Death wobble, or bad wheel balance?

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RanchWelder

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My weights were pulled off my tires more than 50 times, when I was taking flight training and FAA safety courses.

If I drove 2 -1/2 hours to an airfield safety event, with bad tire wobble and did not cancel the trip, I would have been considered un-safe to fly. The GooberMint dudes stalking me did not want me to pass my safety test. "They" hacked my iPhone more than 100 times just before leaving for light training, to prove it was never safe to use during flight, by ruining the GPS driving services in the Tom Tom Apple iPhone app.


You learn to recognize the wiggle in your seat and after a while you can feel which tire weights have been messed with. It's good training and aggravating at the same time.
The instructor's call it "Hurry Up and Get There Syndrome".
When you refuse to stop the trip, even though you know you should.

If your pre-flight does not include verifying tire weights and pressures, EVERY trip, zero exceptions; you FAIL.

It's only paranoid if somebody is NOT out to get you.
 
Last edited:
Grit dog

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RanchWelder said:
My weights were pulled off my tires more than 50 times, when I was taking flight training and FAA safety courses.

If I drove 2 -1/2 hours to an airfield safety event, with bad tire wobble and did not cancel the trip, I would have been considered un-safe to fly. The GooberMint dudes stalking me did not want me to pass my safety test. "They" hacked my iPhone more than 100 times just before leaving for light training, to prove it was never safe to use during flight, by ruining the GPS driving services in the Tom Tom Apple iPhone app.

If you leave LAX with 25 psi in your small aircraft tires, (which MUST be within 2% of the flight manual data requirements IN THE BOOK, not on the tire), when you land at Denver, a mile above sea level, you have 5 psi and you'll ditch on landing and quite possibly kill yourself.

Stick and spin. Good way to lose your license or insurance.

You learn to recognize the wiggle in your seat and after a while you can feel which tire weights have been messed with. It's good training and aggravating at the same time.
The instructor's call it "Hurry Up and Get There Syndrome".
When you refuse to stop the trip, even though you know you should.

If your pre-flight does not include verifying tire weights and pressures, EVERY trip, zero exceptions; you FAIL.

It's only paranoid if somebody is NOT out to get you.
Click to expand...
Nah, actually you’d have more pressure in the tires at higher altitude when you landed your imaginary airplane. Sorry bud. and new tires aren’t harder to balance than used tires. Not sure how else to say it.
 
Grit dog

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Grit dog said:
Nah, actually you’d have more pressure in the tires at higher altitude when you landed your imaginary airplane. Sorry bud. and new tires aren’t harder to balance than used tires. Not sure how else to say it.
Click to expand...
PS. The difference in pressure vs altitude is about 3psi/1000vf. So your 25 psi in LA would be like 29psi.
 
RanchWelder

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OK, I corrected that mistake. Had it bass ackwards.

The weights getting stolen was no joke.

With less pressure at altitude, the tires would increase in size and I got that mixed up with pressure density, vs pressure at altitude.

Flying out of Denver with tires 5-10% low would land you at LAX with flat tires.

Good thing you corrected me.

Got stuck at thinking about density from the other day and you corrected me, sir.
 
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I'm going to replace the steering box- again. I know everyone loves Borgeson, but I really don't want to spend $600. lol Any other quick ratio just as good? Detroit Axle?
 
Grit dog

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RanchWelder said:
OK, I corrected that mistake. Had it bass ackwards.

The weights getting stolen was no joke.

With less pressure at altitude, the tires would increase in size and I got that mixed up with pressure density, vs pressure at altitude.

Flying out of Denver with tires 5-10% low would land you at LAX with flat tires.

Good thing you corrected me.

Got stuck at thinking about density from the other day and you corrected me, sir.
Click to expand...
More like 20% low and nowhere near flat…
 
RanchWelder

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Yah, but if you're in a cross wind and hit hard on the soft, you pin-wheel and hit the wing tips...
5% pressure variation "At Landing Altitude" is the regulation so you don't get found grossly negligent and insurance cover's the crash. Unless there's missing tire weights and/or a bullet hole in your light aircraft rubber. Pin hole is all it takes, at altitude, right?

It's way easier to fail an investigation, than pass one.
It's nearly always pilot error... except for the 2% time it's not.

Poor odds, in any test.
 
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Dano500

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@Grit dog any experience with other steering boxes like Detroit Axle?
 
Grit dog

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Dano500 said:
@Grit dog any experience with other steering boxes like Detroit Axle?
Click to expand...
Knock on wood. The only steering box I’ve replaced in the last 30 ish years was a cheap reman from Napa that I needed in a pinch and got lucky it was a good one.
Have you eliminated the slop to a delay between the input and output of the steering box I presume?
 
GTX63

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Just so happens I was at a truck show last week and talking to a guy who had the same issue. He bought a truck with a worn out steering gearbox. He decides he'll adjust it until the slop goes away. He tightened it as much as he could and that's when he noticed the wobble. He swore it was from the rear as he felt it in the seat. A bad vibration that might start at 35mph or 45 mph or 55 mph or sometimes not at all. He swapped out ujoints, tranny mounts, motor mounts, rebalanced the tires but he always kept thinking that the wobble didn't start until he cranked down on the gearbox. He swapped out another gearbox and boom, the shaking went away.
 
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Dano500

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@Grit dog I've determined no tie rod problems, no drag link problem. Rag joint is tight, but when I grab the steering shaft and move it, the play comes from the box.

@GTX63 Interesting, I did 'adjust' the box a lot, so I wonder if this could be the same scenario.
 
Grit dog

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Dano500 said:
@Grit dog I've determined no tie rod problems, no drag link problem. Rag joint is tight, but when I grab the steering shaft and move it, the play comes from the box.

@GTX63 Interesting, I did 'adjust' the box a lot, so I wonder if this could be the same scenario.
Click to expand...
You “adjusted” the new box?
I wouldn’t tell Vato Zone that when you return it….
 
Grit dog

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Dano500 said:
@Grit dog they gave me another, no questions asked. Hopefully it works.
Click to expand...
Awesome! Notice? At Vato Zone? Not a chance. That’s the place that pride the metal paint can lid off my 5 gallon bucket. All 21 metal tabs.
When there is a pour hole with a plastic plug in the lid! And put the lid back on crooked….
Nah, you could bring them your old one too probably if you painted it. Have 2 new new ones!
 
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