Seat track replacement

[n2582d]

I still use the "good" and the "bad" ones occasionally for clamping up parts on my RV project; they're pretty stiff.

Like some of us I'm a "little" over the 170 pound FAA pilot weight. I imagine the extra weight on the seat causes increased flexing of the seat tracks which leads to cracks in the tracks. To increase the stiffness I've thought about installing the old tracks upside down under the floor, directly under the new tracks. One would have to cut them in two sections for the station 44 bulkhead. Solution looking for a problem?

[n2582d]

I am looking again to replace a couple of seat tangs so where can we buy some new ones ?

For only $1171.10 you can get the seat roller housing, p/n 0514016-1 from Cessna. SEB 11-4 lists this p/n as well as p/n 0311312-3 as replacement roller housings to be welded on. I have no idea what the difference is between these two part numbers or where one could find p/n 0311312-3. If the tangs are worn beyond specs I would consider finding a good welder to build up the tangs or come up with an owner-produced part using this drawing from the SEB:

[DWood]

Like some of us I'm a "little" over the 170 pound FAA pilot weight. I imagine the extra weight on the seat causes increased flexing of the seat tracks which leads to cracks in the tracks.

Gary
I am a "lot" over the 170 std pilot and I have never cracked a seat track. The McFarland ones reportedly have a thicker cross section.
Dan

[n2582d]

Dan,
I've got new McFarlane tracks to install. Sounds like my inverted reinforcement track idea is indeed a solution looking for a problem. Good to hear.

[bagarre]

These seats take serious abuse in training aircraft and STILL manage to last for years.
Mine lasted 60 years and 5,000 hours of flights. Not bad engineering.

To help yours outlast the rest of the plane:

Deliberately lift the pin out of the seat rail and place it into the desired hole.
Don't yank the pin as you're pushing the seat so it grinds against the hole
Don't drop the pin so it slides on the rail until it finds the hole.

Once the pin is in the hole, firmly press the lift lever down to ensure the pin is fully seated.
Don't jack the seat back and forth to make sure it wont go nowhere.

Slide the seat back carefully and rest it on the seat stop.
Don't pull the pin and ride the roller coaster backwards to the bang.

Slap passengers upside the head when they do these things.

[DaveF]

All good advice. Unfortunately on my seats I can't see when the pins are aligned with the holes, so a certain amount of scraping and hole edge beveling is inevitable. If it weren't for the hole edges rounding off, the tracks really would last forever. The tracks should have been designed with a steel insert or bushing in each hole.

[bagarre]

All good advice. Unfortunately on my seats I can't see when the pins are aligned with the holes, so a certain amount of scraping and hole edge beveling is inevitable. If it weren't for the hole edges rounding off, the tracks really would last forever. The tracks should have been designed with a steel insert or bushing in each hole.

In that case, make sure the bottoms of the pins are as smooth as possible with a nice radius to minimize the scraping.
I have to hunt for the hole as well so I keep a light finger on the lever to reduce the load of the spring.

With new rails, even the worst offenders should get a few thousand hours of use before wearing them out.
It really is a good design, just not indestructible.

[DWood]

Gary
I think inverting the old track and riveting would difficult to buck . I think I would add an alum doubler instead if concerned. I don't have anything under the floor and no issue with the McFarland tracks. McFarland also makes a gage to verify per the latest AD revision. The 182 would still pass but I wanted to change it as some holes looked bad.
Dan

[n2582d]

. McFarland also makes a gage to verify per the latest AD revision. The 182 would still pass but I wanted to change it as some holes looked bad.
Dan

Dan, Not sure if you are referring to the McFarlane gauge to check the tracks or the roller housings. As you know McFarlane says, "Do not use [their roller housing gauge] on welded/non-replaceable seat roller housings." This latest AD is poorly written in my opinion. The steel, welded on, seat roller housings are lumped together with the removable aluminum housings common to later model Cessnas. SEB11-4, which is an alternate method of compliance (AMOC) for inspecting the roller housings, shows different tolerances on the steel roller housings when compared to the tolerances specified in the AD.

[jonesronc]

Seat roller housings and other things are available less expensive than Cessna here:

http://www.robairrepair.com/

[DWood]

Gary:
I was addressing the seat track gage.

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/a ... key=778697

[lowNslow]

Gary:
I was addressing the seat track gage.

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/a ... key=778697

Yikes! 42 bucks for a piece of sheet metal. You could make up your own a lot cheaper.

[DaveF]

I've found that many McFarlane parts are cheaper from Spruce than from McFarlane.