airshawn58
Member
My foot pedals depress a couple inches before they the cable tightens. It seems excessive. How much rudder cable slack/play is normal?
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Rudder Cable Slack
- Thread starter airshawn58
- Start date
PilotjohnS
Well Known Member
Rudder petal pivots
I would check the rudder pedal’s lower pivot points. Most of us have put in a solid rod across the pedals to act as a pivot, instead of the two bolts. If the pedals are hanging up and causing slack, it might be the pedal pivots are binding.
It could also be the upper position of the torque tubes is too far aft, causing the pedals to hang down.
My plane does not have this problem, so something is different.
I would check the rudder pedal’s lower pivot points. Most of us have put in a solid rod across the pedals to act as a pivot, instead of the two bolts. If the pedals are hanging up and causing slack, it might be the pedal pivots are binding.
It could also be the upper position of the torque tubes is too far aft, causing the pedals to hang down.
My plane does not have this problem, so something is different.
Desert Rat
Well Known Member
As
Others have said, there is supposed to be slack. It’s not a closed loop system like a cessna.
Others have said, there is supposed to be slack. It’s not a closed loop system like a cessna.
Rudder pedal cable slack
I would like to reinforce both Bob Turners and kiwipete's comments. The cable is meant to be slack until you place both feet on the respective rudder pedals.
On my aircraft I have drilled additional holes in both F-719 supports and also the F-6118 bracket. This allows me to move the 2 F-6116 blocks plus the F-6115 block backwards or forward to achieve the desired rudder position. Plus it will make it easier for a new owner if I sold it to adjust it their desired rudder position.
The other adjustment is made with the 4 F-6119 spacers to achieve the final position of the pedals (i.e. manufacture longer or shorter spacers).
The important fundamental is:-
1. When you place your feet on both rudder pedals are you happy with the final position for your leg length.
2. Can you move the rudder pedals so that the rudder touches the stops on both sides without having to excessively stretch your legs.
If you are happy with your answer to both of the above you do not need to make any adjustments.
If you are not happy with one or both answers you need to review your options and decide which action to take to achieve the desired result.
My comment to John S' post is that I think he is referring to the brake pedals which are attached to the rudder pedals which has no impact on the rudder cable.
I hope this helps.
Regards,
I would like to reinforce both Bob Turners and kiwipete's comments. The cable is meant to be slack until you place both feet on the respective rudder pedals.
On my aircraft I have drilled additional holes in both F-719 supports and also the F-6118 bracket. This allows me to move the 2 F-6116 blocks plus the F-6115 block backwards or forward to achieve the desired rudder position. Plus it will make it easier for a new owner if I sold it to adjust it their desired rudder position.
The other adjustment is made with the 4 F-6119 spacers to achieve the final position of the pedals (i.e. manufacture longer or shorter spacers).
The important fundamental is:-
1. When you place your feet on both rudder pedals are you happy with the final position for your leg length.
2. Can you move the rudder pedals so that the rudder touches the stops on both sides without having to excessively stretch your legs.
If you are happy with your answer to both of the above you do not need to make any adjustments.
If you are not happy with one or both answers you need to review your options and decide which action to take to achieve the desired result.
My comment to John S' post is that I think he is referring to the brake pedals which are attached to the rudder pedals which has no impact on the rudder cable.
I hope this helps.
Regards,
[email protected]
Well Known Member
If you didn't or don't have slack, I would be worried as something must be bound up.
I have no clue as to how you would get rid of the slack unless you put some sort of spring on the back side of the pedals.
Enjoy the ride. Fixit
I have no clue as to how you would get rid of the slack unless you put some sort of spring on the back side of the pedals.
Enjoy the ride. Fixit
Those are *brake* pedals, and don't have anything to do with the rudder cables.
The brake pedals have a real impact on the rudder cable....
The rudder cables need to counteract all the pressure that is applied to the brakes. Broken cable or link= no brakes or at the most, brake on the good cable side at full rudder deflection.
That wasn't really what was being asked by the OP, though. But yes, failed parts can have effects on other things...no surprise there.
BTW, it the other way 'round...The rudder cable can have an impact on the brake pedals (if the cable breaks).
Rudder cable
Looking back over some of the posts that have been put up I think we need “airshawn58” from Cleveland Heights to clarify exactly what he meant with his original post in order to remove the confusion.
In the mid 1960’s, when I joined the airline, I began training to be the Australian equivalent of the US A&P. One of the subjects taught and shown was how to adjust the tension on cables utilising turnbuckles and strain gauges, plus the correct way to lockwire the turnbuckles afterwards.
Many years later I obtained my PPL and flew Piper Warrior and Archer aircraft. These all had tensioned rudder cables, plus nose wheel steering, which meant that you couldn’t move the rudder when you performed the walk around inspection. If anything did move (pedals or rudder) while the aircraft was stationary you had a major problem.
After 45 years I retired from the airline and decided to build my 7A which meant that I had to get my head around not having tensioned rudder cables and yes, you can move the rudder when you do the walk around. The pedals are pulled back by moving the rudder so you need to put your feet on them to take up the induced slack in both cables.
With reference to rudder cable failure I comment that, when doing your Annual Inspection, you remove both the F-652 and F-751 Baggage Bulkheads and inspect the full length of both rudder cables for wear (particularly around the SB625-7 Plastic Snap Bushings) and for corrosion plus the attachment hardware at each end. With proper maintenance procedures you should never experience cable failure.
If on downwind, when checking the brakes, the rudder pedal on one side went to full leg stretch we would experience maximus anal pucker factor (i.e. due to broken rudder cable). The reason for this is knowing the subsequent landing, especially in a crosswind, would be particularly spectacular and be shown on the evening news on at least the local TV station.
Looking back over some of the posts that have been put up I think we need “airshawn58” from Cleveland Heights to clarify exactly what he meant with his original post in order to remove the confusion.
In the mid 1960’s, when I joined the airline, I began training to be the Australian equivalent of the US A&P. One of the subjects taught and shown was how to adjust the tension on cables utilising turnbuckles and strain gauges, plus the correct way to lockwire the turnbuckles afterwards.
Many years later I obtained my PPL and flew Piper Warrior and Archer aircraft. These all had tensioned rudder cables, plus nose wheel steering, which meant that you couldn’t move the rudder when you performed the walk around inspection. If anything did move (pedals or rudder) while the aircraft was stationary you had a major problem.
After 45 years I retired from the airline and decided to build my 7A which meant that I had to get my head around not having tensioned rudder cables and yes, you can move the rudder when you do the walk around. The pedals are pulled back by moving the rudder so you need to put your feet on them to take up the induced slack in both cables.
With reference to rudder cable failure I comment that, when doing your Annual Inspection, you remove both the F-652 and F-751 Baggage Bulkheads and inspect the full length of both rudder cables for wear (particularly around the SB625-7 Plastic Snap Bushings) and for corrosion plus the attachment hardware at each end. With proper maintenance procedures you should never experience cable failure.
If on downwind, when checking the brakes, the rudder pedal on one side went to full leg stretch we would experience maximus anal pucker factor (i.e. due to broken rudder cable). The reason for this is knowing the subsequent landing, especially in a crosswind, would be particularly spectacular and be shown on the evening news on at least the local TV station.
