The castoring of my nosegear has become a bit sticky - doesn't castor smoothly. This makes steering a bit awkward. Is this likely a matter of lubrication? Should I just squirt some LPS around where the fork pivots on the gearleg? Or should the fork come off for cleaning the pivot area?
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nosegear castoring is 'sticky'
- Thread starter prkaye
- Start date
just went through that with the tail wheel swivel on my T18...
It was a beee--yatch to turn right the past few (OK 8) years and I thought it was a weak brake on the starboard side.
Turned out to be old grease in the tail-wheel swivel and it took a stupid amount of force to get it to break out to the right...
ten minutes of work, some cleaning and new grease in the assembly and its turning right like a pro...
Its worth the time and effort..
and NO I hadn't cleaned the swivel in all those years...I now know better
It was a beee--yatch to turn right the past few (OK 8) years and I thought it was a weak brake on the starboard side.
Turned out to be old grease in the tail-wheel swivel and it took a stupid amount of force to get it to break out to the right...
ten minutes of work, some cleaning and new grease in the assembly and its turning right like a pro...
Its worth the time and effort..
and NO I hadn't cleaned the swivel in all those years...I now know better
The nose fork on A models is something that requires regular maint (the reason there is a grease zerk ya suppose 
)
I recommend it be disassembled, cleaned, and re-greased at each condition inspection, and then shot with some grease through the zerk a couple of other times through the year. We use water proof boat trailer bearing grease (blue) which seems to work well for the nose fork as well as on tail wheel assemblies.
)I recommend it be disassembled, cleaned, and re-greased at each condition inspection, and then shot with some grease through the zerk a couple of other times through the year. We use water proof boat trailer bearing grease (blue) which seems to work well for the nose fork as well as on tail wheel assemblies.
The nose fork on A models is something that requires regular maint (the reason there is a grease zerk ya suppose
I recommend it be disassembled, cleaned, and re-greased at each condition inspection, and then shot with some grease through the zerk a couple of other times through the year. We use water proof boat trailer bearing grease (blue) which seems to work well for the nose fork as well as on tail wheel assemblies.
I have used this grease (sta-lube blue boat trailer bearing grease from Napa autoparts) for over 30 years in all of my airplane wheel bearings with great success. When you touch it you will understand.
+1 on dissasemble, clean, check wheel bearing/bolts/flange (replace if SB) and reassemble, regrease and torque according to spec.
The nose fork on A models is something that requires regular maint (the reason there is a grease zerk ya suppose
I recommend it be disassembled, cleaned, and re-greased at each condition inspection, and then shot with some grease through the zerk a couple of other times through the year. We use water proof boat trailer bearing grease (blue) which seems to work well for the nose fork as well as on tail wheel assemblies.
