Oversized bushing from Southwest Texas Aviation replacement?

[flyingchump]

My nose gear has fore and aft play so its time to replace the bushing.  Also replacing the steering horn and hardware...

After scouring the log books I found that the bushing was replaced in 1998 with an "O/S bushing from Southwest Texas Aviation".  No other info is contained.  No info on 337 forms.  The SWTA website has very little info.  I will try calling next week.

Anyone know if I can remove the Southwest Texas Aviation O/S bushing and replace it with a Lasar O/S bushing?  I emailed Lasar but wont hear back until tomorrow.  Until then I figured I'd polk the Mooney hive-mind.

[RLCarter]

I wonder if it was a LASAR bushing installed by SWTA?

[gsxrpilot]

Call and talk to Laura at SWTA. They might have some of those bushing still around somewhere, but they might not. JD and Laura bought the business from Russell Stalling, or actually his estate after he passed away. There were a lot of STC's owned by the business, but JD and Laura are in the business of maintaining Mooneys rather than creating parts for them. So I'm sure they haven't manufactured any more of those parts since acquiring the business in late 2015. 

Calls to both SWTA and LASAR are probably your best bet.

[flyingchump]

On 1/31/2021 at 1:41 PM, gsxrpilot said:

Call and talk to Laura at SWTA. They might have some of those bushing still around somewhere, but they might not. JD and Laura bought the business from Russell Stalling, or actually his estate after he passed away. There were a lot of STC's owned by the business, but JD and Laura are in the business of maintaining Mooneys rather than creating parts for them. So I'm sure they haven't manufactured any more of those parts since acquiring the business in late 2015. 

Calls to both SWTA and LASAR are probably your best bet.

Thanks. 

I just called SWTA but they couldn't help me much.

I called Lasar and Dan suggested that I order the .010 oversized bushing.  I also ordered a new steering horn with associated hardware and tools. 

Hopefully I won't find any surprises when I take things apart to replace these parts.

[Andy95W]

On 1/31/2021 at 12:33 PM, RLCarter said:

I wonder if it was a LASAR bushing installed by SWTA?

Back in the 90’s, SWTA would sell parts and STCed kits from LASAR as well as their own.  That way you could get the mods you wanted and only have to pay shipping once.  (That’s how I modified my first Mooney from 92-97 when I lived in Texas.)

I’ll bet the oversized bushing was LASAR’s purchased through SWTA.

[flyingchump]

3 hours ago, Andy95W said:

Back in the 90’s, SWTA would sell parts and STCed kits from LASAR as well as their own.  That way you could get the mods you wanted and only have to pay shipping once.  (That’s how I modified my first Mooney from 92-97 when I lived in Texas.)

I’ll bet the oversized bushing was LASAR’s purchased through SWTA.

Funny things is.  The part was installed at a shop in Iowa.  The log book reads that the O/S bushing was bought through SWTA so you might be correct.

[flyingchump]

Reporting back.

I replaced the main bushing in the nose wheel with a 0.010 oversized on from Lasar (blue).  After replacement I noticed there was still some fore/aft play on the trailing link so I ordered 0.005 oversized bushings for that too (red).  The red bushings were replaced in no time flat so I decided to paint the trailing link because air plane maintenance must take at least all day per the universe...

The gear feels super stable now.  My IA will submit new STC/337 paperwork for all instead of trying to fix the old 337 forms from the 90's.  good gear, good paperwork, good feelings!

[carusoam]

Great follow up, chump!

Pics with color coded circles!

Thanks,

-a-