Squeak

I have an RV 6 with about 900 hours which operates primarily off a grass strip. Over the years It has had several cracked motor mounts where the gear legs attach so three years ago I installed the Vans supplied gussets. No problem since then. This spring, on my first flight of the year, my neighbors on my strip reported a very loud squeak coming from the plane while taxiing. I had done nothing to the plane over the winter that might cause it. Rocking the wings on the ground could not produce the squeak so today I took all the various gear fairings off and taxied it around. Squeak still there. From inside the cockpit it sounds like it is coming from the landing gear but nobody here has a clue what is causing it. Has anyone else encountered this problem? Thank you.

Alan Wright Kalamazoo, Mi. 269 929-6006

Just throwing this thought out there; does it still squeak when you press on the brakes? Left, right, individual, together?

I've seen this, caused by movement of the gear legs in the gear sockets. Try tightening the retainer bolt and if that doesn't work you need to pull the legs and check for bolt wear. R&R the leg and lubing the leg/socket may also fix it.

Another simple way to check for play between the gear leg, socket, and retainer bolt is to jack the plane up at the wing jack/tie down point. Grab the tire/gear leg, and try to move it to see if there is any play. This is a suggestion that Ken Kreuger gave me.

Walt said:

I've seen this, caused by movement of the gear legs in the gear sockets. Try tightening the retainer bolt and if that doesn't work you need to pull the legs and check for bolt wear. R&R the leg and lubing the leg/socket may also fix it.

Click to expand...

"R&R the leg"???

"R&R" = "Remove and Replace"

ie. take it out and put it back in.

Infidel said:

Just throwing this thought out there; does it still squeak when you press on the brakes? Left, right, individual, together?

Click to expand...

I have a similar issue on my 6A since new, but it is closer to rattling then squeaking. Try lightly applying both brakes while taxing. If the noise stops, its the brakes. I imagine a squeak could devlop here if your o-ring and bores are coated with gunk and/or have old, failing o-rings. This could prevent the calipar piston from retracting. This causes constant, light contact between the pad and rotor and will squeal. Brake application makes firm contact and the squeal stops.

Larry

If the gear legs or tailwheel spring are dry (no grease during assembly) the gear at the bottom end of the mount can squeak . If so, R&R the gear and lube it up and keep the the bolt tight. Check the bolt every time you have the cowing off. Many of them out there are loose. Larry

The mains on my 6A squeaked exactly as you described, when taxiing on grass. This was with only a couple hundred hours. When Van's say to use heavy grease, and lots of it, they mean it. I removed the gear legs and found an area that was dry and fretting. I took a stone to that part, use a lot of grease and reassembled. Problem gone. If the fretting had continued, I'd not have been able to remove the leg (it was difficult as it was).

I know most don't do it, but I think the gear legs should be removed and inspected every few years, which I've done.