Painting my gear legs

[GAHorn]

That light gray Rustoleum ought to work just fine. Most polyurethanes should also work if not applied too thickly.

The reason you don't want to powder coat them is because powder coating is a baked on plastic coating which will hide cracks. Once a crack develops in a spring gear you need to be able to detect it on a pre-flight. (Eventually the crack will rust and reveal even minor cracks, hopefully before it snaps.)

[bigrenna]

delete

[Thart739@gmail.com]

I knew there was a good reason not to do the powder coating! I think I will pay the money and go with the epoxy prime. If the legs were still on the plane perhaps rust oleum would be a good option. Thanks everyone for all the input. The 170 assosiation is awesome, and should be mandatory for a proud owner of a 170!

[kylegreen229]

Dug this old thread up here rather than start a new one. I have my lady legs back from getting magnafluxed and checked out. Before that I glass beaded them to remove the old red paint. I want to get them painted up and installed! Rustoleum is tempting because its cheap and easy but they are completely removed and ready to get painted. I'm thinking prime the whole leg and then only paint from the saddle down basically that you would see from the outside?

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Why not paint the entire leg?

[c170b53]

I'm surprised you left the paint on before the NDT process and if you intend to remove the paint which is providing protection, you must paint the legs otherwise you're leaving the leg bare to the elements.

[kylegreen229]

Why not paint the entire leg?

Tight fitment in the gear box? I recall having to beat them out of the gear box with a rubber mallet. It has the Pponk gear box kit, doubt that makes a difference. Just figured the coat of primer and few coats of paint would make it worse.

[kylegreen229]

I'm surprised you left the paint on before the NDT process and if you intend to remove the paint which is providing protection, you must paint the legs otherwise you're leaving the leg bare to the elements.

Paint was removed before being checked. They now have a very light coat of surface rust forming in spots from being bare and exposed for a few weeks until I got them back. Thus why I am hoping to get these painted up and do it right

[swixtt]

i'd take them to a shop to get the paint, especially if they are off the plane. you want good, tough paint on them so they don't get dinged, pitted.

[bagarre]

i'd take them to a shop to get the paint, especially if they are off the plane. you want good, tough paint on them so they don't get dinged, pitted.

+1
Not powder coated but a really good two part epoxy paint to resist chipping.

Where did you send yours to be checked?
I'll be doing mine this year. Plan on epoxy painting them and putting abrasion strips on the leading edges.

[swixtt]

abrasion strips on the leading edges

what do you plan to use for this... i'm doing the same when i clean mine up.

[bagarre]

3M POLYURETHANE PROTECTIVE TAPE 8674
or similar at Aircraft Spruce

They make it in all widths and it's easy to apply.

[kylegreen229]

I just had them checked out over at Premier in Troutdale, OR. It wasn't the whole shebang, rearched shot peened etc, just magnafluxed basically to check for cracking. We can shoot them at our hangar at the company I work for, just always so busy that it might be better to have them done at an auto paint shop is my only thought.

[DaveF]

3M POLYURETHANE PROTECTIVE TAPE 8674
or similar at Aircraft Spruce

They make it in all widths and it's easy to apply.

That's great stuff. I do a fair amount of dirt runway ops and have never made a hole in the tape.

On the other hand, the slip-on wedge type gear leg jack pad really tears it up. I need a better way of jacking.