FMS Cessna 182 strut fix for more springiness

[@emiliyanmartinov]

I did it absolutely the same way and it works great! It acts like a real shock absorber, so there is no single bouncing on the runaway. Thanks!

[@jollyroger2226]

Good info Will ! I plan to hunt down some 'e-clips' at my hobby shop.

[@SteffenRC]

Thanks.. FMS thought the dampening is a good design. I wasn't keen on it..

[@dr2644]

Another way to do this is to simply remove the front wheel and fairing to access the small screw holding the strut to the "axle". You can remove the lower part of the strut without removing (loosing) the c clips. Clean out the gooey silicone strut tube with alcohol or another solvent (including cleaning the spring) Reassemble with a light lube (WD40 or ???) Seems to work great so far. Also suggest to lube all three wheel "bearings" with a small amount of heavier lube like a wheel bearing grease. This will lesson wear on the wheels and reduce the noise.

[@SteffenRC]

Thanks for sharing..

[@matinmorin]

Thanks for sharing and if you should find anything more about the Cessna I'd be very interested to learn. Thanks again happy flying😊

[@SteffenRC]

I've flown the heck out of this plane. Its a solid Cessna model. The wing lights aren't correct, but I'm going to fix that.. Video forthcoming.

[@matinmorin]

@SteffenRC I have to say you've been able to fly that much is really awesome.looking forward to see what you got in mind for them lights.i have a old Cessna I got really cheap a few years ago.still haven't flown it yet.maybe next year after I add a light kit

[@robpat2222]

Thank you so much for all your videos, they really help out an newer pilot like me. I do have a question. I followed this video, and the nose gear worked great, like a real shock absorber. However, a few weeks later I notice it is getting stiff again? My club has a paved runway, so not flying off dirt or grass, just not sure why it is again very stiff. Have you noticed the one you did having "lost" some of that spring-y-ness that this process added?

[@SteffenRC]

Try to clean it again. Mine hasn't had an issue.

[@robpat2222]

@@SteffenRC Yes, I repeated the process. Be on the look out for it, wihtout the springy nose gear a good landing can be bad and bad landing can be REALLY bad. thanks again!

[@RCDave64]

Does the front strut on a 1800mm Ranger disassemble the same way? I'd like to clean mine up and tune with spring weights

[@SteffenRC]

No idea, but I would think many of these struts from other manufacturers work the same. Pop a few pins out of the linkage and the comes apart.. Watchout for those little e clips.. They are a pita....

[@looneytunes47]

They purposedly designed it that way to have a slow rebound dampening to reduce main the nose wheel bouncing on it. its effective IMO

[@SteffenRC]

I like their theory.. but it wouldn't actually compress. You have to place a significant amount of force to make it compress. So, its basically a static nose wheel. At lease the two I have do that..

[@looneytunes47]

@@SteffenRC i can see that heppening

[@Michael-s2p3p]

I have been flying this plane for a while and if you don’t grease the landings just right, the nose wheel plastic nub pops out of the u shaped servo arm. Then you have to unscrew the battery plate, remove it and pop the nub back into the servo arm. I’m going to try this fix and see if I can avoid this constant problem for me. I can see over time that nub or the servo arm weakening and breaking, they’re just white plastic. FMS doesn’t sell replacements for these on their website.

[@taylorbrubacher8707]

@@Michael-s2p3p have you figured out a fix? I’m having the same issue!

[@Michael-s2p3p]

I kind of put the plane in a corner after the last servo pop out and haven’t tried this fix yet. I plan to do it soon and will post results. I’ve got too many RC planes I think.

[@SlowFlyer85]

Thanks Will good info I see this plane in my future too lol so stuff like this is great for all of us 😊😀

[@SteffenRC]

Glad to help

[@scotabot7826]

Sir, I need to see the "fork" section of the strut that's inside the wheel pants. Does the forks come down on both sides on the inside of the wheel pant? Is the "inside fork" all aluminum like the rest of the strut? I need this exact strut for a scale project I have and don't want to blow $35 bucks for what I can't see, and end up not being able to use it. Any way to take a picture with the one side of the wheel pant off. I really would owe you if you could get this info to me! I could give you my email if that's easier, and you have the time. I need to use the strut without the wheel pant. Thanks!!

[@SteffenRC]

The plastic wheel pant retains the wheel on one side. There isn't a fork. Its just an axle attached to the strut. The wheel is locked into place with one half of the wheel pant. I can send you a picture if you need it.. give me your email.

[@scotabot7826]

@@SteffenRC THANKS SO MUCH!! That's what I was concerned about. I really appreciate the help, as I sure didn't want to waste $35 plus bucks on something I can't use. Very much appreciated Will. I am going to pick up the blue version of this cool foamy!!

[@ModelAV8RChannel]

Should have replaced those stereo wheels you like so much while you were there...

[@SteffenRC]

IKR!!

[@hectorcadavid9648]

Anyway to replace the tires for softer ones

[@SteffenRC]

@@hectorcadavid9648 yes. I used similar sized Dubro foam lite wheels. Works great.

[@hectorcadavid9648]

@ thank you will look into it

[@old-rcplane-phart]

From my 4 decades + of rc cars (sponsored & recreationally), 95% of the time r&r'n e-clips, 1 expects yo hear the 'zzziiing!' Of the clips breaking the sound barrier reaching above Mach 10!🤪🤦‍♀️! My fms Rafale had the same setup. Lot & more work. Idk y fms uses that on aluminum. Never seen aluminum rust.

[@SteffenRC]

According to their marketing specs. The silicon lube is to dampen the springiness of the front. I think it worked too well. So......

[@cooltube]

You couldn’t make it up Will. The new Cessna gets a nice bouncy front wheel yet my big yellow 2.0mt Trojan gets nothing. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@SteffenRC]

Not sure Eflite would do that to one of the best flying planes out there.. I'd love to get that big T-28....

[@drmrjon]

Can't really under stand why a 4 lb foam airplane needs "shock absorbing" landing gear. It's 4 lbs.

[@SteffenRC]

Because it looks cool.😀

[@barrycarpenter9495]

Well said looney tunes

[@SteffenRC]

Yes. FMS intentionally added the silicon to offer dampening. However the gear wouldn’t compress. So their intended design didn’t work. It was basically a static/ridged strut. Removing the oil at least made the strut compress. Frankly I haven’t noticed any bounce issues that warranted that design in the first place..

[@barrycarpenter9495]

@@SteffenRC ok, thanks for the explanation. Wasn’t aware of that