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Nosewheel Nutcracker Cable

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14 May 2021 09:10 #1 by Larry Snyder
Replied by Larry Snyder on topic Nosewheel Nutcracker Cable
I'm sure Randy is right. I've had my Ercoupe for 17 years, and have flow nearly 1700 hours in it. I've landed it more than 1300 times. It came with a snubber cable. Probably, had I known when I bought the airplane that it shouldn't be there, I would have taken it off and learned to fly it right. Here it is nearly two decades later with lots of landings and flying time and at 70 I just don't feel like changing things. I've landed and taken off in tremendous crosswinds. I'm not making an argument for the cable. I'm just old and change is hard.

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14 May 2021 09:06 #2 by John Earl
Replied by John Earl on topic Nosewheel Nutcracker Cable
Thanks, Randy!

Its great to be flying again after several years.

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  • Randy Hirsch
14 May 2021 08:08 #3 by Randy Hirsch
Replied by Randy Hirsch on topic Nosewheel Nutcracker Cable
Congrats on the purchase John!

To snub or not to snub is the age old Ercoupe question and has the potential to crack open Pandora's box of Ercoupe chat. By design Mr. Weick intended for the Ercoupe to have steering control immediately upon touch down, hence the long nose strut. This design feature is especially important while landing in a crosswind in a crabbed attitude.

Many have added a snubber cable to the nose gear to limit the travel of the strut, it is essentially an unapproved modification. My 415-E had a snubber cable when I purchased it and I flew it that way for several years. After reading up on the topic I removed the cables which allowed the strut to reach is full intended extension. I did have to revise my landing technique as I tended to land nose wheel first for a while after the cables were removed.

To answer your question, No - you should not have a snubber cable on the nose gear.

Blue Skies!

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13 May 2021 18:35 #4 by John Earl
Nosewheel Nutcracker Cable was created by John Earl
I am the new owner of N99891, 415C, Serial# 2514.  I have the original single side nosewheel.  The nosewheel works fine and does not shimmy.
I noticed that when I am in the air, the nosewheel strut extends fully out and is quite long. I have seen several Ercoupes and some have a cable in this location which I assume is to limit the travel of the nosewheel strut.  I do not see this as a part in the repair or the parts book.
Is this cable something I should have on the nosegear?

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