much CA everyone thinks is needed, but the smallest drop of thin you can do and then spread around the TT is way more than enough.

There is a reason that you want to fix the inner race besides just trying to get the TT inserted into the boom and that is that you don't want the TT rotating inside the inner race of the bearing. That drop of CA works for both purposes.

Yep. The smallest drop is plenty. Many do it. It works fine.

When using scotch tape, you put on tape so the bearing is between two tape wraps on the TT (add tape, slide on bearing to where tape is, tape TT on other side of where bearing is sitting so bearing cannot move up or down the TT at all).

The reason some (like myself) use tape is:
- Even with the smallest drop, there is still a chance that it can squeeze up into the bearing as it is slid onto the TT.
- Tape is very quick to apply and at measured spaces.
- There is no "wait to cure" time before boom can be assembled.
- The inner race of the bearing touches tape on both sides, so unless the bearing is jammed or gummed up, the inner race will still rotate with the TT (unless the friction between the bearing is greater than the friction between the tape, TT and inner race - in which case you usually have a bigger problem).

[Solmanbandit]

I trying to figure out how the bearing didn't go on square. It should be a tight fit and the glue is to just hold it in place.

As for removing super glue. Acetone works great for removing super glue. One can will last you a long time.

Remove the bearing using super glue, clean it off and replace the bearing with an Align TT bearing.

[Excalibur3]

Cause they aren't a tight fit on the TT so you could glue it so it wasn't true 90 degrees

Trex700Pro/Trex700LTop/Trex500L/14sgh T$3D

[Solmanbandit]

Originally Posted by Excalibur3

Cause they aren't a tight fit on the TT so you could glue it so it wasn't true 90 degrees

Trex700Pro/Trex700LTop/Trex500L/14sgh T$3D

Not sure if I understand you 100%, but I have found the bearings snug enough to not deviate to be anything but 90 degrees from the torque tube. The glue is just to keep it from sliding up and down the torque tube.

[Excalibur3]

Maybe it's a case by case basis I know some of my helis in the past have had that small amount of play as people have described and others have not. Either way both methods will work as long as they are executed properly.

Trex700Pro/Trex700LTop/Trex500L/14sgh T$3D