Learned a tough lesson about torque specs on a Cessna 172 last week

I was changing out a nose wheel tire on a 172 last Tuesday and forgot to double check the torque on the axle nut. Taxi'd it out and the wheel started wobbling after 20 feet, so I had to tow it back and redo the whole thing. Anyone else ever had a simple job turn into a mess because you rushed a torque setting?

3 comments

3 Comments

jake63821d ago

Wow, you actually drove it out 20 feet with a loose wheel? That's terrifying... I had a buddy do the same thing on a Piper Cherokee a few years back, axle nut was 50 ft-lbs too loose and the wheel came clean off during taxi. Lucky it was just a wobble for you, could have been way worse. I always triple check those nose wheel nuts now, especially after watching him chase that wheel across the ramp.

reese12412d ago

I mean the castle nut and cotter pin on a Cherokee is pretty foolproof if you do it right. 30-35 ft-lbs sounds right for that setup, not the 50 jake mentioned. But the real trick is making sure the cotter pin is actually seated tight, not just stuck in there loose. I think a lot of guys overtighten the nut to try and get the hole to line up, which just strips things. Better to back it off a hair and get the pin in clean than to force it.

blair59720d ago

Actually, the Piper Cherokee uses a cotter-pinned castle nut on the axle, not just a torque figure. 50 ft-lbs sounds a bit high for that setup, most of them are torqued around 30-35 ft-lbs before pinning. It's the pin that really keeps the wheel on, not just the torque.