What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Remediating step crack: Weld or buy new?

RVphil

Member
How should I proceed here? Condition inspection on my 7A revealed cracks on the insides of both sides, just below the mount plate weld. Both cracks parallel about 1/8" below the weld. Passenger side crack migrated to the end, allowing the step to be wiggled.

A few searches on here revealed some folks welding and reinforcing the cracked area while others indicated Vans improved manufacturing of the steps so would appreciate post-use experience welding these steps versus buying new ones.
 
Weld

How should I proceed here? Condition inspection on my 7A revealed cracks on the insides of both sides, just below the mount plate weld. Both cracks parallel about 1/8" below the weld. Passenger side crack migrated to the end, allowing the step to be wiggled.

A few searches on here revealed some folks welding and reinforcing the cracked area while others indicated Vans improved manufacturing of the steps so would appreciate post-use experience welding these steps versus buying new ones.

Another option.
Send them to Russ McCutcheon. He is the one that fabricates them and the new gusset. He welded mine. Not installed yet but I haven't read anyone with new ones cracked.
[email protected]
http://mccutcheonmetalfabricationaviation.com/index.html
 
I've got a set of new steps that I decided not to use. They were manufactured less than a year ago and appear to have a beefed up area where they typically crack.

If you're interested in going the replacement route, I'd sell them for what I paid. Get them off my shelf and save somebody else the tax of buying them from Vans.

text me at 480-440-8817 if you'd like pictures
 
Russ will repair them and install the gusset at a low cost. The 2 way shipping was more than the repair cost though.
 
I replaced one of my steps with a new one (the crack propagated around to the outer face) and repaired the other with the gusset purchased from Vans.

I recommend going the weld repair route because:
1. It was much cheaper to buy the gusset and have a weld shop perform the welding after you massage the gusset to fit and strip all paint from the weld area.
2. It was a pita to match up existing rivet holes in the fuselage to the new step and then to match up the hole drilled in the step tube to the nylon block under the baggage floor.

In either case, you must remove the forward section of the baggage floor and remove the step which may be prosealed to the fuselage. I used the steel pop rivets Vans supplied to attach the repaired step to the fuselage.
 
I have repaired one step while still on the plane with success. The crack was completely around the back and coming to the outside. Saved the hassle of removing the floor/step, etc.

I do have 30+ years of welding experience at hand though, which I think helped. Of course the paint did not survive on the step, but we were able to preserve the paint on the fuselage without any issues.
 
Thanks for the insights thus far. I bought this RV used so at a disadvantage as to what's involved in removing the step. I realized it's not an easy task in doing so after removing the nearest side panel and looking under the floor. A local TIG welding expert is to take a closer look at the cracks next week and will go with his assessment.
 
Bolted

If you're replacing the step, how hard is it to change from riveted on to bolted on?

You may want to ask Vans. I don't think the side skin will tolerate enlarging a bunch of holes to bolt size. The steps.are riveted with #4 pull rivets and one bolt through a delrin spacer at the end of the pipe. Biggest part of the job is removing pop riveted floor panels.
 
Thanks for linking to that Vans SB. I saw gussets welded on the affected area from another thread but didn't realize Vans makes them specifically for this issue. Will order a couple tomorrow.

As much as I hate to do so, I'm going to pull the steps after reviewing the SB. There's just too much work to do with minimal clearance to the fuselage skin.
 
Frequency of cracking

I have the steps on my -9a, has there been a study of the frequency of cracking? While I’m crack free at the moment, has anybody done a preventative modification?
 
Step gusset

Sent my steps to Russ to have gusset added before step installation on plane. I had already got most of the holes drilled but not riveted. Sent them USPS with a return label. Can’t remember the exact price but it was pretty cheap way to go. Good friend with an RV-6A showed me the scars on his shins when he had a step give way while he was getting up on the wing. He had been doing the inspection every annual and recommended I do the mod. Had to backtrack a bit but I think worth the effort.
KT
 
Thanks for the insights thus far. My mechanic got the passenger side step removed and it's even more apparent how much grinding and welding is necessary to remediate the crack after removal.
 
step repair done!

This step repair is really not such a big deal.
I thought I had dodged the bullet on my 500 hour RV-6A, and then, and then, and then, I was under the belly and got a belly full. Oh @#$^@&@ that rust on the bottom of the step is not supposed to be there. I seen the light and I was chastised, got the bullet in my eye.
Right step broken.
40 minutes later I had drilled out the floors and both steps were off, 20 minutes later they were all buffed up ready to weld.
I'm lucky as my hangar is 6 miles from Russ's shop. An hour later they were all VERY professionally welded up. Another hour and I had them painted and ready to install today.
Bullet back in chamber by noon.
It was a WooHoo day for me cause, Now I won't have to worry about my passengers breaking it off.
My three cents worth Art
 
I’ve elected to replace versus repair. My step on the right side broke about a month ago and is taking me now to get started on the repair. I made the royal mistake of mounting flange inside the fuselage wall so I had to cut the tube on the inside to get it out. Luckily my floor pans were mounted with screws, not pop rivets so that part was easy. However the electric flap tube prevented the remove or two screws so that had to come out too. Once I get the new step next week I have the challenge of match drilling the skin holes to the welded flange. Doesn’t look like too big a deal though. It was just gonna be too much welding to repair mine and the cost of the new one wasn’t that much more. Marty
 
I’ve elected to replace versus repair. My step on the right side broke about a month ago and is taking me now to get started on the repair. I made the royal mistake of mounting flange inside the fuselage wall so I had to cut the tube on the inside to get it out. Luckily my floor pans were mounted with screws, not pop rivets so that part was easy. However the electric flap tube prevented the remove or two screws so that had to come out too. Once I get the new step next week I have the challenge of match drilling the skin holes to the welded flange. Doesn’t look like too big a deal though. It was just gonna be too much welding to repair mine and the cost of the new one wasn’t that much more. Marty

Ha, yes, this style of mounting was not uncommon before we all realized that the steps crack... I have a tiny crack on the underside of the pilot's side of mine I'm watching at 1750 hours...
 
Check those steps!

Found a crack in mine on RV-6A stbd side during current CI. Hate to see a passenger get a mouthfull of the flap if it fails. From under the plane flexing the step outward revealed the crack. Perusal of VAF archives lead me to the Vans "note" (not an SB) for the approved repair and to [email protected] a Vans supplier who completes the factory repairs at a very fair price. Not as hard as I thought to remove cleanly, but I'm assuming we'll need to use pulled rivets to re-install. Shipping to Russ next week.
 

Attachments

  • step.png
    step.png
    2.2 MB · Views: 96
Back
Top