Correct Ground Stance

wa4jr · Post by **wa4jr** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 1:37 am

I know I have seen the procedure mentioned before, but I can't find it using the search feature. My 170 sits with the left wing low to the point where the ball is half out in the TC. What is the procedure for bringing the aircraft level on the ground via landing gear leg adjustments?

doakes · Post by **doakes** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 1:51 pm

I believe that you need to install shims at the point of gear leg attachment.
I think you install the shims either on top of the gear leg or remove the shims to level the plane. If I am not mistaken the info is in the service manual.
I hope I given good information.
Dave

Post by **GAHorn** » Wed Dec 24, 2003 6:53 pm

Yes, Dave you are on the right track. The "shims" are nothing more than ordinarly AN960 or AN960L flat washers, installed at the inner gear leg attach bolt, beneath the gear-leg inside end.
The specification Cessna used to level the airplane is to measure each wingtip to ground clearance. If within 3 inches of each other, they are correct and within spec. (Pretty generous spec., 'eh?)

lowNslow · Post by **lowNslow** » Wed Dec 24, 2003 7:02 pm

Hmmm, seems as tho you can't use this procedure if you have the Pponk mod installed? Is that correct?

johneeb · Post by **johneeb** » Wed Dec 24, 2003 8:47 pm

KARL,
Here is a copy of a page from the P-Ponk installation instructions, it addresses leveling.

Mary Christmas everyone.

John

mrpibb · Post by **mrpibb** » Fri Dec 26, 2003 2:50 am

Karl,
I was able to get a washer under my gear leg after I had installed my PPonks, It was a little tight, what i did was as I slid the gear leg in, I had put the gear bolt in far enough from the underside to hold the washer in place, once the gear was in position I removed the gear bolt from the bottom and then installed the bolt from the top.

lowNslow · Post by **lowNslow** » Fri Dec 26, 2003 7:25 pm

John, Vic, thanks for the info. I am considering installing this mod soon and will be also changing to the "lady legs", so glad to hear this is still possible.

N73087 · Post by **N73087** » Sat Dec 27, 2003 9:26 pm

can someone explain "PPonks"?

zero.one.victor · Post by **zero.one.victor** » Sat Dec 27, 2003 9:57 pm

N73087 wrote:can someone explain "PPonks"?

Go to the Association home page. Click on links. Click on P Ponk. Click on landing gear. Click on beef-up kit. Then read all about it.
It is a mod to beef up the connection where the gear legs attach to the fuselage. Then,when you severely ground-loop your 170,instead of tearing the gear leg out of the gearbox,you will tear the gearbox out of the fuselage,along with the forward door post.
At least that's the opinion of some. It may or may not be true. By the time things reach that point,there's gonna be severe airframe damage no matter what.
A previous owner put the Ponk mod on my ragwing. Like the 180 gear legs,it isn't something that I would necesarily have done myself,but don't mind it too much either.
I'm trying to decide whether or not to go for the BAS pull handles that have been on my want list for about 5 years now. They're about $180 for the kit nowadays. I about got it rationalized as a late Christmas present for myself.

Eric

Eric

Post by **GAHorn** » Sat Dec 27, 2003 11:29 pm

N73087 wrote:can someone explain "PPonks"?

It's a beef-up kit to reduce the possibility of the airplane being wrecked because the single bolt/nut that holds INBOARD end of the gearleg let go or stripped. That single nut/bolt is under great stress in some ways and the threads can strip and allow the gear leg to fold under the fuselage. The damage is significant.
The P-ponk kit adds a machined forging to the gearbox that prevents the gearleg from complete collapse should that bolt/nut fail and/or prevents the failure by strengthening the gearbox/gearleg attachment. (The bolt no longer strips because it is assisted in holding the gearleg by the forging.)
Yes, if you wreck the airplane hard enough you can damage the airplane even more. Sort of like if you bump into the wall with your spinner you won't need a shoulder harness, but if you smack it at 100 knots the shoulder harness will not help and you'll now have to also replace the entire cabin of the airplane.

The Pponk kit is intended to prevent the simple, or common, badly managed swerving landing from allowing the gearleg to fold under the airplane and wreck the airplane. It is not intended to save the airplane from a terminal-dive groundloop.
Pponk is the STC-holder's name spelled backwards. (Knopp)
http://www.pponk.com/HTML%20PAGES/gldr.html

mrpibb · Post by **mrpibb** » Sun Dec 28, 2003 3:33 pm

You can see a picture of the p ponk I installed in my ragwing when I did the annual, sorry I don't have any pictures of while I was installing it but the camera battery went dead

on the day of installation. Took us four hours for installation of one gear then about 2 hours for the second. Good thing I don't charge myself alot of money.

Pponk pics http://www.sandhillaviation.com/170.html

Chao