Kitfox Bungee lengths and number of wraps

[C5Engineer 1170]

I am going to order a set of bungees from Highwing LLC. I found a chafe in one of mine the other day and they are going on 3 yrs and 1000 landings. Cheap insurance if you ask me to just replace em. Avid bungees are 90" and have 7 wraps. Just curious what the Kitfox manual has for length and # of wraps. Sounded like Mark would make them any length I wanted but if you don't specify they are for a Kitfox. Is longer with more wraps better? Shorter with 6 wraps? Does it matter? While were on the topic attached is an instruction manual I found a long time back for wrapping them. I've used this technique twice and it works really well.

Bungee installation.doc

[Av8r3400 1179]

I got a set from McBean they were 60" long eye to eye. I think I got 5-6 wraps. They were quite thick material, 5/8" or 3/4", maybe?

[FoxDB 17]

I am going to order a set of bungees from Highwing LLC. I found a chafe in one of mine the other day and they are going on 3 yrs and 1000 landings. Cheap insurance if you ask me to just replace em. Avid bungees are 90" and have 7 wraps. Just curious what the Kitfox manual has for length and # of wraps. Sounded like Mark would make them any length I wanted but if you don't specify they are for a Kitfox. Is longer with more wraps better? Shorter with 6 wraps? Does it matter? While were on the topic attached is an instruction manual I found a long time back for wrapping them. I've used this technique twice and it works really well.

Hey Joey,

What happened with the Airdale Bush Gear? Was it a problem with stiffness and lack of travel? If so have you considered building bungie struts?

Dave

[C5Engineer 1170]

Dave it's a long story. Private message me and I will tell you about it.

[1avidflyer 1983]

Dave it's a long story. Private message me and I will tell you about it.

I just ordered 36' of 3/8" bungee from Aircraft Spruce. Enough for two Avids. It's $1.22 per foot. I've made my own bungees several times before with no problem. Used safty wire to tie the loop at the end of the cable. Take two wraps of wire and pull the wire tight, make a twist or two in the wire to hold things in place, and then make a few more wraps with the wire, pulling it as tight as possible. Then twist the wire half a dozen times to hold it. You only need 16 feet of bungee to do one Avid with the 7 wraps, but I don't put the second loop on till everything is wrapped around the truss. That way you don't have a big loop you are trying to get though a hole that gets smaller with each wrap. Also, if the bungee is an extra foot long, it gives something to hold on to when you make the last wrap and go over the hook and your buddy has to hold the end of the bungee while you tie the loop with the safty wire. One other note, it really helps to mark the bungee with a magic marker where it will cross the top of the truss and the bottom of the gear tube. That way you know you are pulling it tight enough. A little math figuring number of wraps and overall length. Length is 90" or 92" inside loop to inside loop for the Avid if my memory is correct. Take care, Jim Chuk

PS, the Kitfox bungees are only about 5 or 6 feet long

[SuberAvid 617]

I built the latest set of bungees for my Avid+ using the 1/2" bungee material from AC Spruce and made them 100". They seem to be just right for my heavier Avid+ but it is about all two people can do to wrap the 1/2" bungee material.

Like Jim, I used safety wire to tie the end loops and there is a slick little tool from a company called ClampTite that makes the wire tied ends perfect, tight and secure every time. It is worth buying the tool and the bungee material to save a bunch in the long run.

http://www.clamptitetools.com/press.html

[1avidflyer 1983]

I built the latest set of bungees for my Avid+ using the 1/2" bungee material from AC Spruce and made them 100". They seem to be just right for my heavier Avid+ but it is about all two people can do to wrap the 1/2" bungee material.

Like Jim, I used safety wire to tie the end loops and there is a slick little tool from a company called ClampTite that makes the wire tied ends perfect, tight and secure every time. It is worth buying the tool and the bungee material to save a bunch in the long run.

http://www.clamptitetools.com/press.html

This morning, I measured the factory bungees for my Kitfox 4 project, and they are 4'9" inside of loop to inside of loop. Also, I just got my shock cord from ACS for the new bungees from the FedEx truck. In the box with the bungees was a bunch of flat 4130 if I decide to build anything that doesn't need bungees. Take care, Jim Chuk