KiteJan : Traction Tips : Replace a C-Quad Leading Edge

Replace a C-Quad Leading Edge

As every C-Quad owner will testify: the leading edge spar can (and will) break. And when it does what do you do about it?

Option 1 - Go to a kite shop and get them to fit the spar.
Option 2 - Buy a replacement spar and do it yourself.

It's not difficult to fit yourself so long as you have plenty of space and some idea on how to do it!

Warning: A broken leading edge spar will have produced carbon splinters all the way down the length of the spar - these are very sharp - so be careful when replacing it.

What you need

The damaged kite (obviously)
The replacement spar of suitable length (obviously)
Hacksaw
Sticky tape of some description
Small screwdriver
And a large working area able to accommodate the kite and someway of laying out the new spar (which is very long) out of harms way.

Getting Started

Unpack the kite in a room large enough to accommodate it.
Go along all the bridle knots along the leading edge and loosen then - they are all slip knots so it is always possible to do, but some will be very tight. This is where the small screwdriver help - push the end carefully through the loop knot (where it goes over the leading edge).
Now look at the knot - you should see that one side of the loop goes straight through the knot itself. Try to ease the knot up the bridle line, using the screwdriver as a lever. You only need to loosen a couple of centimetres.
I have tried to use pliers for this, but it does damage the bridle line, so best to go carefully.

Removing the old spar

At one of the ends of the leading edge there will be a (very) small slit in the Dacron - somewhere near the lowest brake bridle line.
Push the spar away from the end so you can pull the spar through the slit. Once you have the end out remove (and keep safe) the small end cap.
Depending on where the break is you can either keep on pulling the spar through, easing the spar through the loosened knots and the vertical spar connectors, or use the hacksaw to cut through the spar where it is visible.
I find a mixture of both works well - cutting the spar somewhere near the middle allows me then to pull it from the middle, rather than having to feed the entire things out from one end.
Take care doing this - this is where you get the carbon splinters in your hands, or trying to cut through the bridle line loops (another good reason for loosening them first!).
You could of course simply cut the entire spar into pieces near the vertical connectors.

Fitting the new spar

The new spar comes coiled up - first job is to uncoil it. Do it very carefully as it has a tendency to spring out suddenly near the end.
Also as it's very long you need to find some what of accommodating it in the room you are working - I use my dinning room for this and pass the spar out through the door into the hallway and into the living room.
Simply feed the new spar through the hole in the end, and make sure that it passes through every bridle loop and vertical spar connector. This stage isn't very hard, just take your time and keep checking that every connector/bridle loop is correctly positioned over the spar.
Now the very hard bit! You have to ensure the spar is a very tight fit before cutting it down to size (new spars are always longer than the actual kite's leading edge). So push the new spar as far as you can then cut the spar (using a hacksaw/sticking tape) to a couple of cm longer than the tip of the kite.
Now it's a case of shoving, pushing, and (dare I say?) swearing. If you are lucky the whole spar should have just enough 'give' to enable you to get the free end back in the hole (which is just a couple of cm above the wingtip). It does take a huge effort!
If for some reason you can't do it cut another cm off the end of the spar and try again. Eventually you will do it.
And that's it! Go and have a drink to recover from this job.