Thorp Air Command - T18.net

Bout done with my inspection, findings: Exaust gasket blowed out on co-pilot side aft jug, replaced all four cylinder header gaskets with blow proof, tail wheel bearings shot, full of grit or some other unpleasentry and wheel worn, will replace wheel and all. Everything else is fine, now if the fog and the rain will just leave I have a hankering to commit some aviation. Dan

At least you don't have to contend with snow almost every weekend. Times are tough up here.

Lance

Got my new tailwheel today, it has no seals on the inside of the bearings, looks like the grease zert is functional now........Dan

What kind of tail wheel ?

RB

Well, its the home builders tail wheel thats how it is listed in the Spruce cataloge. After further inspection it would appear that they have further cheapened up the bearings. The seal is off the inside of the bearings so it will get greased, but, the races only have about 5 balls in them. I am going to stop by the bearing house today and see if I can get some quality bearings, I know Spruce sells whats called a better bearing for the wheel for about 9 bucks each but I am not geared to understand this Deal here. "We will sell you this Good wheel but it has defective bearings so you could incounter a problem when the only steering wheel you have cooks its bearings and wads you up in the dirt, so, that being said you can knock out the bearings that can kill you and for the low price of 9 bucks each install these here good bearings which will greatly lessen the chance of that ever happening". Marketing has changed over the years a great deal........................so has the intelegence of our society....Dan

Dan: Every 6" AP wheel I've bought has had "crappy" bearings in them . When you rotate the new wheel with the "new" bearings it feels like there is gravel in them there bearings . I've never had "unsealed" bearings in the wheels I've bought ? I buy some quality sealed bearings and punch out the new ones on the replacement wheels . I even carry a spare set of bearings in my "Fly-a-Away Kit" just in case . Not sure if that 4" tire you use has a zerk fitting , but the one on my 6" wheel is a dummy fitting ! It has no spring and ball inside . Nothing but daylight . I called AP and talked to the nice Gal and she said they all come from their supplier that way ? Another reason to use high quality sealed bearings . The zerk fitting on the swivel point works as advertised , just the one on the wheel is fake . Not sure what good a real fitting would do if you are using sealed bearings ?

I don't think anyone has had a bearing failure on the AP tail wheel on TO or landing ( I could be wrong here) ? BTW I use the double fork devil on my Sky Machine .

RB

I have been using one of these. It's a little spendy, but a very nice Tailwheel.

http://djmmfg.com/tailwheel.aspx

The Aviation Products tailwheel assemblies use off-the-shelf industrial wheels that come from another supplier. I'm sure you can find them in California - I found a supplier in Denver who carried them. The price wasn't much different from what AP sells them for. The bearings do seem to vary in quality, depending on what the wheel manufacturer sends them with I suppose. The bearings were actually pretty good on the last one I bought direct from AP. I suspect that the zerks are there because someone who originally made, specified, or ordered the wheels (not for aircraft use) wanted them that way. In my opinion, even if the bearings were designed to accept greasing that way, you wouldn't want to do it... it would take about a half pound of grease just to fill up the cavity before any was forced into them. The Scott, and some others, are similar in that regard. There is a zerk on the wheel, but you wouldn't want to re-grease it's tapered roller bearings that way either, IMHO.

Good, sealed bearings are a nice way to go, and you will still pay less for your replacement wheel than the fancy aforementioned wheel from DJM.

_________________
John Evens
Arvada, Colorado
T-18 N71JE (sold)
Kitfox 7 SS N27JE

Well, I just put new bearing in the New wheel, it is a 6" Rich. I counted the balls in the bearings that came in the wheel, there are 8. There is a plastic race that keeps them separated, there is just about half as many bearings as there are in my old wheel bearings but they are unsealed on the back side. I an ready to install the wheel and finish my inspection. Extra bearings, I will put them in my glove box Rich, good Idea. 7 yrs of right rudder on take off did take its toll on the old wheel, it is probably scrubbed down to about 4 inches and has some weather check............Dan

I have a Matco pneumatic tail wheel that is real quiet and seems tone holding up real well.

Jim

I believe that my tail wheel being at a pretty good slant has somthing to do with its wear pattern. Ira has a good tail wheel and it shows no wear, his pivot is all but verticle where as the rig on my bird has a pretty good slant........right rudder on take off wears it at an angle.........Dan