Assist strap rings.

How to keep the Cessna 170 flying and airworthy.

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Bruce Fenstermacher
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Assist strap rings.

Post by Bruce Fenstermacher »

The assist strap and it's rings have for some time been one of those parts you would see on aircraft but where difficult to find as spares you could buy. Most difficult, actually impossible to find till now, has been a single hole buckle one could use for each end to make their own.

David Ross showed his solution and the buckle or strap ring he found to make his own.

They are made by a company called Canyon Dancer. The company calls them strap rings. A search for canyon dancer strap rings should find plenty of places to buy these. Their made in the USA and are strong enough to tie your plane down with them. They are not exactly the same in size as the original buckle but they sure look good on the handles David made for his 170.
13B5BB39-8087-4158-91B7-73FBCC01DFF8.jpg
13B5BB39-8087-4158-91B7-73FBCC01DFF8.jpg (11.32 KiB) Viewed 11378 times
http://www.canyondancer.com/strap-ring
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gfeher
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Re: Assist strap rings.

Post by gfeher »

Great find. I just ordered 2 pair. I found them for just under $10 with free shipping for a 2-pack, no.90009.
Gene Feher
Argyle (1C3), NY
'52 170B N2315D s/n 20467 C-145-2
Experimental J3 Cub Copy N7GW O-200
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Bruce Fenstermacher
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Re: Assist strap rings.

Post by Bruce Fenstermacher »

And I'm finding others similar:

http://www.oemcycle.com/Item/product/900253005

https://www.pitposse.com/pit-posse-tie-down-loops.html

A common theme is these are tie down rings for motor cycles and ATVs so you might find them at your motorcylce, ATV and trailer shop.
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gfeher
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Re: Assist strap rings.

Post by gfeher »

I have an original C-170 strap ring that's not connected to a strap. After I receive the rings I just ordered, I'll post a picture of one of them next to my original ring to compare the two.
Gene Feher
Argyle (1C3), NY
'52 170B N2315D s/n 20467 C-145-2
Experimental J3 Cub Copy N7GW O-200
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mit
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Re: Assist strap rings.

Post by mit »

and the straps????
Tim
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Bruce Fenstermacher
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Re: Assist strap rings.

Post by Bruce Fenstermacher »

mit wrote:and the straps????
As is the case many times when you find these, you will have to manufacture a strap. The material to do so is available at higher end auto restoration suppliers. Originals had sash chain (the same stuff that controls your tail wheel), wrapped with upholstery cording and then covered. There was also a decorative metal end folded around the handle to finish it at the rings.

I've seen used materials such as leather used and David used paracord then a kevlar paracord to weave his straps. Here is an example:
maxresdefault.jpg
video how this was made: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYDmFOHR_B0
There are many others weaving videos on Youtube.
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gfeher
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Re: Assist strap rings.

Post by gfeher »

My Canyon Dancer rings arrived and I'm very pleased with them. Here is the promised photo comparing one of them with an original C-170 assist strap ring. The original ring in the photo is from an original well-worn assist strap that I acquired from a '52 C-170B for the purpose of trying to duplicate the strap and rings. (The left corner of the original ring has a chunk missing from it where it broke, but you can still see it's size and shape.) As you can see in the photo, the Canyon Dancer ring is about the same size as the original ring. The ring itself is just a little more round.
Comparison 1
Comparison 1
This next photo shows the similarity better. The bend angles of both rings are the same, so I nested the original ring on top of the Canyon Dancer ring. Not much of a difference.
Comparison 2
Comparison 2
I think these new rings are a great find. The differences from the original rings are minor. By the way, if you run across any original strap rings for sale, I would not recommend buying them. From the ones I have, I can tell you that they are made of very cheap pot metal. I'm not surprised that they fail. You would be better off buying similar stainless rings like the ones identified in this thread.
Gene Feher
Argyle (1C3), NY
'52 170B N2315D s/n 20467 C-145-2
Experimental J3 Cub Copy N7GW O-200
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