Paul Eastham
Well Known Member
Hi VAF,
At various times during construction and fiddling with my pushrods, I have noticed that they can get in a state where the heim bearings allow the whole pushrod to fall over from one side of the bearing's rotation to the other.
You know how you can twist a pushrod one way and the other, exercising the bearing? That's what's happening, except it happens on it's own as you move the control surface, every time you move it through a certain position. Usually this is accompanied by a small bang and a vibration in the control stick. It could easily be confused for an obstruction or something rubbing on the pushrod.
Currently this is happening on one of my aileron stick-to-bellcrank pushrods, though I have seen it happen on the aft elevator pushrod as well. Between the condition itself and the fact that it might mask a real problem, should I worry and is there anything I can do to resolve?
Paul
At various times during construction and fiddling with my pushrods, I have noticed that they can get in a state where the heim bearings allow the whole pushrod to fall over from one side of the bearing's rotation to the other.
You know how you can twist a pushrod one way and the other, exercising the bearing? That's what's happening, except it happens on it's own as you move the control surface, every time you move it through a certain position. Usually this is accompanied by a small bang and a vibration in the control stick. It could easily be confused for an obstruction or something rubbing on the pushrod.
Currently this is happening on one of my aileron stick-to-bellcrank pushrods, though I have seen it happen on the aft elevator pushrod as well. Between the condition itself and the fact that it might mask a real problem, should I worry and is there anything I can do to resolve?
Paul