Do you experience "Sloppy Nose Steering" and wander when you taxi your Baron or Bo? Have your nose steering rod ends and bushing been changed out in the last 3,000 hours or so?

I changed part numbers: 5, 13, 20 and 29 in this Baron Part Catalog Extract and greatly reduced the slop in my nose steering mechanism. Bonanza part designs MAY be similar, see this Bonanza Part Catalog Extract but CHECK YOUR SPECIFIC PARTS CATALOG for your serial numbered aircraft to be sure.

Here's a tip about offset rod end #20 in the Baron diagram - you don't have to spend over $1,000 with RAPID to change this offset rod end. The bearing in it is pressed in. That bearing is shown as #19 on the Part Catalog Extract, just press or tap out the old bearing and press in the new one. 

You do have a parts catalog for your Beechcraft don't you?

Editorial comment follows, a broken Nose Steering Rod End on takeoff or landing might ruin your day, then again, it might not! You decide.............

PS: Ask your mechanic to drill and place a grease zerk in the idler bushing #13 (PN: NAS76A7-20) when you change it and also change the bolts and nuts for all those rod ends! A zerk in it looks like this:

Picture* courtesy of Beech Lister Doug G

*PS: This pic is a C35 Bonanza w/o drain hole in the idler.

Here's a pic of the business end of the nose steering, courtesy of Beech Lister Kevin O. This is a picture of a newly delivered G36. Can you see the bonehead move they made in assembling this?

They assembled it with the monkey motion joint's grease zerk pointing UP! How the hell is a guy to get a grease gun fitting on that?

Note also the monkey motion bearing has a "FLUSH" grease fitting. If you have the older style with a good old fashioned grease zerk, be really delicate when servicing it. There have been several reports of breaking off the zerk and having a heck of a time finding a replacement.

Well, the guy would have to use this $2 right angle grease zerk adapter tool from Harbor Freight!

Here's a pic of the monkey motion bearing (Nose Gear Steering Yoke Assembly PN: 35-825007) location and some interesting info found by Marty M. regarding his 1976 F33:

This "Monkey Motion" joint is reported to be PN: 35-825035

Check YOUR Parts Catalog to be sure!

Here is Marty's find:

Turns out that the recommended replacement bearing (Heim LS-4) has an OD of 0.750" but if your plane came with the older shoulder style, you'll need one with an OD of only 0.740" unless you want to machine your old eye bolt hole larger.

I found a couple suppliers of the old style bearings with shoulders:

New Hampshire Ball Bearings, Inc. ASTRO-ABYT4V

Aurora Bearing Company HAB-4T

Much nicer solution.