This is a no brainer, but some might have
missed the opportunity to see how good the strut is. To check how good your gas
struts are, just use a hard pad (piece of 1X4X4) on your bathroom scale and
compress the strut using your body and read their “strength” on the
scale in pounds.
Jim
From: Lancair Mailing
List [mailto:lml@lancaironline.net] On Behalf
Of Rob Murawski
Sent: Wednesday, November 30, 2011
5:23 AM
To: lml@lancaironline.net
Subject: [LML] Re: LNC2 Nose gear
gas strut
Thanks all!
Since these are only AN3 bolts, I guess the head really isn’t that
big. 1-2 layers of fiberfrax seems to be all they take up and it’s
a fairly small area. I have the holes drilled and everything seems to
line up, so I just need to pot them in and I’m good to go.
I’m at a little bit more than the required 3/8” compression at full
gear extension because I didn’t want to go short, but that
shouldn’t matter.
Also, I checked my
gas strut and it seems like it is still good after about 12 years. I need
to put a significant portion of my body weight into it to get it to compress
and I definitely weigh more than 100 lbs. Unfortunately, as soon as I put
some weight on my ESCO nose gear strut, it dumped oil like a sieve. As
soon as I finish the nose gear attachments, I guess I’ll have to send it
out for service.
And, of course, all
of this needs to be checked again at final assembly.
Thanks,
-Rob
From: Lancair Mailing
List [mailto:lml@lancaironline.net] On Behalf
Of Elliott Rowan
Sent: Tuesday, November 29, 2011
12:23 PM
To: lml@lancaironline.net
Subject: [LML] Re: LNC2 Nose gear
gas strut
There
is plenty of thickness in the fiberfrax to pot the bolts in, and not interfere
with the stainless. I had to relieve the aft two layers on mine. Make sure to
check the pressure on the cylinder before final install. That top bolt is a
real pain to get to. Mine is weak, (it's only twenty years old) and will be
replaced before final assembly. If memory serves, it is a 100 lb cylinder.
From: "Sky2high@aol.com" <Sky2high@aol.com>
To: lml@lancaironline.net
Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011
3:51 PM
Subject: [LML] Re: LNC2 Nose gear
gas strut
Check
the uncompressed thickness of the three layers of fiberfrax (ceramic
fireproofing between the SS and the firewall - it may be thick enough to merely
cut some out where the bolt heads are located. Also, slight
countersinking of the bolt head makes for better potting (more secure).
I'm at
the point where I'm ready to attach my gas strut to the nose gear
strut on my 360. The manual states that the preferred way is to pot the two
bolts into the firewall and cover with 1 BID. This sounds easy enough,
but,
from what I can tell, the firewall won't be flat any more at this area.
These are bolts, so they can't really be countersunk. There is an
alternate
connection method which is to go through the stainless and be on the other
side of the firewall. This doesn't sound as nice as the first method.
Someone else mentioned to me about connecting the gas strut to the top of
the wheel well, but I'm concerned about this changing the angle and force.
It looks like this would physically fit if I shim it with some phenolic.
Does anyone remember what they did to connect their gas strut? Does it
matter if the firewall is no longer flat?
Thanks,
-Rob
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