VintageBonanza Forum

[jkennedy]

The retractable step on my B35 does not function. For the additional 1-2 mph is the repair worth it? If it is not repaired should the step be converted to a fixed step? If left as is would the cable, while the gear is retracted and not held tight by the spring/bungee, create the potential for the cable to become entangled in the gear mechanism and result in gear retraction or extension failure exist?
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Jim

[bgwells]

This is a very common problem with the older Bonanza. The retractable step is connected to the nose gear by a small cable. The cable on each end has a shear link that is supposed to break and not bind the gear from lowering. If you have noticed behind the rear access baggage bulkhead, this is where the spring or original bungee cord is located that actually provides the tension to pull the step up. So actually the step without the retraction cable attached would always be in the up position due to the spring -or- bungie tensions pulling force on the step. A not to common experience that pilots would encounter during landing or actually gear let down, was a loud bang as they lowered the gear. This is when the cable attached to the nose gear would for what ever reason break usually at one of the shear links and that allowed the retractable step to spring back to the up position making a loud noise.

So here is what owners are doing today for a fix. They sometimes just remove the step all together and detach the cable from the nose gear and tie wrap it out of the way as the nose gear swings up or down. You can also leave the step in the down position all the time by detaching the retract spring. One other method is to fix the step where it will stay in the up position all the time, but this usually involve drilling an additional bolt hole in the step arm just as the one that exists in the top end of the step arm stop when in the down position.