National Aeronca Association Bulletin Board

GUESS THEY ARE BOTH THE SAME AND NO RIGHT OR LEFT. MY RIGHT
SIDE IS RATHER WEAK AND WING IS LOWER THEN THE LEFT ONE.
ANY THOUGHTS ON WHERE TO GET A NEW ONE ? AFRAID TO ASK
WHAT THEY SELL FOR. I THINK THE INSIDES ARE JUST A HEAVY SPRING.
HAVE TO REPLACE BOTH OF THEM AT THE SAME TIME ? LEFT SIDE RETURNS GOOD. ANY COMMENTS WOULD BE VERY WELCOME. THANKS.

May want to move this post to the landing gear section.

However Wag Aero I belive will have the parts you need.

Check out this link.

http://store.wagaero.com/index.php?cPath=37_551

Maybe other sources. I also have a print out of how to repair/rebuild the struts. It came originally from the hangar 9 aeroworks website. But I can not find it there now.

The gear as far as I know is identical for both the Champ and Chief.

Hope this helps.

leeport33 wrote:GUESS THEY ARE BOTH THE SAME AND NO RIGHT OR LEFT. MY RIGHT
SIDE IS RATHER WEAK AND WING IS LOWER THEN THE LEFT ONE.
ANY THOUGHTS ON WHERE TO GET A NEW ONE ? AFRAID TO ASK
WHAT THEY SELL FOR. I THINK THE INSIDES ARE JUST A HEAVY SPRING.
HAVE TO REPLACE BOTH OF THEM AT THE SAME TIME ? LEFT SIDE RETURNS GOOD. ANY COMMENTS WOULD BE VERY WELCOME. THANKS.

First left/right are the same, I guess you have the standard gear and not the no-bounce. If it leans on one side and does not bounce back it is either the spring is broken or no Hyd Fluid or both.

Goto the landing gear section on this site and take a look at:

http://www.hangar9aeroworks.com/Aeronca ... strut.html

PS Did it just happen or has it been this way since you got it?

Mike K

Strangly enough a CFI was showing me some stuff and ran off the
runway and into a ditch. pretty close to a deep one that would have
completed a total on the airplane. we were on the edge at Spgs E. airport.
got it out and I did some checking and cant say for sure if it was low
on the right side to begin with. AI said all that was in there was a heavy
spring and pretty strong. HE did work on this airplane and the annual
and starter install, etc. said the airplane was already low about an inch
on right side. IT moves really easy on the down side and comes back up
pretty slow and easy and not all the way. I didnt know what was on the
insdie of the strut and someone mentioned it could be low on oil and spring broken or both. Acts like it should be replaced at any rate and
dont know the cost for such a thing or where to go other then Wag Aero
was a suggestion. Bill Pancake would of course know is my other thought.
airplane came to a sudden stop and slid into a left turn before the stop.
CFI had just won an aerobatic comp in Texas and I thought he was probably able to fly an Aeronca Chief. Flys a Pitts and works for the
Air Force Academy as an instructor out of Pueblo Colorado. Luck was
with me on this one. Thanks for the information and will bring something
up on this pretty quick. I have never worked on one of these shocks
or struts. Messed with the ones that you pump up with air. This airplane
has had trouble with the right side before and some welding and larger
tubing welded on the inside where you can see it. Logs indicated a porblem there at one time, but rebuild looked good to me. No indication
of anything bent or broken at this point in time. Other side looks OK also.
Guess thats about it. Thanks again for talking to me here.

Lee, I doubt the "scootidge" damaged anything, but it never hurts to take a peak. If it were my bird and had a low strut with a groundloop added into the mix, I would certainly want to pull the oleo for peace of mind.

If nothing else, you can clean and re-grease the oleo's.

nkh

Will try to find a drawing of the strut assembly so I know whats going on
in there. I have a grease fitting on mine. Think Bill Pancake might have a plan of the strut, so will call him and see if he can help me out. Got some pics of the springs, etc from Wag Aero site and prices. Will see how
it goes. Thanks for the information. Always thankful for help of any kind.

The link Mikek referred to above has a a complete schematic of the Oleo strut.

http://www.hangar9aeroworks.com/Aeronca ... strut.html

And the "no-bounce" oleo...
http://www.hangar9aeroworks.com/Aeronca ... rawing.jpg

nkh

Read all of the Hangar 9 stuff and made a copy and headed for the
hangar to make some measurements. Really complete stuff on this
situation and as usual more complicated then I thought it would be.
David Rude's Oleo Repair Service may be something I will avail myself
of, if he is still in business. Can handle the removal of the parts from
the aircraft. Really thank you for your help in this matter as I would
not have been able to handle this without your help.

I had a tube rust-out on an oleo frame. Wag Aero supplied a new one that was very satisfactory. My Chief sits level and handles well even on pavement.

travis gregory
11BC 4022E

Travis,
Thanks for the info and all the rest of the guys that helped me with info
on my problem with the oleo and all, Hangar 9 seems really very complete on the take down and repair situation. Very nice to have all of this expertise at ones finger tips. Thank you all. Would be stuck without
your help