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How Do I Clean the Landing Gear Strut Cylinders?

Aircraft landing gear struts take a lot of punishment and are constantly exposed to dirt, grease and grime. Keeping them clean is important for maximizing their service life. There are two main components to a landing gear strut. The cylinder assembly is the outer housing of the strut, and the piston is the inner component that rides inside the cylinder assembly. The cylinder and piston must both be kept clean to keep your landing gear assembly working correctly.

Things You'll Need

Hydraulic fluid
Degreasing cleaner
Shop rags
Bucket

Instructions

- 1
  Spray degreasing cleaner onto the strut cylinder assembly. This is the upper portion of the landing gear assembly and is usually painted. Let the cleaner sit on the dirty surface for five to 10 minutes.
- 2
  Scrub away the dirt, grime and residual degreasing cleaner with a wet shop rag. Apply more degreaser and scrub it off as necessary. Make sure that all cleaner is removed from the strut cylinder; some degreasing cleaners will damage paint if they remain on the surface. Have a bucket of water on hand to rinse the rag as needed.
- 3
  Wipe the strut piston with a clean, lint-free shop rag moistened with hydraulic fluid. The strut piston is located on the bottom of the landing gear strut assembly and will be a chromed surface.

Aviation