Jim Ragain Posted August 8, 2021 Report Share Posted August 8, 2021 Last fall I had a new motor mount installed on my 2011 CTLS. After I took delivery of the aircraft from the repair facility I noticed the nosewheel looked canted from left to right (face-on view). I called the repair facility who informed me that “some CT’s are just like that.” Now that I have flown the aircraft for a few months I pulled the nosewheel fairing to look things over completely. The tire was worn very unevenly to the point of needing replacement. My question to the forum is: Is this simply a tire wear issue or are there other safety aspects to this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Baker Posted August 8, 2021 Report Share Posted August 8, 2021 Doesn't look right to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMonkey Posted August 8, 2021 Report Share Posted August 8, 2021 Look at the lowest cross connector attaching to the fork tube on the right side of the picture. It looks bent to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Lee Posted August 8, 2021 Report Share Posted August 8, 2021 Check and make sure the fork is straight. If so then check for a bad bearing or bad aluminum spacer. A hard landing may have tweaked these or even the axle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMonkey Posted August 8, 2021 Report Share Posted August 8, 2021 "some CT's are just like that" excuse is total BS. Was the mount the shop put on new or a salvage piece? If the mount is new, my money is on a bad installation with the mount not straight, or the shop test flew it and borked a landing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runtoeat Posted August 11, 2021 Report Share Posted August 11, 2021 Agree with Andy's observation that the cross tube looks "tweaked". I can''t figure out why the wheel is angled relative to the "U" too? The wheel has to be bent or the axle is bent inside the wheel hub where this doesn't show to allow the wheel to be angled and not parallel to the sides of the "U". The mount doesn't look new but looks like a salvaged damaged engine mount that has been installed. Stand back at the front of the CT and look at the front down tube and "U" yoke relative to the fuselage. This should be totally vertical relative to the fuselage. Does this angle to the left of the fuselage? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMonkey Posted August 11, 2021 Report Share Posted August 11, 2021 26 minutes ago, Runtoeat said: Agree with Andy's observation that the cross tube looks "tweaked". I can''t figure out why the wheel is angled relative to the "U" too? The wheel has to be bent or the axle is bent inside the wheel hub where this doesn't show to allow the wheel to be angled and not parallel to the sides of the "U". The mount doesn't look new but looks like a salvaged damaged engine mount that has been installed. Stand back at the front of the CT and look at the front down tube and "U" yoke relative to the fuselage. This should be totally vertical relative to the fuselage. Does this angle to the left of the fuselage? Agreed. If I had to guess, both the cross tube I mentioned *and* the axle are bent. It looks like this nose gear took a very hard side-loaded touchdown. Again, just guessing...but I think it's a good guess. How does this airplane taxi? Are there any shakes, shimmies, wandering, or rubbing noises? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Ragain Posted August 11, 2021 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2021 I am going to pull the fork and axle this weekend. I will check again for noises during taxi. Surprisingly, It seems to track straight when taxiing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Ragain Posted August 11, 2021 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2021 This photo was taken soon after I received the aircraft back from being repaired. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Ragain Posted August 11, 2021 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2021 This is best straight on view I have prior to install of new motor mount. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMonkey Posted August 11, 2021 Report Share Posted August 11, 2021 That shit is bent as hell. Why did it need a new mount? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMonkey Posted August 11, 2021 Report Share Posted August 11, 2021 1 hour ago, Jim Ragain said: I am going to pull the fork and axle this weekend. I will check again for noises during taxi. Surprisingly, It seems to track straight when taxiing. Not too surprising, they could probably adjust it to track straight, but as noted that tire is wearing terribly unevenly. My nose tire lasted seven years before I changed it (and it still had some useful life left), and always wore evenly. Personally, I would not fly that airplane with the mount like that except to return it to the maintenance facility. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Ragain Posted August 11, 2021 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2021 Andy, I bent the original mount during a very hard landing while flying home from Arizona last Fall. Cracked the firewall. The airplane was trailered to repair facility from Arizona. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMonkey Posted August 11, 2021 Report Share Posted August 11, 2021 52 minutes ago, Jim Ragain said: Andy, I bent the original mount during a very hard landing while flying home from Arizona last Fall. Cracked the firewall. The airplane was trailered to repair facility from Arizona. Got it. Was the fork/wheel/axle assembly damaged on the previous mount? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Ragain Posted August 11, 2021 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2021 I don't know. I tried to document everything photographically, but I did not get a straight on pic of the front of the aircraft. But, if it was damaged at the time of the Arizona landing, it should have been repaired/ replaced along with the rest of the damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
procharger Posted August 13, 2021 Report Share Posted August 13, 2021 Mechanic must be cross eyed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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