Piper CHEROKEE WARRIOR II, Pilot Operating Handbook, Page: 199 / 282

8.15 LANDING GEAR SERVICE
The main landing gears use 6.00 x 6 wheels and the nose gear carries a 5.00 x 5 wheel. All three tires
are four-ply rating, type III tires with tubes. (Refer to paragraph 8.23).
Wheels are removed by taking off the hub cap, cotter pin, axle nut, and the two bolts holding the
brake segment in place. Mark tire and wheel for reinstallation; then dismount by deflating the tire,
removing the three through-bolts from the wheel and separating the wheel halves.
Landing gear oleos should be serviced according to the instructions on the units. The main oleos
should be extended under normal static load until 4.50 ± .25 inches of oleo piston tube is exposed, and the
nose gear should show 3.25 ± .25 inches. Should the strut exposure be below that required, it should be
determined whether air or oil is required by first raising the airplane on jacks; Depress the valve core to
allow air to escape from the strut housing chamber. Remove the filler plug and slowly raise the strut to full
compression. If the strut has sufficient fluid, it will be visible up to the bottom of the filler plug hole and
will then require only proper inflation.
Should fluid be below the bottom of the filler plug hole, oil should be added. Replace the plug with
valve core removed; attach a clear plastic hose to the valve stem of the filler plug and submerge the other
end in a container of hydraulic fluid. Fully compress and extend the strut several times, thus drawing fluid
from the container and expelling air from the strut chamber. To allow fluid to enter the bottom chamber of
the main gear strut housing, the torque link assembly must be disconnected to let the strut be extended a
minimum of 10 inches (the nose gear torque links need not be disconnected). Do not allow the strut to
extend more than 12 inches. When air bubbles cease to flow through the hose, compress the strut fully and
again check fluid level. Reinstall the valve core and filler plug, and the main gear torque links, if
disconnected.
With fluid in the strut housing at the correct level, attach a strut pump to the air valve and with the
airplane on the ground, inflate the oleo strut to the correct height.
In jacking the aircraft for landing gear or other service, two hydraulic jacks and a tail stand should be
used. At least 250 pounds of ballast should be placed on the base of the tail stand before the airplane is
jacked up. The hydraulic jacks should be placed under the jack points on the bottom of the wing and the
airplane jacked up until the tail skid is at the right height to attach the tail stand. After the tail stand is
attached and the ballast added, jacking may be continued until the airplane is at the height desired.
The steering arms from the rudder pedals to the nose wheel are adjusted at the nose wheel by turning
the threaded rod end bearings in or out. Adjustment is normally accomplished at the forward end of the
rods and should be done in such a way that the nose wheel is in line with the fore and aft axis of the plane
when the rudder pedals and rudder are centered. Alignment of the nose wheel can be checked by pushing
the airplane back and forth with the rudder centered to determine that the plane follows a perfectly
straight line. The turning arc of the nose wheel is 30.0° ± 2° in either direction and is limited by stops on
the bottom of the forging.
The rudder pedal arm stops should be carefully adjusted so that the pedal arms contact the stops just
after the rudder hits its stops. This guarantees that the rudder will be allowed to move through its full
travel.
REPORT: VB-880 ISSUED: DECEMBER 16, 1976
8-10
SECTION 8 PIPER AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
HANDLING, SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE PA-28-161, CHEROKEE WARRIOR II