Nosewheel shimmy

[SNX1454]

I am having nosewheel shimmy problems. Anyone else having these difficulties and any solutions?

[MichaelFarley56]

Wheel shimmy can be caused by any slop in gear system, loose bearings in wheel, an unbalanced wheel assembly, a wheel that's not bolted together straight, etc.

If you're able, try to jack up the airplane so the wheels are off the ground. If it's the nosewheel, you can probably tie down the tail skid with enough weight to raise the nosewheel off the ground as another option.

Once you do, it's time to start checking things over. Try to spin the wheel; does it rotate smoothly? When the wheel is spinning, do the treads or wheel wobble at all? Try to wiggle the wheel assembly around the axle to see if the bearings are loose.

Finally, check out the landing gear leg. Is there any slop in the gear leg? How about when you try and turn the gear? Chances are, you may find some slop in there somewhere.

If nothing else works, it may be time to take the wheel off, get it balanced, and then try some different tire pressures. Good luck and let us know what you find!