Retractable Step Cable

Close up on the connection to the nose strut (note the dog bone shaped frangible link). This link is designed to break should something bind in the step retract system so the gear can come down. The cable has a swaged ball end that connects to the frangible link with an SA 362 fork end (partially covered by the black tube) and clevis pins secured with cotter pins. The black tube is shrink tube and keeps the cable from getting tangled on the nose gear and ruining your day. I believe the addition of this piece was a Service Bulletin years ago.

Cable: 1/16 dia. 7 X 7 strand stainless steel or galvanized steel control cable, 14 ft. long. (This will allow at least 6 in. extra length.)

Either a MS20664C-2 ball with single shank or a MS20663C-2 ball with double shank is to be swaged on one end of the cable,

( For 13 cents more, I prefer the double shank ball as there is more swage length. Either will fit into the fork end swivel fitting.)

The 1/16 fork end swivel fitting is SA 362-2. ( Old one reusable if in good condition.)
The swivel fitting is attached to the safety link and the safety link to the nose gear with flat head clevis pins AN393-7, cotter pins AN380-2-2 and washers AN960-10L.

The cable goes from the nose strut over a pulley mounted to the bulkhead in the tunnel.

The pulley rides on the bolt shown in the aluminum bent in the deep "U" shape. There is a pin (secured with a cotter pin) forward and above the pulley to keep the cable in the pulley groove. Be sure the cable is UNDER the pin. When replacing the cable it is a good idea to remove and check the pulley (AN210-1A) in the nose well at the same time.

On the other side of the pulley (and bulkhead), the cable goes into the housing. Be sure it goes in square to prevent chafing and eventual cable failure. This is where the cable is fed through to the back. This is one case where you can actually push a rope (if only a few inches at a time). I have found that tinning the end of the cable without the ball with a large soldering iron and filing it to a point is helpful in getting it to slide smoothly into the housing. It also keeps the strands of the cable together at the end. If the housing has years of oily goop in it, you will have a tougher time. If that is the case, you will have to pull up the floorboards to remove the cable housing <no grin>. If your airplane is one that does not have a continuous housing you WILL have to pull up the floorboards.

The cable comes out of the housing behind the bulkhead and parallel with the step. The step has two rollers that fit in the "U" shaped channels that act as the stops to keep the step from coming completely out (this one is not all the way extended). You can see the cable coming up through the "L" bracket and then between the clamping pieces. The bolt has a hole in it to allow the cable to pass through. My understanding is that this hole is a feature added to the kit by the owner <wink>.

These are the springs that are part of a Beech kit to eliminate the bungees that eventually fail and dent the fuselage in the upper right corner. If you don't want to pay Beech prices, the springs are most likely available at the A/N section of Home Depot where they have springs for screen doors.