RV10 main wheel vibration during rollout and looking for cause and fixes

[vinzer]

Hello everyone,

I wanted to ask about something unusual I noticed on my RV10 after landing. During rollout, as the aircraft slows down, both main wheels start to vibrate and shake, almost like a rattling effect. I managed to capture it on video and attached it here.

Has anyone experienced something similar? I would really appreciate any insight into what might be causing it and how to prevent it.

Thank you,
Vlad

 

[dmattmul]

Hello everyone,

I wanted to ask about something unusual I noticed on my RV10 after landing. During rollout, as the aircraft slows down, both main wheels start to vibrate and shake, almost like a rattling effect. I managed to capture it on video and attached it here.

Has anyone experienced something similar? I would really appreciate any insight into what might be causing it and how to prevent it.

Thank you,
Vlad

I find if I don't pull back on the stick to maximum deflection I get a little shimmy. What's your elevator position? Maybe putting more pressure on the mains creates more shimmy? I also have Beringer rims and Michelin tires so maybe that helps?

 

[Majorpayne317641]

I had this with my RV-8A but it would be on Takeoff with just one side doing it randomly, and I think it was an out of round tire. I balanced it and the problem disappeared.

 

[rocketman1988]

My -10 has a shimmy between 32 and 34 knots. I have gear leg stiffeners, Antisplat sealed bearing mod, wheels balanced and tires trued. Still has the shimmy...

 

[JamesClarkIV]

My -10 has a shimmy between 32 and 34 knots. I have gear leg stiffeners, Antisplat sealed bearing mod, wheels balanced and tires trued. Still has the shimmy...

I have a very new RV10 with only 10 flights. I notice shimmy on landing below 40 kts and above 30 kgs but have not narrowed it down further yet. It seems to be exacerbated by brake application. I haven't tried different elevator positions yet. I do not have gear leg stiffeners, yet.

 

[Bill.Peyton]

I had this shimmy for a long time. I tried the leg stiffeners, which really did not help to any great extent. Mine occurred on landing rollout around 25kts. One thing that did help to reduce the shimmy was to balance the tires and to run 50lbs of pressure in the mains. My solution was to use the Desser retread tires, which weigh a bit more than the non retread tires. That has cured 90% of the shimmy. I still have it every so often, but not to any great extent.

 

[rocketman1988]

I had this shimmy for a long time. I tried the leg stiffeners, which really did not help to any great extent. Mine occurred on landing rollout around 25kts. One thing that did help to reduce the shimmy was to balance the tires and to run 50lbs of pressure in the mains. My solution was to use the Desser retread tires, which weigh a bit more than the non retread tires. That has cured 90% of the shimmy. I still have it every so often, but not to any great extent.

I have the desser retreads also, and run 45-50 psi. Same result. Also have new brakes and rotors…

 

[rmarshall234]

That has been a common problem with the RV gear design since the RV3 and you will get lots of different advice on how to solve it. I haven’t kept up with this issue but wasn’t it once considered that the weight and balance and position of the wheel pants was a potential source? (There you go…one more possibility..). Good luck

 

[Bill.Peyton]

I tried balancing the wheel pants by adding weights inside the wheel pants trying to change the resonant frequency. It made no difference

 

[vinzer]

Thank you to everyone who commented. It is good to know this is a known issue, and it looks like mine also happens around 30 to 35 knots. I will dig into it further.


I had always assumed this was a nose wheel shimmy and was focusing in that direction. After watching the video, I realized the nose wheel is behaving normally, so I will now focus on the main wheels.

 

[rocketman1988]

Thank you to everyone who commented. It is good to know this is a known issue, and it looks like mine also happens around 30 to 35 knots. I will dig into it further.


I had always assumed this was a nose wheel shimmy and was focusing in that direction. After watching the video, I realized the nose wheel is behaving normally, so I will now focus on the main wheels.

If you figure it out, please post.

 

[N427EF]

Same here, happens around 35 knots most of the time but not always.
The shimmy seems to correlate to the attitude and weight at the time it occurs and the tire pressure in the nose wheel matters as well.
If I hold off the nose wheel past the 35kts, the shimmy can almost always be avoided.
This made me think about the traction the nose wheel provides and that it either contributes or negates the shimmy issue.
Clearly, dropping the nose early and relaxing the stick will induce the shimmy condition through the 35kt range.
It never occurs on take off because we tend to ease the stick back as we accelerate through 35kts. and with full power there is very little weight left on the nose wheel at this point.
I think the shimmy is induced by the nose wheel but plays out on the mains.
It is not very scientific but nevertheless my experience and food for thought.

 

[howardtlcc]

Check to be sure your tires are not out of round. We had the same issue and I thought it was the nose wheel (having owned three 182's that can have this issue.)

I was landing at a field meeting some friends who witnessed the landing (it wasn't that bad!) and saw it was the main gear. Upon further inspection our tires were way out of round. I assume from sitting in one place while building for two years didn't help plus those Vans tires are cheap.

 

[togaflyer]

Check your break out force of the nose wheel. If it is on the low side of the break out force the nose wheel will oscillate making it feel like it’s the mains shaking.. I ended up drilling a second cotter pin hole because either the nut position would either be to little, or too much resistance. After you check that, play with the tire inflation as mentioned. I’m running 49 on the mains and 38 on the nose and all good.