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 Post subject: Cessna 182 , ball to the right in cruise.
PostPosted: 30 Jul 2020, 09:19 
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Joined: 07/05/13
Posts: 850
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Company: Motoadventures Costa Rica
Location: Washington
Aircraft: Cessna 182 P, CJ6
When straight and level the ball is to the right , even with full right rudder trim, I am not able to center it.
Have to put my feet on right rudder to be able to center the ball.

Lifted the nose wheel and looks straight and its locked.
Any ideas?


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 Post subject: Re: Cessna 182 , ball to the right in cruise.
PostPosted: 30 Jul 2020, 10:29 
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Joined: 03/24/08
Posts: 2888
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Aircraft: Cessna 182M
Maybe air load is preventing nose wheel from dropping and locking into straight ahead?

Something else dragging on a side - flap down a bit? You do not have wheel pants, right?

Never saw a ball out that trim could not fix. Does you posterior yaw sensor say you are going a bit sideways w/o the rudder? :) If not maybe the ball is the problem and not the trim? If so, then probably the trim system.

As I understand the rudder trim on a 182 it is not really a "trim" system, there is no trim tab. They system just alters the rudder setting somewhat to put the ball in the center when the adjusting wheel is turned in the correct direction. In flying I center the ball with my feet and then use the adjusting wheel to tune the rudder to stay where my feet put it - feet and wheel move the same part of the rudder control system.

Maybe you have a problem with the trim linkage gear/levers? If something in that linkage has come loose, maybe the adjusting wheel is having no effect yet you can still adjust with your feet on the rudder pedals?

RAS


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 Post subject: Re: Cessna 182 , ball to the right in cruise.
PostPosted: 30 Jul 2020, 10:59 
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Joined: 12/29/14
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Location: Brunswick, Ga
Aircraft: PA32RT-300T
Loose mount? Can it be moved with your hand left and right?


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 Post subject: Re: Cessna 182 , ball to the right in cruise.
PostPosted: 30 Jul 2020, 11:02 
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Joined: 12/10/11
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Location: Shelbyville, TN (KSYI)
Aircraft: 1975 Baron B55
Sounds like a rigging issue? I had a similar problem in a Bonanza. Mechanic initially actually bent the rudder trim tab and it helped yet had to go thru the whole rigging procedure to get it fixed.


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 Post subject: Re: Cessna 182 , ball to the right in cruise.
PostPosted: 30 Jul 2020, 12:04 
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Joined: 12/09/07
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Location: Cascade, ID (U70)
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Open the left door!

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 Post subject: Re: Cessna 182 , ball to the right in cruise.
PostPosted: 30 Jul 2020, 12:33 
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Joined: 11/25/16
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Location: KSBD
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Username Protected wrote:
When straight and level the ball is to the right , even with full right rudder trim, I am not able to center it.
Have to put my feet on right rudder to be able to center the ball.

Lifted the nose wheel and looks straight and its locked.
Any ideas?

Reach out to John Efinger. https://www.cessnarigging.com/

You wouldn't be the first guy that's flown across the USA to have him rig a single engine Cessna.


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 Post subject: Re: Cessna 182 , ball to the right in cruise.
PostPosted: 30 Jul 2020, 17:35 
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Joined: 02/27/15
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Location: C77
Aircraft: PA30
Can you feel the yaw? Maybe the instrument is not installed level.

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larry


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 Post subject: Re: Cessna 182 , ball to the right in cruise.
PostPosted: 30 Jul 2020, 18:46 
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Joined: 07/02/08
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Company: HPA
Location: Twin Cities, MN (KANE), St Simons Island, GA (KBQK)
Aircraft: BE58, C182
Sorted this out a while back with an instrument student's 182.

We first made sure the bubble was centered with the airplane parked and level. Then we checked if a flap was down a titch when supposed to be fully up (this was his problem - left flap was down very slightly). That was an easy adjustment by his mechanic. His instrument skills improved markedly.

If that hadn't worked our next step was a rigger, and John E is excellent.

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Jack Shelton
1964 C-182G PPONK
1973 BE-58


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 Post subject: Re: Cessna 182 , ball to the right in cruise.
PostPosted: 31 Jul 2020, 12:57 
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Joined: 03/28/17
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Location: N. California
Aircraft: C-182
Username Protected wrote:
When straight and level the ball is to the right , even with full right rudder trim, I am not able to center it.
Have to put my feet on right rudder to be able to center the ball.

Lifted the nose wheel and looks straight and its locked.
Any ideas?



Larry,

If something is truly out of rig, with the ball out to the right, the plane will turn left while you hold the wings level. And if that's the case, I wouldn't fly it until you do a thorough airframe inspection. I say that because I see the shocks your plane takes in your off airport operations. Good luck, better safe than sorry.


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 Post subject: Re: Cessna 182 , ball to the right in cruise.
PostPosted: 12 Aug 2020, 20:10 
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Joined: 12/13/15
Posts: 22
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Company: Salt Air Technologies
Location: Boston Area (KBED)
Aircraft: C182P, Bonanza B36TC
Username Protected wrote:
When straight and level the ball is to the right , even with full right rudder trim, I am not able to center it.
Have to put my feet on right rudder to be able to center the ball.

Lifted the nose wheel and looks straight and its locked.
Any ideas?


This could be simply that the chain between the trim wheel and the bungee slipped a tooth or two on the sprocket. See the Service Manual (Section 10) on rigging the rudder trim. As has been posted, the rudder trim simply applies a pre-load to the rudder with the bungee so no tab etc.

A good check to see if something bigger is out in the rigging would be see how the plane flies when you center the ball with the rudder (pushing against the bungee). If there is an usually heavy wing, it seems to me like that would point to a change in the rigging such as one flap flap extended slightly and would definitely get it checked.


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