12
Finally got that stubborn Cessna 172 nose gear actuator to retract after three days of fighting with it.
Turns out the manual's torque spec for the actuator mounting bolts was off by about 15 foot-pounds, which was causing just enough binding to lock it up.
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
the_emery1mo agoMost Upvoted
Have to disagree on blaming the manual's torque spec. In my experience, that binding usually comes from a misaligned uplock assembly or worn bushings in the gear leg itself. An extra 15 foot-pounds on the actuator bolts shouldn't cause a full lock-up if everything else is in rig.
4
andrew_miller9027d agoTop Commenter
Oh, absolutely agree with you there. That's a good point about the bind usually being a rigging issue. I've seen it a few times where the uplock assembly is just a hair off, and no amount of torquing the bolts is going to fix that. The manual's spec on the actuator bolts is usually a safe bet unless someone's already bent something trying to force it. A little slop in the gear leg bushings will definitely let things shift just enough to catch, too. It's one of those things where you really have to look at the whole chain of parts, not just the last thing you touched.
4
grantt111mo ago
Oh man, I fought that same bind last month. Ended up being a tiny burr on the actuator shaft no one saw. A little emery cloth and it cycled smooth.
1