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How much rudder play is "too much"


Bartman

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Reading the article by Tom Rouch in new issue of the Mooney Flyer he talks about push rod ends. I've seen discussion on the tail bushings, but not the rudder. I feel no movement in the tail when I try to lift so I'm confident the bushings are good. I do have a small amount of slack in the rudder. The plant flies true and I am not concerned. I've seen discussion on tail bushings, but not rudder play. Just wondering.

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Plus 1. I had over 2" inches of rudder play with the nose wheel on the ground as measured from the trailing edge a few years ago when I started experiencing nose wheel shimmy during moderately heavy braking. A rebuilt nose gear steering horn along with the new heim bearings that Dan at LASAR recommended tightened it up to around 3/4" of play. No more shimmy since that time.

Jim

Jim,

Which Heim bearings? At the nose wheel, rudder, or somewhere else?

Thanks!

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  • 2 years later...

On the Mooney I am flying, it was recently discovered that the rudder push rod does not secure during the annual inspection -- as if it has room to move around a little bit more than normal (perhaps left to right). 

Should there be some sort of brace / bracket or tension adjustment?  Sorry that I do not have photos, video, or better explanation --- Once I get more details, I will share, ,but I am concern what it could be.

When I am taxing and flying all seems well.  

Just trying to get some more understanding.

Thanks.

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How are you measuring rudder play? Are you locking down the rudder and measuring how much the peddles move or locking down the peddles and measuring how much the rudder moves? 

What do you think might happen if you have too much play?

I see you mixing steering play with rudder play, which one are you concerned with? They have very little to do with each other.

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The overall play in the rudder does to an extent reflect the play in the steering mechanisms and the rudder pedals. On mine you could turn the nose wheel 2-4 degrees and the rudder would not move. It was pretty bad. Until the nose gear retracts, that is what stops the rudder from moving back and forth without the pedals being actuated.

I did the same thing as bluehighwayflyer a month or so a go and it made a huge impact on the steering squirrelliness on take-off/roll out and was also noticeable in less 'slack' or movement in the rudder. That tiny bit of play in the bushing of the steering horn translates to a fair bit of movement at the tail.

Tremendous improvement on my plane. Until I started preloading both rudder pedals at touchdown, the plane would veer back and forth, scaring the begesus out of my transition instructor. I took him up recently to reinforce that it wasn't me...Straight, stable and smooth now.

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So in reality there three mechanisms at work here. The peddle assembly, the steering and the rudder. 

The steering and the rudder have separate links from the peddle torque tube. 

You are correct the steering horn is a very clever mechanism. The way it decouples from the peddles in the retracted position is very cool. Al Mooney was a very smart guy.

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