GA SMA DETECTED RESTRICTED RUDDER TRAVEL ON TKOF; MADE IMMEDIATE RETURN LAND.

Narrative

I TAXIED MY ACFT FROM THE TIE DOWN. THIS WAS THE FIRST FLT AFTER ANNUAL. THE ANNUAL TOOK 2 MONTHS DUE TO WORKING OVERTIME AT WORK. WHILE TAXIING THE RADIO WASN'T RECEIVING PROPERLY; SO I WIGGLED IT FOR AWHILE AND WAS ABLE TO COMMUNICATE. I TAXIED TO THE RUN UP AREA AND DID A PREFLT RUN UP AND WAS CLRED TO TKOF BEHIND A JET TKOF FROM RWY 20 (A XING RWY TO 21R). THE WIND WAS FROM THE SO AT 10 KTS AND I BANKED WITH THE WIND ON TKOF AND WHILE MOVING THE RUDDER TO RIGHT WITH THE WIND I NOTICED A RESTRICTION IN THE RUDDER TRAVEL (I WASN'T GETTING FULL TRAVEL IN BOTH DIRECTIONS). SO; I TOLD THE TWR 'I HAVE A PROB; I HAVE A STUCK CTL OR STUCK RUDDER;' OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT. THE TWR SAID I COULD HAVE ANY RWY. I ASKED FOR THE WIND DIRECTION AND THEY TOLD ME AT 10 KTS AT 180 DEGS. I TURNED TO THE N (RIGHT) AND THE PLACE THAT LOOKED BEST FOR A STRAIGHT LNDG WAS THE JUNCTION OF RWYS 25R; 16R AND 12; SO I LANDED THERE AND TAXIED OFF THE RWY AND CHANGED TO GND FREQ. I GAVE GND MY TAIL NUMBER AND ASKED IF I COULD TAXI DIRECT TO THE FLT LINE ACROSS THE GRASS. THEY SAID OK. AFTER SHUTTING DOWN I FOUND MY FLASHLIGHT ON THE CABIN FLOOR NEAR THE RUDDER PEDAL ON THE PAX SIDE. I USUALLY KEEP IT IN THE PAX SEAT BEFORE TAXIING. IT MUST HAVE FALLEN TO THE FLOOR ON TKOF AND GOTTEN BEHIND THE RUDDER PEDAL. I GUESS TAXIING ACROSS THE ROUGH GND TO THE TIE DOWN JARRED IT OUR OF BEHIND THE RUDDER PEDAL.