Landing gear suspension biscuits

[Horis]

anyone have an idea of a cost on replacing the landing gear biscuits on a Bravo?

 

[mike_elliott]

@Dmax does

[exM20K]

Parts:  $3300

Labor: 8 hours

October 2024 at a large shop in Chicagoland.  parts included spacer assemblies all around.  

-dan

[Vance Harral]

"Nice time machine you've built there.  You going to go back in time and invest in Apple?  Nvidia?"

"Nah.  Mooney landing gear doughnuts".

[IvanP]

August 2023

11 new Lord discs $2,178

[N201MKTurbo]

2 minutes ago, IvanP said:

August 2023

11 new Lord discs $2,178

So they are twice that now. That was a long time ago….

[1980Mooney]

28 minutes ago, IvanP said:

August 2023

11 new Lord discs $2,178

Is that parts + installed labor and tax or just the cost of Lord discs?  

[IvanP]

That was for parts only, no tax, no labor. This was part of larger project on the plane so I do not know exaclty how much labor was for the shocks alone. I have the Mooney gear tools and if I recall correctly, it took us about 6 hours or so to replace and rig the gear.

[1980Mooney]

1 hour ago, N201MKTurbo said:

So they are twice that now. That was a long time ago….

So no - that is wrong. -  Actually the price is stable 

@IvanP $2,178 in Aug. 2024 was only for shock discs.

@exM20K Oct. 2024 parts price of $3,300 included shock discs and spacer assemblies, which if they came from Mooney, were expensive.

Aircraft Spruce has them ( Lord Landing Gear Shock Disk J-11968-14)  in stock for $178 each.  $178 x 11 = $1,958  (ship free on large orders) 

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/lgpages/lord-m20-mooney.php?clickkey=4860169

[exM20K]

7 minutes ago, 1980Mooney said:

So no - that is wrong. -  Actually the price is stable 

@IvanP $2,178 in Aug. 2024 was only for shock discs.

@exM20K Oct. 2024 parts price of $3,300 included shock discs and spacer assemblies, which if they came from Mooney, were expensive.

Aircraft Spruce has them ( Lord Landing Gear Shock Disk J-11968-14)  in stock for $178 each.  $178 x 11 = $1,958  (ship free on large orders) 

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/lgpages/lord-m20-mooney.php?clickkey=4860169

As I wrote originally, there were also spacers all the way around and other miscellaneous parts.  Yes, the shop may mark up parts from wholesale, and that is ok w/ me within a subjective “reasonableness” range. 

I remember well a rather, um, animated conversation with Joe Frisolone when he was DOM at East Coast Aviation at KBED.  I ordered a new or rebuilt engine from AirPower and expected him to receive it, uncrate it, and install it for the cost of labor. This was before I bought my first business. 20-some years later, I have a keener understanding of the challenges associated with operating a business and strive to be a good customer.

 

-dan

[Schllc]

8 hours ago, exM20K said:

As I wrote originally, there were also spacers all the way around and other miscellaneous parts.  Yes, the shop may mark up parts from wholesale, and that is ok w/ me within a subjective “reasonableness” range. 

I remember well a rather, um, animated conversation with Joe Frisolone when he was DOM at East Coast Aviation at KBED.  I ordered a new or rebuilt engine from AirPower and expected him to receive it, uncrate it, and install it for the cost of labor. This was before I bought my first business. 20-some years later, I have a keener understanding of the challenges associated with operating a business and strive to be a good customer.

 

-dan

I read an interesting little anecdote in a shop the other day…

”every 20 minute job is one broken nut away from a three day nightmare”. 
 

[KSMooniac]

9 hours ago, Schllc said:

I read an interesting little anecdote in a shop the other day…

”every 20 minute job is one broken nut away from a three day nightmare”. 
 

There is a meme of a defeated looking guy sitting in his driveway next to a car on jacks, partially disassembled, with the caption something along the lines of "that look when you're 8 hours into a 30 minute job"

[dkkim73]

11 hours ago, Schllc said:

”every 20 minute job is one broken nut away from a three day nightmare”. 

Hey!!! I resemble that remark. 

[Aerodon]

On 12/22/2024 at 7:19 AM, Horis said:

anyone have an idea of a cost on replacing the landing gear biscuits on a Bravo?

 

Horis, I see you have a 1994 M20M.  I'm curious to how many hours you have on the donuts and if you have any pictures.  Original donuts?, you should be able to read the dates on them somewhere?  Are you changing on calendar time or condition?  And is the nose gear worse than the main gear?

Don

 

 

 

 

[geoffb]

Just did my mains.  Spruce has donuts in stock at $177/ea.  Couldn't find a better price.  So $1,4xx for 8

Did them myself under supervision, first time.  Didn't have 8 hours in the job, soup to nuts including some flailing around.  So an experienced shop, with paperwork shouldn't be more than one man-day.  That included disassembly (with inner gear doors), clean, visual and dye pen inspection of the tower and bolt.

I understand the nose gear is a bigger pain....

Edited December 24, 2024 by geoffb