Comment

Comment by Theodore Richard Haller on February 26, 2012 at 10:16am

Thanks for the info. What tool did you use to stretch the bungee?

Comment by Stephen R. Smith on February 24, 2012 at 11:15pm

Just replaced mine.  Almost 5 years.  Over 1,100 landings.  1/2 to 3/4 inch sag in the nose.

Comment by Bill McWethy on February 23, 2012 at 6:39pm

Here is an article that discusses this issue.

http://www.vintageaircraft.org/featured/2006%20-%20Vol.%2034,%20No....

 

 

Comment by Dennis Hutchinson on February 23, 2012 at 6:30pm

Ted,

 

If your nose gear bungee is 6 years old, you need to replace it just for safety sake. They have a service life of about 4 years, and being located just behind a heat generating engine in an enclosed space helps to accelerate the deterioration process. Pull your cowl off and take a good close look with a flashlight and mirror. Pay especially close attention to the points where the bungee wraps around the gear leg and the cross member. Chances are pretty good that you will find some fraying of the outer cover at these points. The shock rings (1080HD) as Aircraft Spruce calls them, are available for around $25-$30. Replacement will take a couple hours, since the gear leg must be removed from the lower support assembly to remove the old bungee and install the new one. It is not a particularly difficult job, but some of the bolts may have somewhat limited access. I believe if you go to Bob MacDonald's page, you can find some good info and photos of how to accomplish the task. Bob has a 601HD, but the nose gear assembly is basically the same as the XLB.

 

May you continue to fly safe and happy,

Dennis