We are just starting to put N99837, Ser. # 2010, back together. This week we removed the main landing gear and rebuilt them. During this process, I noticed two items that I thought may be of interest to Coupers. First, there was no information in my service manual about how to service, as in add hydraulic fluid, them. Second, the last time the rubber doughnuts were replaced, someone had installed them incorrectly. A washer had been placed between the top doughnut and the bell shaped top fitting on the strut. Since there were only 7 washers, they left one out in the middle of the stack. This allowed the rubber to change shape. It had been indented by the washer above it. Both the left and right side were done in this manner. We found the height of our stack to increase by about 1 1/4 inches when we put in all new rubber doughnuts and washers. This stack up can be checked by visually ensuring that there are two washers between each doughnut.
We would not have been able to service the struts properly without the information in the December 1998 Coupe Capers. Thank you Coupers. BTW, when I was getting N99837 ready to ferry home, I asked the mechanic, IA, who had done the last annual (in 1989) about servicing the struts. His reply was that "the struts did not have hydraulic fluid in them, just rubber doughnuts". I heartily endorse us Coupers providing each other with information on how to take care of our "babies". Lynn Nelsen N99387
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