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Landing gear bolt broke

PostPosted: Fri Mar 03, 2023 9:27 am
by Rofomoto
Just landed at home airport, as I turned off runway bolt broke and gear spins in mount. Easy fix with only wheel pant damage but going to change all gear bolts at each condition inspection.

Re: Landing gear bolt broke

PostPosted: Fri Mar 03, 2023 10:00 am
by GordonTurner
Bummer. Glad you’re ok. Glad you’re at home. How many landings so far, and all pavement or some mix? Sounds like it was upper bolt?

How’s that Corvair treating you? I’ve watched your videos, thanks for sharing those.

Cheers, Gordon

Re: Landing gear bolt broke

PostPosted: Fri Mar 03, 2023 1:36 pm
by Bryan Cotton
Billy, I'd also be interested to know how many hours and landings you have. I'm at 62 hours and maybe a couple hundred landings. I'll have to check my logbook.

Re: Landing gear bolt broke

PostPosted: Fri Mar 03, 2023 1:46 pm
by rbarber
I have ~1200 hours, on the original bolts for mine (Stainless) . No slop or issues. FWIW, my landings are not pretty, as I always practice short steep approaches. So I am wondering what may be the cause?

R.
Robert E. Barber
N157SX, Gen 4 3300, ~1200 hrs

Re: Landing gear bolt broke

PostPosted: Fri Mar 03, 2023 3:38 pm
by daleandee
rbarber wrote:I have ~1200 hours, on the original bolts for mine (Stainless) . No slop or issues. FWIW, my landings are not pretty, as I always practice short steep approaches.


I don't have near your amount of time (~300 hours) and I fly from pavement mostly but have a few grass fields I visit. So far no slop or issues.

I did replace the stainless bolts for cad plated steel per the Sonex bulletin (SNX-SB-006).

Dale
3.0 Corvair, Tailwheel

Re: Landing gear bolt broke

PostPosted: Fri Mar 03, 2023 3:48 pm
by Bryan Cotton
I see no slop yet. I had to teach myself how to fly a Waiex, and then taught my son. I've been pretty pleased with the durability of the airplane.

Re: Landing gear bolt broke

PostPosted: Fri Mar 03, 2023 9:15 pm
by Sonex1243
I installed cad plated steel as well per the SB. I have a little wiggle/slop on the lower end where the gear rod fits into the steel axle mount. Have you guys seen this and if so, what did you end up doing? I am thinking of bonding the two together with something to fill the cavity to stiffen it up but also enable removal if needed.

Re: Landing gear bolt broke

PostPosted: Fri Mar 03, 2023 9:18 pm
by Rofomoto
GordonTurner wrote:Bummer. Glad you’re ok. Glad you’re at home. How many landings so far, and all pavement or some mix? Sounds like it was upper bolt?

How’s that Corvair treating you? I’ve watched your videos, thanks for sharing those.

Cheers, Gordon


85 hours. Mostly hard surface.. 200 or so landings. Don’t forget I did 4 months of high speed taxi test. Lol
Corvair is perfect for this plane.

Re: Landing gear bolt broke

PostPosted: Fri Mar 03, 2023 9:36 pm
by Bryan Cotton
Sonex1243 wrote:I installed cad plated steel as well per the SB. I have a little wiggle/slop on the lower end where the gear rod fits into the steel axle mount. Have you guys seen this and if so, what did you end up doing? I am thinking of bonding the two together with something to fill the cavity to stiffen it up but also enable removal if needed.

My axles and both joints on my tailwheel had slop during the build. I used metlweld to bond them.
https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/ ... ckkey=6039

The ti legs in the motor mount sockets were tight and I didn't bond them.

Edit:
viewtopic.php?f=39&t=578&start=410

Re: Landing gear bolt broke

PostPosted: Fri Mar 03, 2023 11:27 pm
by Skippydiesel
Rofomoto wrote:Just landed at home airport, as I turned off runway bolt broke and gear spins in mount. Easy fix with only wheel pant damage but going to change all gear bolts at each condition inspection.


Hi Bryan - please elaborate what/which bolt (s) is this? Photo/sketch might help.