The 8 Second Ride

[WaynePierce]

I had a new experience at the end of a 4 hour flight last Friday in to KGSO, great big runway and when I touched down, on center line, it started to drift pretty rapidly to the left. I was able to control the plane and regain the center of the runway so all was good. I checked the tire to make sure it was aired up, and for any bald spots from brake dragging and found nothing. I posted on Facebook about this and a number of folks suggested I look up an article by Don Maxwell called; The 8 Second Ride. Evidently it is not working on his new website. Do any of you by chance have a copy of it?

I should also add that my flight back home, ATC kept me high and fast for landing so I pretty much dropped in to KOLV with probably one of my best landings, no abnormal excursions to the edge of the runway. I did try to keep the nose off as long as possible though and made sure my heels were on the floor.

The plane goes in to annual in a couple of weeks and I'm definitely having the geometry checked and have him look for anything obvious to an A&P but not to me.

Thanks, Wayne

Edited September 9, 2021 by WaynePierce

[hammdo]

https://web.archive.org/web/20180718211708/http://donmaxwell.com/publications/

all of the old articles are here...

-Don

[A64Pilot]

I would want to pull the left brake and be sure nothing got stuck, before my next flight, don’t temp fate. It’s my possibly incorrect understand that a Mooney’s gear won’t take a large side load without collapsing.

Usually of course tricycle airplanes ground handle so easily it’s like driving a car, so unless there was a horrendous sudden cross wind I suspect you have something going on

[Will.iam]

Google mooney 8 second ride and ironically mooneyspace comes up in the search. Clarence gives a link to a service bulletin but it was for earlier J models than yours so I don’t think it applies. Sorry have not figured out how to link to previous mooneyspace topics yet. 

[Will.iam]

Ha yall beat me to it.  Need to be faster on the send button. 

[WaynePierce]

49 minutes ago, hammdo said:

https://web.archive.org/web/20180718211708/http://donmaxwell.com/publications/

all of the old articles are here...

-Don

Thank you Don.

[hammdo]

Anytime!

[David Lloyd]

Yes, thanks Don.  The 8 second ride was a real thing.  Most likely every problem aircraft has had SB M20-202 done by now.  All after 1977 had the proper geometry of the nose gear checked before leaving the factory.  The OP, 1985 J should be in compliance.  Could be something else going on.

The self-steering feature was most prevalent with new disks, weight in the back seat, and landing as you should; keeping as much weight off the nose wheel as possible.  Each of these factors would allow the disks to extend the nose suspension as far as possible, getting the axle in line or in front of the pivot.  The service bulletin calls for a spacer on top of the disks compressing them slightly and increasing castor (or is that camber?).  

My first Mooney back in that era had the problem.  Mooney Service Center in Gastonia replaced parts, told me how much better it was.  It wasn't.  One windy day in Odessa, TX, I almost lost complete control of the airplane at a very low ground speed.  Scary.  A night not long after, I had another episode in Richmond, breaking the control arm from the rudder pedal torque tube at a weld.  A friend told me about the service bulletin.  The MSC scoffed but installed it none the less.  Different airplane!

 

[carusoam]

The eight second ride is all about wear in the nose gear…. Proper gear set-up… and all the things that can alter a nice low speed landing…

Often the cure for the worn hardware is a rebuild of the front nose gear…

Check in with Dan at Lasar to see if he has them waiting on a shelf…

 

PP thoughts only… not a mechanic…

Best regards,

-a-

[Guest]

From the J maintenance manual, same subject as the SB.

Clarence

[carusoam]

Key words….

Plumb bob, and nose gear trunion…

and where the plumb bob should be when the nose gear is set up properly…

Interesting pic Doc posted… looks like the nose gear still has its mini shock absorber attached..?  

Best regards,

-a-