AN MD80 WAS DISPATCHED AND OPERATED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE NOSE GEAR STEERING TORQUE UPPER APEX BUSHINGS WORN BEYOND MAINT MANUAL LIMITS.

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ACFT XYZ FLT ABC REF LOGBOOK WRITE-UP WZXY DEC/MON/99. ACFT ARRIVED WITH PIREP FOR NOSE GEAR VIBRATION. MECH BROUGHT TO MY ATTN EXCESSIVE PLAY IN TORQUE LINK UPPER PIN AREA. I CALLED ACFT OUT OF SVC. SUPVR WAS SENT OUT AND HE IN TURN CALLED OUT SHIFT MGR. MGR CONTACTED MAINT CTL. ACFT SCHEDULED LAST LEG TO XXX FOR ROUTINE OVERNIGHT. MGR ASKED ME IF IT WAS ALL RIGHT TO CHANGE NOSE TIRE AND SHIP TO XXX WHERE IT WOULD BE REPAIRED THAT EVENING ('PARTS WOULD BE SHIPPED'). I TOLD HIM I WOULD NOT SIGN IF OFF; BUT I HAD NO PROB WITH IT IF IT WAS FIXED THAT NIGHT. R NOSE TIRE; THAT WAS WORN BUT STILL WITHIN SVC LIMITS; WAS CHANGED AND NOSE GEAR LINKAGE WAS LUBED AND WRITE-UP WAS SIGNED OFF. A FOLLOW-UP WAS ISSUED TO INSPECT NOSE GEAR TORQUE LINKS. ACFT NOSE GEAR WAS NOT ADDRESSED THAT NIGHT AND ACFT FLEW FOR SEVERAL MORE DAYS BEFORE IT WAS FOUND TO BE OK WITH NO FURTHER MAINT BEING DONE. ACFT MAINT MANUAL SHOWS SVC LIMIT FOR END PLAY AT LINK/GEAR TRUNNION FIT TO BE 0.02 INCHES. WE DID NOT MEASURE; BUT OBSERVED GAP TO BE APPROX 0.2 - 0.25 INCHES. THAT IS TENTHS NOT HUNDREDTHS AS CALLED FOR IN MAINT MANUAL.