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Nose Wheel Strut

T.O.Craig

Well Known Member
Hi All,
I'm currently working on page 46-07 step 1. This where we compress the "Elastomeric Pucs" on the front strut. This is no easy task. I don't have a motor hung yet which would would probably help. I have lifted the aircraft up with all the weight on the nose wheel and it is not enough weight to compress the pucs enough to place the bolt.

Any help would be appreciated!
 
I had the same problem and even with the engine on it still wouldn't go. Turned out the powder coating was causing the interference, not the "donuts". So check the top of the WD-1016 and see if the WD-1015 will even slide down far enough to align properly.
 
OK, I did it the redneck way. My motor was not mounted so I hung some free weights (about 80 lbs worth) off the engine mount. That wasn't near enough so I tried useing ratcheting cargo straps to "pull" the nose gear and mount into alignment-- very close but still no cigar. So, with the weights and straps still in place, I actually climbed onto the mount (I weigh 185) and that did the trick. Unfortunately, once I was perched on the mount I couldn't reach the bolt hole. So I had to climb down and go get help. I coerced, err, persuaded my teenage daughter to give me hand. I climbed back up on the mount and had her insert the bolt. It worked but it wasn't the most elegant solution.
 
Man-O-Man, I like the "Red Neck" way, could be right up my alley. I have the strap but will have to borrow the weights from some one..I have a partner that is 220 so he may work!! HaHa

There is no powder coat in the way, that was a good thing. Thanks. I will give it a try this weekend
 
You can probably skip the weights and go straight to the strap. I reached a point based upon how I had set the straps up that I couldn't actuate the rachet mechanism enough to get that last 1/8" compression, hence my meatsack weight manevuer. IMO, a little more careful placement of the straps and no weights (me or the free weights) would have been required.
 
I used a Bessey parallel jaw screw clamp to compress mine. IIRC those clamps can exert 1200 lbs. pressure. Worked fine.

Jim Berry
RV-10
 
The sad part is you will do it again at around 100 hours. You will probably need to add on of the washers vans provides for this purpose.
 
Why 100 hours?

I don't get the 100 hour comment.
I have 70 hours on mine. What can I expect at 100?

Thanks
 
I don't get the 100 hour comment.
I have 70 hours on mine. What can I expect at 100?

Thanks

The "shock absorber" donuts can compress with time; it gets hard to remove the
lower cowling because the nose strut is rising with time. The kit has an extra spacer washer to move the nose strut back to where it belongs.
 
You will know when this happens because as you taxi you will here a "rattle" from the front, which would be the slop in the absorbers. At that point you will want to install one of the provided spacers. As I recall it happened around the 100 hour mark.
 
Thanks

Thanks

My engine was hung for about a year before I cut the cowl. Maybe, if I am lucky, it settled during that time and I won't have that problem.
 
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