Nose gear play

[cruiserflyer]

I have read other threads here about this but I'd still appreciate input on the urgency of action regarding how much play there is in the nose gear. My A&P seems to think it's pretty bad. Edit: just removed access restrictions.

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PlbGSu-92SCLNSjbroHss-wG_-plGW70/view?usp=drivesdk

 

Thank you all!

Edited Sunday at 05:35 PM by cruiserflyer
Removed file access restrictions

[47U]

1 hour ago, cruiserflyer said:

My A&P seems to think it's pretty bad.

You (likely) know your A&P better than any of us here.  Have you been with him  a long time?  Does he have lots of Mooney experience?

Do you have any directional issues on landing rollout?  The collar on top of the donuts may fix that.  There’s a SB on it.  Any other steering issues?

Looking at your video, I don’t think it’s that bad.  When I went through my nose gear last year, it was a LOT worse than yours.  Verify all the hardware is correct.  There’s been changes in the hardware over the years.  Just installing new hardware might satisfy your A&P.

[cruiserflyer]

3 hours ago, 47U said:

You (likely) know your A&P better than any of us here.  Have you been with him  a long time?  Does he have lots of Mooney experience?

Do you have any directional issues on landing rollout?  The collar on top of the donuts may fix that.  There’s a SB on it.  Any other steering issues?

Looking at your video, I don’t think it’s that bad.  When I went through my nose gear last year, it was a LOT worse than yours.  Verify all the hardware is correct.  There’s been changes in the hardware over the years.  Just installing new hardware might satisfy your A&P.

No shimmy, no directional problems. My A&P is very experienced overall, with some Mooney experience but not a lot. We have a great relationship where we do owner assisted annuals and it's a very learning friendly environment, but he's also quite conservative.i can have the discussion about deferring maintenance if I bring some substance. This group helps a lot with that.

[Ragsf15e]

51 minutes ago, cruiserflyer said:

No shimmy, no directional problems. My A&P is very experienced overall, with some Mooney experience but not a lot. We have a great relationship where we do owner assisted annuals and it's a very learning friendly environment, but he's also quite conservative.i can have the discussion about deferring maintenance if I bring some substance. This group helps a lot with that.

When my F was getting loose I noticed it start “hunting” as I taxied and there was a little gap in between touching a pedal and actually getting a response in turning.  Mine was worse than yours too… it only took $100 bucks in parts to tighten it up.  Mine was a heim joint, bolt and bushing.  If it’s on jacks, lay under the nosewheel and slowly turn it back and forth.  Should be obvious where the play is.

[Bartman]

Call LASAR and see if they will rebuild it and install new shock discs. Add a new steering horn and a couple of hemi joints and it will last another 50 years. 

[PT20J]

The Mooney nose gear has numerous wear points that can result in sloppiness. If rigged properly, it will track straight down the runway, but the wear will cause a dead zone in the steering requiring more footwork to taxi straight. This is more a nuisance than an airworthiness issue and usually owners wait until it gets really annoying to fix it. Fixing it involves jacking the plane and moving the nose gear by hand to identify the places where there is slop and then replacing shims, rod ends and bushings as necessary. Don’t expect perfection: I’ve been told by reputable MSC’s that even new airplanes have some slop.

[cliffy]

One needs to check the big vertical pivot bolt also for proper torque, wear and lube.

Should be checked at 100 hrs/annual as per SB. SB has updated torque value also (lower than Maint manual)

 

[PT20J]

13 hours ago, cliffy said:

One needs to check the big vertical pivot bolt also for proper torque, wear and lube.

Should be checked at 100 hrs/annual as per SB. SB has updated torque value also (lower than Maint manual)

 

Good point, but I’ve found that the best way to set the torque is by feel. The nose gear is a bunch of parts welded together and there are tolerance variations between them. Also, the bottom plate bears the weight of the nose and wears. If you get it too tight, the steering is stiff. 

[Fritz1]

on the copilot side of the wheel well there is an idler arm with a bushing that rides on a vertical #10 bolt, stop nut at the bottom of that bolt tends to work itself loose, after trying to tighten it with a new stop nut that worked itself loose again I put in a new bolt and drilled it for a cotter pin and a castellation nut, holding tight now, typically worn Heim joints add some slop, last not least the steering horn can be shimmed, think there are 3 or 4 sizes of shims, Lasar has them. overall your play does not look terrible, not sure if the service manual says what is permissible

[cliffy]

23 hours ago, PT20J said:

Good point, but I’ve found that the best way to set the torque is by feel. The nose gear is a bunch of parts welded together and there are tolerance variations between them. Also, the bottom plate bears the weight of the nose and wears. If you get it too tight, the steering is stiff. 

Agreed but that is why they lowered the torque value

IF one is familiar with how "stiff" a properly torqued bolt is then a hand check is OK. 

Ihav found them with lots of fore and aft play in that pivot bolt also