Toobuilder
Well Known Member
With the engine off and the mount looking shabby, I decided a fresh powdercoat would spruce things up. Pulling each gear leg out of the socket provided an unexpected and unwelcome sight. There was some fretting on the leg within a half inch or so of the bottom of each socket, and one leg even had a sharp line cut into the surface through about 180 degrees. This line was sharp enough to catch a fingernail and was directly adjacent to the exit of the socket. The legs are not snug in the sockets and they are wearing with vibration and landing loads. Obviously a major stress riser right at a point of significant applied load - not good!
I was able to blend the damage out of the leg and made sure the socket had no sharp edges. Upon installation I shimmed the leg with a partial wrap of .005 stainless sheet which snugged things back up.
I bring it up because this airplane only has 322 hours total time on it and this is a LOT of wear. This is now a careful inspection item and will probably drive me to pull the legs once a year.
These legs are expensive and dropping the airplane on the belly is even more so.
Just something for the group to think about.
I was able to blend the damage out of the leg and made sure the socket had no sharp edges. Upon installation I shimmed the leg with a partial wrap of .005 stainless sheet which snugged things back up.
I bring it up because this airplane only has 322 hours total time on it and this is a LOT of wear. This is now a careful inspection item and will probably drive me to pull the legs once a year.
These legs are expensive and dropping the airplane on the belly is even more so.
Just something for the group to think about.