Van's Air Force
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nose gear leg collar above fork anyone ever see this
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Looks like what might happen if the nosewheel smacks over to the side when rolling backward. Are the holes in the collar worn/elongated? How about the hole in the gear leg.
It's hard to tell from the photo, but it doesn't look like there's any polishing or wear where the stop hits the collar, like you'd expect with chronic nosewheel shimmy.
It's hard to tell from the photo, but it doesn't look like there's any polishing or wear where the stop hits the collar, like you'd expect with chronic nosewheel shimmy.
Jamie
Well Known Member
Yep. Sure is. Good catch.
Thanks a lot guys..... I'll take a closser look.
No shimmy, but the last time I landed, after buttoning her up from my annual, there was significant headwind and gusting... 35kts + 15-20. Touched down, held the stick to my belly as usual, but when the nose wheel touched down (at low groundspeed) there was a noticeable jerk of the nose wheel.
No shimmy, but the last time I landed, after buttoning her up from my annual, there was significant headwind and gusting... 35kts + 15-20. Touched down, held the stick to my belly as usual, but when the nose wheel touched down (at low groundspeed) there was a noticeable jerk of the nose wheel.
woodmanrog
Well Known Member
Order a new part from Van's and put it on in the correct direction. This would be a good time to clean everything and readadjust the torque on the Bellville springs. I'll try to post a picture of the work I just did on my plane sometime this week.
Richard@Langair
Well Known Member
Lots of times
I have seen that numerous times on legs people return for updating for the service bulletin or to get replaced for whatever reason.
I have also seen lots and lots of people install them backward like what you have.
For a while I was even confused as to what was correct since there were so many installed backward.
Could be related since it would really reduce the amount of travel available for the nose wheel swivel.
I have seen that numerous times on legs people return for updating for the service bulletin or to get replaced for whatever reason.
I have also seen lots and lots of people install them backward like what you have.
For a while I was even confused as to what was correct since there were so many installed backward.
Could be related since it would really reduce the amount of travel available for the nose wheel swivel.
so... in this position, someone pushing the plane backwards without a tow-bar and the castoring (castrating) wheel could've hit its limit earlier and caused this deflection.... i'm thinking...
i'm probably guilty when converting to the more recent designed fork and having the nose gear leg modified for the newer fork.
(but i swear that's the way it was when i took it off)
i'm probably guilty when converting to the more recent designed fork and having the nose gear leg modified for the newer fork.
(but i swear that's the way it was when i took it off)
Bear Creek Skunkworks
Active Member
WD 631-PC
I have got a spare brand new one if you are interested. $20.I can mail it out next week when I get back from Sun and Fun.
Terry
I have got a spare brand new one if you are interested. $20.I can mail it out next week when I get back from Sun and Fun.
Terry
When you first made your post but the photos were not working, I guessed what you were likely talking about without even seeing it.
I expected to see the bracket on backwards and all bent up (and sure enough, that is what I saw once you got the photos working).
I have seen it numerous times, and I am quite certain the damage is caused by a nose wheel shimmy event (whether you felt it or not).
I expected to see the bracket on backwards and all bent up (and sure enough, that is what I saw once you got the photos working).
I have seen it numerous times, and I am quite certain the damage is caused by a nose wheel shimmy event (whether you felt it or not).
Omega232Devils
Well Known Member
Too much angle?
I came upon this thread during another search. Looking at the original post Scott pointed out the weldament was on backwards, it took me awhile to figure out what that meant as the picture looked just like mine. (Bought my 6A already flying)
I went to the hangar tonight to continue the installation of "The Nose Job" from Allan at PerfTech and pulled the front nose wheel fairing cover and sure enough:
So I decided to flip it around the correct direction:
My question is: Is this too much freedom in the nose gear? The amount of side to side travel available now is eye opening. I am concerned it is too much. My 6A was completed in 1999, could this be an older weldament? Or is this standard 'throw' for a nose gear?
I did not measure it yet, but it has to be close to 50-60degrees of travel each way!
Many thanks,
Dan
I came upon this thread during another search. Looking at the original post Scott pointed out the weldament was on backwards, it took me awhile to figure out what that meant as the picture looked just like mine. (Bought my 6A already flying)
I went to the hangar tonight to continue the installation of "The Nose Job" from Allan at PerfTech and pulled the front nose wheel fairing cover and sure enough:
So I decided to flip it around the correct direction:
My question is: Is this too much freedom in the nose gear? The amount of side to side travel available now is eye opening. I am concerned it is too much. My 6A was completed in 1999, could this be an older weldament? Or is this standard 'throw' for a nose gear?
I did not measure it yet, but it has to be close to 50-60degrees of travel each way!
Many thanks,
Dan
Omega232Devils
Well Known Member
Thanks
Thanks Gasman,
Was really suspicious of this amount of movement. I understand it preventing the wheel from from going 90 degrees or more, but I am just curious why this much travel is needed. If I were guessing, the difference is an additional 30-40 degrees of travel each direction. (I wish I had measured the angles).
I know this is the right setup now, as I have seen the plans posted on here by VLAD, but I just can't wrap my head around why this much travel is needed.
Can anyone explain to set my mind at ease?
Dan
Thanks Gasman,
Was really suspicious of this amount of movement. I understand it preventing the wheel from from going 90 degrees or more, but I am just curious why this much travel is needed. If I were guessing, the difference is an additional 30-40 degrees of travel each direction. (I wish I had measured the angles).
I know this is the right setup now, as I have seen the plans posted on here by VLAD, but I just can't wrap my head around why this much travel is needed.
Can anyone explain to set my mind at ease?
Dan
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The 6A will turn around one main locked if done with caution. It's really not needed as yours was restricted and you didn't have any problems. And you could fly without it and maybe never notice the difference. But if it goes beyond 90* during a turn, you might not be able to get it to come back with differential breaking.
Omega232Devils
Well Known Member
ok
Ok, I get what you are saying, but this further adds to my question of why do I need this much travel? If the wheel works just fine in all aspects of flight and during ground handling (prop driven and tow bar driven) with the degrees of movement limited by the weldament installed backwards, why would anyone want it on correctly giving them the opportunity to lock the nose wheel and have to shut down in order to straighten the wheel?
Maybe this will all be a side note when I fly today, but just can't grasp why this much movement is needed.
If there was a bad, side to side shimmy, I see the nose gear:
1) with weldament on backwards, possibly causing damage like in the first post here, but limiting the amount of side to side movement.
2) with weldament install correctly, the side to side shimmy could be so violent that it rotates greater than 60 degrees and begins to produce forces on the gear leg. (and we all know how that works out)
Again, I am just trying to wrap my head around this. Not promoting anyone reverse the weldament or doubting the design, just looking for clarification.
Dan
Ok, I get what you are saying, but this further adds to my question of why do I need this much travel? If the wheel works just fine in all aspects of flight and during ground handling (prop driven and tow bar driven) with the degrees of movement limited by the weldament installed backwards, why would anyone want it on correctly giving them the opportunity to lock the nose wheel and have to shut down in order to straighten the wheel?
Maybe this will all be a side note when I fly today, but just can't grasp why this much movement is needed.
If there was a bad, side to side shimmy, I see the nose gear:
1) with weldament on backwards, possibly causing damage like in the first post here, but limiting the amount of side to side movement.
2) with weldament install correctly, the side to side shimmy could be so violent that it rotates greater than 60 degrees and begins to produce forces on the gear leg. (and we all know how that works out)
Again, I am just trying to wrap my head around this. Not promoting anyone reverse the weldament or doubting the design, just looking for clarification.
Dan
One day you fly into a small private strip somewhere and you have to make a tight turn on a narrow runway or taxiway - you won't be able to pivot on one main without the extra nosewheel rotation. At my homestrip, the runway is 30' wide with a taxiway at only one end - half of my runway operations involve a pivot turn.
Look at it this way - the majority of fleet (or at least HALF, even if the instructions were ignored and you left it up to chance) has the weldment on correctly, allowing full movement as intended by the designer. That quantity of aircraft operate a large number of hours, and we don't see them snapping nose gear due to wheel shimmy on a regular basis. Do you believe that your aircraft is more susceptible to catastrophic nose shimmy than the majority of the fleet?
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Omega232Devils
Well Known Member
Misunderstood???
Thanks Greg, Again, let me say I am not arguing the design or saying it is wrong in any aspects. I had no problem turning my plane around one of the mains with the weldament on backwards. In fact, what I am saying is that I didn't have any issues with the plane in this configuration.
So imagine you installed your weldament on backwards and were used to seeing approx. 50 degrees of travel (25deg each side) and then turning around the weldament to install it correctly and seeing approx 120 (60deg each side) of travel. The visual difference in movement is eye opening.
So although I know the majority of RVs have it installed correctly and this is the right way to install it. (I have corrected my setup to match plans)
My original goal was to make sure I didn't have too much movement with the weldament installed correctly. (i.e. asking if the weldament design was changed or enlarged, after 1999 when my plane was finished) It was not, the weldament is the same then as it is today! (Thanks)
Dan
Thanks Greg, Again, let me say I am not arguing the design or saying it is wrong in any aspects. I had no problem turning my plane around one of the mains with the weldament on backwards. In fact, what I am saying is that I didn't have any issues with the plane in this configuration.
So imagine you installed your weldament on backwards and were used to seeing approx. 50 degrees of travel (25deg each side) and then turning around the weldament to install it correctly and seeing approx 120 (60deg each side) of travel. The visual difference in movement is eye opening.
So although I know the majority of RVs have it installed correctly and this is the right way to install it. (I have corrected my setup to match plans)
My original goal was to make sure I didn't have too much movement with the weldament installed correctly. (i.e. asking if the weldament design was changed or enlarged, after 1999 when my plane was finished) It was not, the weldament is the same then as it is today! (Thanks)
Dan
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Think of it this way. If you pull a tight turn, do you want that cap screw and steel tab taking all the load? No, its not designed for that. If you do a locked brake spin, you still need freeplay in the nose around that wheel angle. The stop has to be beyond that. BTW, I pull a cap screw and spin the wheel around if I have to tow backwards on grass.
Omega232Devils
Well Known Member
Good point. I don't think any unnecessary load is good. But this is at relatively low speeds, so not sure how much force there is. Now if it hit the cap screws during a bad landing shimmy, there would be considerably more force there and damage expected (see post #1).
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