Hey everybody. I hope you were all flying this weekend. I am trying to finish my annual on my Cruisair and we’re having a hard time with the gear swing. I bugged Dan Torrey (copied here) several times over the weekend on this, but I thought one of you may have some personal experience to add.
Anyway, on both wings, the gear retract assist cable gets CRAZY tight as it’s trying to draw the wheel/lower strut assembly up into the upper strut. We’re afraid the cable anchor is going to rip right out of the wing rib. Also, the left tire is hitting the rear spar as it tries to go into the wheel well, indicating the cable hasn’t collapsed the gear enough. The 10” fairlead cables are new and are the correct length. The chrome on both lower struts is original and is fairly pitted. Also, the nutcracker bolts all around have a fair amount of play. I’d say they are near or at the point of replacing and rebushing them. The lower o-rings are almost new. The tires are the correct size and pressure, and we just re-filled with fluid to the proper level.
My thought is that with the chrome pitting on the lower strut and the play in the nutcrackers, the lower strut is binding a bit as it’s being drawn up, and the little cable is being overstressed trying to overcome the fact that the strut movement isn’t nice and smooth and straight. Does this make sense? Should we be looking at any of the internal components of the strut? I can’t make heads or tails of the inner bushings/bearings/packings from the lame Cruisair manual’s diagram. I don’t know what’s in there and what may be a factor in smooth straight movement of the strut. Have any of you dealt with this? I realize we may have to have the main (long) retract assist cables replaced if they end up being overstretched.
I hate the idea of having to pull apart my struts and send them out for rechroming. Should I start by replacing the nutcracker bolts and bushings and see if that makes the movement more smooth and straight?
I have read that rubbing anti-seize over the pitted chrome helps fill in the pits, but that’s only going to temporarily help with leaking. The left side does leak more than the right, which may also indicate sloppy movement of the lower strut.
I also read that NAS bolts are better than AN for the nutcrackers, as they have more of a correct grip length. Anyone know the sizes and length I need?
Thanks in advance for any advice, and thanks again, Dan, for all of your help so far. Happy flying!
Jarod Officer
N86806
Anyway, on both wings, the gear retract assist cable gets CRAZY tight as it’s trying to draw the wheel/lower strut assembly up into the upper strut. We’re afraid the cable anchor is going to rip right out of the wing rib. Also, the left tire is hitting the rear spar as it tries to go into the wheel well, indicating the cable hasn’t collapsed the gear enough. The 10” fairlead cables are new and are the correct length. The chrome on both lower struts is original and is fairly pitted. Also, the nutcracker bolts all around have a fair amount of play. I’d say they are near or at the point of replacing and rebushing them. The lower o-rings are almost new. The tires are the correct size and pressure, and we just re-filled with fluid to the proper level.
My thought is that with the chrome pitting on the lower strut and the play in the nutcrackers, the lower strut is binding a bit as it’s being drawn up, and the little cable is being overstressed trying to overcome the fact that the strut movement isn’t nice and smooth and straight. Does this make sense? Should we be looking at any of the internal components of the strut? I can’t make heads or tails of the inner bushings/bearings/packings from the lame Cruisair manual’s diagram. I don’t know what’s in there and what may be a factor in smooth straight movement of the strut. Have any of you dealt with this? I realize we may have to have the main (long) retract assist cables replaced if they end up being overstretched.
I hate the idea of having to pull apart my struts and send them out for rechroming. Should I start by replacing the nutcracker bolts and bushings and see if that makes the movement more smooth and straight?
I have read that rubbing anti-seize over the pitted chrome helps fill in the pits, but that’s only going to temporarily help with leaking. The left side does leak more than the right, which may also indicate sloppy movement of the lower strut.
I also read that NAS bolts are better than AN for the nutcrackers, as they have more of a correct grip length. Anyone know the sizes and length I need?
Thanks in advance for any advice, and thanks again, Dan, for all of your help so far. Happy flying!
Jarod Officer
N86806