faith_smith•21h agoProlific Poster

Switched from safety wire to cotter pins on landing gear bolts and never looked back

I used to spend 20 minutes safety wiring each main gear bolt on the Cessna 172s at our shop in Phoenix. Then I tried cotter pins and castellated nuts on a recommendation, boom done in 2 minutes. Has anyone else found a specific fastener swap that cut your R&R time in half?

2 comments

2 Comments

wadeyoung20h ago

Ha, right? Some guys act like safety wire is a sacred oath they swore to the Wright brothers or something. But I've never once had a cotter pin try to slice my finger open like a tiny brass razor blade. Save the "authentic feel" for the hangar queens, I'll take the 18 minute nap instead.

kai_stone9920h ago

Heard from an A&P buddy that some warbird guys still swear by safety wire for the "authentic" feel but even they admit cotter pins are way less of a headache in the field. Makes you wonder why some shops cling to the old ways when a simple swap saves that much time. Guess it boils down to what you're willing to trust with your life, but I'd take the 2-minute job any day over the 20-minute struggle.