CTsw Mains Alignment?

[TheBeardedPilot]

Hi everyone!  I'm new to this forum as I have recently purchased a CTsw.  I love the plane, but I've noticed that the plane tends to pull to the left on landing.  YES, I'm using right rudder!    This pull tends to create a kind of wobble each time I land as I fight what I think to be a right wheel that is pointing inwards a bit.  The right tire is also wearing down quite quickly, I just replaced it and it was last replaced about a year ago after around 100 hours of flight.   Is there a way to realign the misaligned main, or am I looking at a full strut replacement?  The plane is S-LSA and I know I'll be needing someone qualified to actually perform the work, I'm just trying to get an idea of what I'm looking at.   I can't seem to find anything in the maintenance manual.

Thanks in advance,

-Dave

[Tom Baker]

Yes, there is a way, actually a couple, to align the gear without replacing the gear leg. It does require some machining of parts and the gear itself, or welding. The method without welding will also make a leg replacement at a later date more difficult. Checking the alignment is not difficult. I have a couple wooden blocks, a 6 foot long piece of 1.5" aluminum angle, and a carpenters square. I sit the angle against the front of the tire on the wooden blocks. Take the short side of the square and put it against the outside of the wheel, (you may need a couple spacers), and let the long end lay on the aluminum angle. The long end should be parallel with the angle, or back maybe 1/8" at the end for tow in. 

I will also say that the problems of wearing the right tire seem to be a common one for new CT pilots. As an instructor who has flown with quite a few pilots in a CT the natural tendency is to land with the nose yawed to the left. This will cause both of the symptoms you described.

[Towner]

As far as the wheel wobble, also check the tire balance. Mine were horrible and caused a wobble at higher speed and just after breaking ground. Thanks to Tom, I found out the main tires can easily be balanced on the plane. Made a huge difference.

Seems like most guys with the sw have a problem with the tires wearing on the outside. Mine is worse on the left side

[Roger Lee]

If you have Matco brakes the alignment is easy. If you have the original Marc Engegno brakes then it's an issue.

First just try taxiing and take your feet off the peddles and see it it still pulls left. If it does there is a quick and easy way to make the adjustment to have it taxi straight. It involves the steering head rod ends on top of the front suspension. Just takes about 2-3 minutes. If it isn't the nose wheel when you taxied it then it can be the amount of rudder trim you have in at landing vs what you used during cruise. A lot of rudder tram can bias the landing roll out or taxi.

[TheBeardedPilot]

Thanks, everyone! Tom, I appreciate the method to check, I’ll gather some supplies soon and go try that to see how much it’s off.

It is definitely possible that it’s just me and I’m yawed left, so I’ll give ‘er just a little MORE RIGHT RUDDER next time and see.  Merry Christmas everyone!