Spring and upper piston assembly and lower assembly with bronze split bushing small spring and ring to hold leather boot in place
Hard wood shaped plug that fits into the bottom of the tube with two different tapers
Upper piston assembly (from left to right)
- Dampening bronze piston and CrMo pin
- Aluminum maxim extension stopper
- Bronze shoulder bushing
- Thin leather "O" ring gasket
- Castellated CrMo upper, standard thread direction locking nut
- Bronze upper split bushing (holds assembly to fuselage frame)
Shows the fully extended assembly, with aluminum bushing bottomed out. This would be the flying or jacked up position
My work under way.
Types of spanners for upper nut
To check or fill the unit with hydraulic oil.
- Leave the tail wheel on the ground or blocked under the wheel to make it easier to work on.
- Remember to put some weight on the tail if you lift it very high.
- Cut the small lock wire that keeps the castellated nut from coming loose, use a spanner to remove the nut and slide it to the top. Raise the bronze bushing, if stuck have someone lift the tail up and using a rubber hammer tap down on the rubber tail wheel. Raise the aluminum bushing then fill with oil to about 25 mm from the top and reassemble.
- Don't forget to lock wire with very small diameter wire, too big will interfere with the swivel locking mechanism.
- If you find rust inside take the whole thing out of the aircraft and clean and inspect as I found one that the main tube was rusted through.
Hope this helps.
Charlie