Switched from safety wire to locking clips on cowling fasteners

Honestly, I used to swear by safety wire for all my cowling work. But after spending 45 minutes re-wiring a single panel last month on a Cessna 172, I tried those little Dzus-style locking clips everyone talks about. Took me maybe 10 minutes total and they held just as tight on a test run. Ngl, I was skeptical at first because they look too simple to be reliable. Has anyone else made the switch and found a brand that doesn't loosen up over time?

2 comments

2 Comments

benclark1mo ago

Shane nailed it with that "rite of passage" line, I think I spent more time cussing at tangled wire than actually fixing the panel. Did you have to re-do any of your clips after a few flights or were they good to go?

shane_fisher371mo ago

Honestly, that 45 minute re-wire on a 172 panel feels like a rite of passage we all gotta go through once. Tbh if you find locking clips that loosen up, it’s usually the fastener studs themselves getting worn out, not the clip design.