Oleo assembly

[twheel]

I have a question about the seals inside my Oleo struts. I currently have my gear legs and Oleo struts off and I’d like to do some preventative maintenance while I have it all apart. I pulled the Oleo shock out to inspect the seals and I would like to replace them. From looking at the assembly, it looks like in order to change the seals you would have to take the tension off of the spring. Does anyone know if this is the case? I don’t want to start pulling it apart only to find out that the spring is under pressure. For obvious reasons, this is making me nervous. I can’t find anything in the maintenance manual about this. Any advice would be great! Thanks.

Twheel.

[maules.com]

To change the inner O ring you have to dissassemble. There is tension on the spring. Compress in long jaw vice before removing the three bolts. If it has not been done, now is the time to replace the old style square section coil springs for the later improved collapse rate round section type. It will give better resiliance, stop bottoming and shock loading of attach points. Be sure to remount oleos with NAS not AN hardware and torque apropriately, 215 inch/lbs. Your airplane will sit up a little higher at the prop. Check your new springs are matched length.

[YELLOWMAULE]

Hey Jeremy,
Has there ever been a saftey cable arrangment in the event one of the attach point bolts were to break? Perhaps something similar to what Dodge made for the Cubs?

[maules.com]

Never heard of one. Use NAS bolts and the oleo eye will break before the bolt but that is if you collapse the gear and it levers the oleo into an abnormally twisted condition

[twheel]

Thanks Jeremy. I like the cable Idea as well. Mauleguy has some sort of safety cable set up on Bushwacker doesn’t he? I have my gear legs off right now for repair because I found hairline fractures in the gear strut. Quite scary actually. I’m not sure how many more rough landings it would have taken before if failed. I could upload some pictures if anyone wants to see. Some sort of safety cable would be nice!

Yep

[YELLOWMAULE]

Please send the pictures! If you choose not to post 'em, mackclan@mtaonline.net
Thanks,
Kurt

[Hottshot]

You better post them so we don't all make you send a ton of Emails