Birthday Present

DonFromTX · #1 10-05-2017, 05:12 PM

Just what I wanted - a nose fork that I can really abuse!
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RFSchaller · #2 10-05-2017, 08:18 PM

Man that?s a lot more robust than the one I have!

Fearless · #3 10-06-2017, 04:54 AM

People are deciding to upgrade due to others experiencing failures on the stock one. Someone in my EAA Chapter had one fail turning off a runway. Probably replace the one on the 12 we are building.

JBPILOT · #4 10-06-2017, 05:51 AM

1,130 hours. Try not to bounce it. I don't see even a tiny crack, so will just check it.

mcems · #5 10-06-2017, 07:21 AM

Mine is the same as John. 850 hours all on grass farm strip. No evidence of any problem.

However after seeing some of the failures ,I decided to up grade to the new one just for the extra strength . Some said the new one was ugly. I think it looks good. Very well built.

Brad Stiefvater
Salem SD

DonFromTX · #6 10-06-2017, 07:42 AM

The Viking puts a little more weight on that part than normal, and as a very rusty pilot I figure I can abuse it more than the normal guy. The price to pay for failure (maybe prop, nose gear, wheel pant, and speed reduction unit) makes it become sort of an insurance policy.

rgmwa · #7 10-09-2017, 05:28 AM

Decided to replace mine also even though the existing one looks fine. Not sure whether it's an expensive precaution at $511 AUD

shipped (and I forgot the fairing conversion kit, so there goes another order) or cheap insurance, but it's definitely solid and the welding is artwork. If the rest of the plane disintegrates around me one day, this part will be able to go straight back to Vans for re-stocking.

Tony_T · #8 10-09-2017, 08:35 AM

...and doing updates.

I should have this completed this week and will post photos of the installed fork and fairing conversion.

Like many others on the forum I decided to install the new fork preemptively. I just finished servicing my nose wheel fork last month and it looks fine.

However, from photos of the failed forks, and a mangled one I have seen first hand, the old design just crumples when it fails. I really think the failures are due to neglect and abuse, but an off runway excursion is always a possibility for any pilot.

I am pretty much a Buschite and am a little ashamed of pulling off and replacing a perfectly good part and probably would not if the fork were not hidden in the wheel fairing. But I'll feel a lot better having this bruiser of a fork in there. Just in case

DaleB · #9 10-09-2017, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony_T

Like many others on the forum I decided to install the new fork preemptively. I just finished servicing my nose wheel fork last month and it looks fine.
...
However, from photos of the failed forks, and a mangled one I have seen first hand, the old design just crumples when it fails. I really think the failures are due to neglect and abuse, but an off runway excursion is always a possibility for any pilot.

I know what you mean... ours looks fine, and we're both good about not abusing the nosewheel, but I do fly into grass strips from time to time, and there's always that Oshkosh taxi experience. Full aft stick all the way, but it's still pretty bumpy. It would be really, really nice to know whether they just suddenly fold up when they fail, or if there's a period of time when a crack is visible. Not knowing that, it seems like pre-emptive replacement might be the way to go.