I finally got the hang of setting the rigging on a Bell 206 tail rotor

For the past six months, I kept getting pushback on my track and balance checks at our shop in Tulsa. The issue was always a tiny bit of vibration right at 90% RPM. Last week, our lead mechanic, Carl, showed me his trick with a digital level on the pitch change links. I redid the whole procedure his way on Tuesday, and the run-up was smooth as glass. Anyone else have a specific trick for getting those tail rotors dialed in perfectly?

3 comments

3 Comments

skyler_anderson656d ago

Know that feeling, man. Getting that last bit of vibration out is so satisfying. Carl sounds like a lifesaver.

allen.cole6d ago

Wait, his dash was actually rattling? That's a crazy bad vibration. I had a mount go once and it just felt like a rough idle. If it's shaking the whole cab that's next level. Makes sense though, engine's just bouncing around in there. Bet that was a cheap fix compared to new tires.

ericp676d ago

Saw a thing online where a mechanic said the worst vibrations often come from worn motor mounts, not just unbalanced tires. He had a truck that shook so bad the dash rattled, and it was just a cracked mount on the passenger side. Makes you check the simple stuff first before chasing wheel weights all day.