Retaining wire diameter

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RTK
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Retaining wire diameter

Post by RTK » Mon Jan 15, 2018 10:27 am

I am in the process of installing new boots and seals on my Mule , no surprises so far , but my question is what diameter and type of Retaining Wire do I use ?? I checked the TM's and searched Chuck's boot replacement info for the retaining wire size . Form the pictures it looks heavier than my mechanics wire and a LOT heavier than most common retaining wire . I would like to find some type of galvanized wire , SS is to brittle . Thanks for any help , Bob k


Chuck W.
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Re: Retaining wire diameter

Post by Chuck W. » Mon Jan 15, 2018 5:49 pm

Ace Hardware has a roll of 17ga galvanized wire that works pretty good, remember, don't over-tighten the wire, just tight enough so the boot is hard to turn. Any more and you will either break the wire or cut the boot.

muleman7
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Re: Retaining wire diameter

Post by muleman7 » Tue Jan 16, 2018 7:26 am

Depending on the groove I use Aircraft Safety Wire either 0.032 or 0.041 diameter. The rebar tie wire is easy to twist WO breaking but is generally too large in diameter to fit properly in the groove but can be used if careful.

I twist the wire at 3 o'clock then rotated the boot to set the twist at 12 o'clock getting it out of the way of the boot flexing and check for tightness. I clean the grove with Abrasive Cord then apply Marine Grade Anti-Seize and have excellent results preventing leaks.

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Last edited by muleman7 on Thu Jan 18, 2018 8:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Chuck W.
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Re: Retaining wire diameter

Post by Chuck W. » Tue Jan 16, 2018 8:10 am

A couple of other thoughts; make sure the boot is snug on the knuckle housing WITHOUT the wire first. If you are reusing old boots, they may have become soft and may not conform to the housing again. I have run across a few reproduction boots that don't fit well, either. A pucker in the rubber at the sealing point is very hard to work with. If the boot is snug on the housing and fits well, then you can use whatever sealing compound you like and install the retaining wire.

RTK
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Re: Retaining wire diameter

Post by RTK » Tue Jan 16, 2018 9:57 am

Thank you Chuck and Muleman for the info much appreciated . I was stumped on that . I will also check the McMaster Carr site for wire , they seem to have a lot of wire types . All the best , BTW Chuck , My brother in Waterloo says it is 18 and snowing !!! you guys are colder than us (Buffalo) !!! that has to be a first !!! Bob K


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