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Tailwheel steering springs

Just for my curiosity...I have read about people not liking the stock Vans TW steering chains etc. Other than the less than ideal appearance, can someone please enlighten me as to what the issue(s) is (are) with this setup?

I have 450hrs on my 4 and 670hrs on my 7, both with the stock Vans setup. I have not had to replace any parts in that time nor had any issues with the clips, chains or springs. I do use eyebolts on both ends where the clips attach the springs and chains to avoid wear on the arms. I am building an 8 and trying to understand why I should further deviate from the stock setup.

For the OP regarding the clips...I just push a slot screwdriver into the split to open the clip enough to attach the chain or spring and eyebolt. They always spring back if not overdone. A bit of a pain but no big deal. I put the split end in the eyebolt on both ends. Never had an issue...touch wood:)
 
... nor had any issues with the clips, chains or springs.

Thousands have been fine. A few of us have ridden through a ground loop after a clip pulled open. Mine was in a Starduster, and I wasn't driving, so it was just interesting ;)
 
A little safety wire on the split end of the clips makes this a non-issue.....but I still prefer something other than the clips.
 
This has been on the forefront of my mind as well. I've been doing a lot of re-thinking such details of my long duration -8 build that shall get tossed into the air. Almost a year of flying the committed aerobatics ship has adjusted my thinking of many details right down to the tail wheel linkage.
 
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My links have been assembled exactly like this one, and I’ll experience its capabilities if I ever get my bird out of the paint shop. In my case, the clips were difficult to install and then remove because they had to be pried so far apart (with the aforementioned flat screw driver) that they didn’t spring back, they scraped the paint off the parts attached to, and they rusted in just 3 months - in a hangared airplane - with only 50 hours on the airplane. Safety wiring a rusty clip together is something I’d rather not do when there is a better solution, at least for me.
Putting heat shrink on the chain sounds interesting, although I’m planning on making crimped steel cable to replace the chains when I get it home, but maybe not. The cable is much stronger, but probably overkill.
 
The closest I've come to rolling an airplane in ball was a rental self-checkout in an Aeronca *Champ when it threw a TW spring on touchdown. I have tremendous respect for TW spring setups now.
 
thank you guys for this great thread. on my 7 i attached the steering chain clips directly into the small rear holes of the rudder horn. after more than 200 flight hours these holes are clearly elongating. that will not last forever and i'm going to install a bolt solution like schown on the pics.
 
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