One additional comment may be of help. The sissors attachment bolts should be tightened properly. Folks not familiar with Weick's design may not realize the sissors rotate on bushinngs installed in the nose gear castings. As a result, often a mechanic will leave the bolts just a little loose so they can pivot....NOT PROPER !.
The bolts must be tightened properly, holding the sissors against serrated washers placed betweeen the sissors and the bushing in the castings...thus locking the sissors to the bushings in the castings utilizing the bushings as bearing surfaces....If left a little loose, the sissors will wear the bolt and the hole in the sissors, allowing shimmy. Fly Safe, Have Fun Harry Francis ________________________________ From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> To: [email protected]; [email protected] Sent: Wed, March 3, 2010 8:40:16 AM Subject: Re: [ercoupe-tech] Nose wheel steering ball and socket connection Hey Mokied: I do not recall seeing any response to your request, so here goes. First of all, I would check out the entire steering system prior to making any changes. Get someone to help you put the aircraft in a position that will allow you to check all the components i.e. lower the tail (Using weights carefully placed on the horizontal stabilizer or tying it down) until the nose wheel is just about to come off the ground. Then, turning the nose wheel slightly from side to side, check where there is any play. There should be none in the scissors or the steering rod attach point. Try moving the steering collar up and down - there should be no discernable movement (you are allowed two thousands (.002 inches) of up and down movement). Inside the airplane, after removing the cover on the floor, Check for any play in the steering system. Try moving the control wheel back and forth while looking at the steering mechanism. By getting the nose wheel turned all the way to the left, you should be able to see the rod end and possibly any play. It is easier to tell by removing the floor board and feeling the rod end while trying to turn the nose wheel. Though you suspect the rod end, I think that you will find that you may have play in one or more areas i.e. the scissors, the nose steering collar, and/or the steering column itself. When you are checking the steering column, look for play both fore and aft as well as up and down (there should be none). You may find that you need a large screw driver to check for up and down play. Obviously, the scissors is the easiest to get to and repair, while the steering collar and the control column require more disassembly and work to repair. Now to answer your question about replacing the rod end under the steering column. You will need to be able to turn the nose wheel all the way to the left (placing the nose tire on two pieces of aluminum with some grease between the aluminum will work almost as well as getting the weight off the nose wheel). I have found that by removing the control stop (on the top of the control column) and turning the control wheel all the way to the left you can get to the bolt that holds that rod end in place. It is difficult to get the cotter pin out, but once it is out, you can remove the bolt and then by removing the push rod from the steering collar you can pull it completely out of the airplane and change the rod end. Make sure you mark/measure how long the rod is before you remove the end, so you can put it back the same length as you took out. Reversing the process should put it all back together. The steering system has been discussed several times before, so by checking the archives you should be able to learn more about it. Lynn Nelsen In a message dated 2/26/2010 4:15:18 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, mok...@yahoo. com writes: I was wondering if anyone had any experience changing out the ball link (ball and socket) extrusion that attaches to the pushrod that goes to the nose wheel for steering. I am talking about the one inside the cockpit by the yoke control. I have a little bit of shimmy when I land and I think it will help to change that socket out. > > > >------------ --------- --------- ------ > >Yahoo! Groups Links > > > >
