Painting
6. Thoroughly dry the wheel with compressed air.
7. Immerse the wheel portion in solution B, and
When the wheel paint has deteriorated to the extent
allow it to soak for 20 minutes.
that touch-up is not feasible, wheels may be stripped
and repainted. Stripping and repainting are allowed
8. Place the wheel portion on a grill over solution
only if the IMA is authorized to paint with aliphatic
B, and spray it thoroughly with solution B. Remove any
polyurethane.
remaining soil or grease deposits with liberal amounts
of solution B and bristle brushes.
Cleaning
9. Thoroughly wash the wheel portion with a
high-pressure stream of clean water to remove all
To inspect aircraft wheels for cracks, physical
solvents. Compressed air may be used to dry the wheel.
damage, and corrosion, they must be clean. All dirt,
rubber, and grease deposits must be completely
Inspection
removed. Cleaning for appearance sake is not a
requirement. Removing stains is not a necessity. Many
You should perform a visual inspection of the
wheels will be discolored after the rubber deposits have
wheel for cracks, loose bearing cups, corrosion,
been removed from the tire bead areas. This
physical damage, and melted fusible plugs. See figure
discoloration is acceptable, and further cleaning is not
7-7. Forward all wheels with cracks or loose bearing
necessary. Discolored areas around brake keys are
cups to supply for overhaul. Partially melted fuse plugs
difficult to remove without damaging the paint.
should not cause a wheel to be rejected. The plug may
The following steps describe the wheel cleaning
not need to be replaced. If the eutectic core material
procedures. Further information regarding the cleaning
does not extend more than one-sixteenth of an inch
of aircraft wheels can be found in Aircraft Wheels,
above the top surface of the hex head, the plug may be
NAVAIR 04-10-1.
kept in service "as is" with no restrictions. If the
eutectic core material at the threaded end is not
Clean the wheels as follows:
depressed more than one-sixteenth of an inch and there
1. Prepare one tank (solution A) of cleaning
is no evidence of pinholes, the plug may be kept in
solution that consists of 4 to 9 parts cleaning solvent
service with no restrictions. Do not file, sand, or
(P-D-680) and 1 part solvent emulsion cleaner
remove the eutectic material. If the eutectic material
(P-C-444).
appears to be filed, sanded, or broken, you should
assume the serviceable limits have been exceeded and
2. Prepare another tank (solution B) of cleaning
reject the plug.
solution that consists of 4 to 9 parts of clean water and 1
part emulsion cleaner (MIL-C-43616).
WARNING
You should use P-D-680 solvent only in
well-ventilated areas. You should also avoid skin
contact by wearing protective equipment for your
eyes and hands.
3. Place the wheel portion to be cleaned on a grill
over solution A, and spray it thoroughly with solution A
to remove all loose grease and soil.
4. Immerse the wheel portion in solution A, and
allow it to soak for 20 minutes.
5. Repeat step 3, and then scrub the tire bead areas
with bristle brushes to remove the rubber deposits. Do
Figure 7-7.--Fuse plugs.
not use wire brushes.
7-6
