PA-32 fixed gear sticky strut

J

Jps19602002@mac.com

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Oct 24, 2012
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Farmington, CT
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Bruuce
I recently purchased a 1974 fixed gear PA-32. I have been really pleased for the most part but after about 40 hours with me and 2110 TT, I have been experiencing a couple of problems with the gear. First, intermittently, the starboard landing strut will remain in a depressed position about 5 inches lower than normal. This occurs sometimes when I land and make a left exit onto a taxiway or even when I climb onto the wing to enter the plane (yes, I am about 250 lbs). I can get the gear to return to the normal position by lifting up on the wing tip until the gear drops. That's why I don't think it's the gas cylinder pressure. I would expect that the gear would remain down if the gas pressure was too low. When I asked my A&P, he suggested that he would have to take the gear apart to see what's causing it to stick or bind. I would like some advice before going for that expense.

On a related matter, does anyone have advice about what to do with the top cuff of the main gear wheel pants. On the same gear as issue above, the inside joint above where the pants are bolted together has come apart. It appears that the air flow past the pants causes the top to spread open enough to cause the top to open. My first concern is the risk of the pants eventually becoming weakened enough to fail in flight and possibly damage the gear or impede a safe landing. I also worry about the aerodynamic effects that could affect aircraft performance. Could I just create a way to fasten the cuff in the proper position or would that cause other issues? Thoughts?
 
Well, what else do you think you can do about it besides either jacking up the pressure or disassembling to see what's going on? Most likely you can cure the problem by increasing the gas pressure, but typically you have to do that because issues within the cylinder from damaged and/or incorrect seals or contaminated sludgy oil is causing extra drag.

Your mechanic is right and that's really the only thing that there is to be done at this point if you don't want to just bumb the gas pressure and wait for whatever is causing the bind to lead to a complete failure and make the problem obvious.
 
Try jacking the plane up off the ground so that the strut extends all the way out put a ruler on the strut to see if it is bent a bent strut sticks.
 
Yea have them just check the pressure first and if its ok then you are going to need to disassemble it and check. You can try cleaning chrome part of the strut with hydraulic fluid and a clean rag if it looks really dirty. Chances are good you are going to need a rebuild. Post a pic if you can
 
I had this issue on my cherokee when the mechanic rebuilt the strut and put the seals in wrong....after another guy worked on it, it was fine.
 
A sticky strut isn't doing the rest of the airplane any good. It transmits more landing shocks into the airframe.

Probably old, hardened seals in it. Time to take it apart and fix it right.

Dan
 
bartmc said:
you can take a rag and clean the strut with hydraulic fluid.
Click to expand...

Yeah, put on a nice flood coat and bounce the strrut as far as you can. Repeat this process unti when you come up on the bounce or jack stroke you leave behind only clean oil film. That may get you something if the outer seal is gummed up. Probably do better with a paint brush though.
 
Henning said:
Yeah, put on a nice flood coat and bounce the strrut as far as you can. Repeat this process unti when you come up on the bounce or jack stroke you leave behind only clean oil film. That may get you something if the outer seal is gummed up. Probably do better with a paint brush though.
Click to expand...

5606 hydraulic fluid dries to a sticky, gummy film that attracts dust and makes even more trouble. Abrasive stuff gets carried into the thing and wears the wipers and seals, and scores the guide bearings and chromed barrel. Once things are torn up like that, new seals won't fix much. You get to buy expensive new parts.

The wise thing is to open the strut, replace the old seals and wipers, and refill it with new fluid. A properly repaired strut leaves no film of oil on the oleo. The seals, usually just Buna O-rings, do not last forever. They can harden, soften, shrink or swell, depending on what's been added to the fluid or what's been used to wipe the strut barrel, or how old they are.

Dan
 
Land harder :)

I can't remember a cherokee that sat completely even unless loaded to the gunnels. It's a feature, not a bug ;). The right thing to do is to have your A&P service them, replace the seals etc. Doesn't allways fix the issue as the tubes themselves start to wear.
 
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