lift struts, 175 vs 170

[shortfielder]

I am in the process of putting 175 wings on my 17o to gain the extra fuel capacity. I was told the 175 lift strut was a little stronger and a perfect fit. Does anyone know about this?
I also have an extra set of 175 fuel tanks in very good condition, cover skins, and electric fuel quantity gauges if anyone is interested.
Thanks Gary

[bagarre]

No idea on the lift struts but how much do you want for the tanks and skins?

[54170b]

Hey I need those fuel tanks! How much do you want for them?
I have been in contact with you previously about your mod.

[GAHorn]

I am in the process of putting 175 wings on my 17o to gain the extra fuel capacity. I was told the 175 lift strut was a little stronger and a perfect fit. Does anyone know about this?
I also have an extra set of 175 fuel tanks in very good condition, cover skins, and electric fuel quantity gauges if anyone is interested.
Thanks Gary

HOO-BOY! (forgive me, Gary, but this is a good example to use on this subject)....
This is a great example of how things can seem very simple.... and a quick call/email to the Parts/MX guy will probably be a simple answer.... but actually takes up several hours of research to provide what the Member actually wasn't even serious about anyway! Whew!

Here's the answer: I don't know.
Here's why: The IPC (Illustrated Parts Catalog) for the 1956 thru 1962 Cessna 172 and 175 airplanes show TWO DIFFERENT PN's for those airplanes,... for EACH lift-strut, L or R,.... depending NOT on whether it's a 172 or 175...but whether it's an early (pre-mid-year '61) 172 or 175. (C172's were made from 1956, but 175's were made from 1958... but both changed from early to later designs in mid 1961... then the moon changed phases in the middle of all that!)

Looking further into it... the individual item numbers do not demonstrate exactly what the difference might be! (It could be a simple change from the early Hi-shear rivets to the later AN426 rivets.... or it might be some other minor change, such as the fact that actual upper/lower attach fittings have different PN's (and that also might be simply due to a change from casting, to forging, to extrusion.... ...)
...or is it due to some other fitment changeout...??

Then there's the fact that the 170-B uses a completely different PN for it's lift struts.... OH!... (and here's another frustration which might occur when a caller leaves the voice mail)... you didn't say WHICH model 170 you have.... nor did you say WHICH SERIAL you have.... etc etc.

See the problem? Even minor differences in production can make big problems for replacement parts. (While documenting why your airplane has 175 struts might be an even nuttier problem when some curious inspector notices....IF, he notices...IF it's even possible to make note visually of any difference.)

Even if you have all the various IPCs for all the various models... different PNs alone do not imply they are <or> are-not interchangeable...or adaptable to the other. (All the IPCs do follow a similar convention, however: IF parts are indeed interchangeable, then comments in the IPC to the effect "use until supply is exhausted then use PN 1234567" or similar. If they are NOT interchangeable ...then different part nos are used. In this case, MULTIPLE part nos are used....implying your idea about swapping struts isn't something you should pursue.) None of which indicates anything regarding the anecdote you heard that "175 struts are stronger", which I think is probably B.S.
(This is written as I recall a Member who picked up a N.O.S. lift strut lying around in my hangar and installed it on his late B-model without much ado... but it looked good,... I mean, we didn't a have any PN on it at all and have no idea it's history but it was a lift-strut of SOME kind and certainly appeared really really the same as another 170B we saw nearby, and subsequently his airplane has won several awards at convention since.)

Anyway, there also is the issue of what happens when you change out only a SINGLE component ...such as a lift strut...which you think MIGHT be stronger.... Remember, a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link.... and the lift struts are not what usually fails when an in-flight catastrophic failure occurs.

I suggest you not complicate your life any more than necessary and keep your present struts.

[cessna170bdriver]

...I suggest you not complicate your life any more than necessary and keep your present struts.

Dang George, if he has a B-model, you just killed a possible source of the right lift strut I need...

[GAHorn]

...I suggest you not complicate your life any more than necessary and keep your present struts.

Dang George, if he has a B-model, you just killed a possible source of the right lift strut I need...

Two lift struts still in my hangar. I'll see if one of them resembles a rt. B-model. It'll cost you a beer. (that's just for looking! if it fits, it'll be TWO beers.)

[shortfielder]

Thanks George
I now more often than not, the water gets pretty muddy on these deals.
Gary

[cessna170bdriver]

...I suggest you not complicate your life any more than necessary and keep your present struts.

Dang George, if he has a B-model, you just killed a possible source of the right lift strut I need...

Two lift struts still in my hangar. I'll see if one of them resembles a rt. B-model. It'll cost you a beer. (that's just for looking! if it fits, it'll be TWO beers.)

George, if it fits and it's servicable, I'll buy you all the beer you can drink in one sitting without falling off the stool.

[Karl Towle]

I've had occasion to do some research on this particular subject. The aircraft involved were a 1954 C170B, and a 1958 C175. The 170 actually had lift struts from two different aircraft - and as it was visually obvious, replacement was desired. As has been noted, the strut assemblies have different part numbers. However, if you start comparing component part numbers, you discover the difference is in the part numbers for the "Fitting, wing strut upper." The C170 uses p/n 0523607-2 for this component, and the C175 uses 0523614-1. Now, if you search for p/n 0523607-2 on, say Yingling's web site http://www.cessnadirect.com/home.php, you'll discover that p/n 0523607-2 has been replaced by 0523614-1. So, if you were working on your C170B lift strut, and ordered a new upper fitting, the part you received, when installed, would give you the identical same assembly you would have if you had used a C175 strut. I'll leave it to the reader's imagination as to what struts I used.

[n2582d]

IPC revision on 27 Jan. 1995 shows left strut, p/n 0523606-10, has been changed to 0523606-12 and right strut, p/n 0523606-11, has been changed to 0523606-13. The new numbers match those for the '58 through mid -61 C-175. Merry Christmas y'all!

[blueldr]

In my "ignorance" I installed a set of C-175 struts on my '52 B model simply to avoid he humped up hi shear rivets so that I could install a set of Steens strut fairings top and bottom.

[Karl Towle]

Gary's (n2582d) tip checks out. That specific revision page is the only place I could find it. It is curious that two Cessna parts web sites cessnaparts.com and now cessnadirect.com (Yingling) didn't pick up on this p/n supersession. Goes to show that good data is sometimes hard to find. Thanks for that nugget of info!