Thorp Air Command - T18.net

I am about to put some new tires on N118GG and since this will be my first replacement I require some helpful information.

First and foremost, I need to know where the jack points are, or where I should put the jack? I should be able to handle the rest of it. Do I need a special type of jack or attachment?

Thanks,

Dave Flatter

I use an old double scissors car jack on a couple of blocks, with a small block of wood on top of the jack and under the main spar on the side I want to raise. Depending on your CG, you might want to tie a heavy weight to your tailwheel to make sure it stays on the ground, and also chock the main wheel on the other side.

Dave M

here is a jack arm I made. Notice the cable around the brake assembly.

Guys,

I believe Tim Brown had a good idea in using the tie down ring to also use as a jack point.


Jim Mantyla

I have two tie down points on the center wing section that I use to secure the A/C to the trailer when towed to the aerodrome. They can be used as jack points, but the tail needs to be held down. I also got a used Volvo scissor jack from "Pick-a-Part" ($10.00) and welded an adapter to it to place under the bolt extensions (inboard side of the gear...axel attach bolts). Waiting for the first annual to remove the wheel pant and "notch out" the adapter to fit the gear. Someone else had a similar set-up and posted it a while back with pics. I'll send my pics after the annual. With the scissor jack I don't think weighting the tail will be necessary.

RB

I have just crawled under the wing and push up on the spar, and slide a saw horse underneath. I also have a jack attachment that I built that slides up the leg to stop at the outer leg. Just use a bottle jack from there. I can take a pic of it if you want. DO NOT JACK BOTH WHEELS WITHOUT SECURING THE TAIL DOWN AS IT WILL FLIP ONTO ITS NOSE!!!
Cubes

I use a small aligator jack. It will just fit under the bottom 2 axle attach bolts with the jack inline with the axle centre line. I just lift wheel clear of ground, take the wheel off and immediately place a neat fitting block of wood under the axle. Only do one side at a time. Easy peasy.

Tony Schischka
ZK-VMS T18C

I use a piece of 4X4 wrapped in a Tahitian Bathing Beauty beach towel.....chock the wheels and set the 4X4 under the spar and jack with a scissor jack - one wheel at a time - I use my wife's adjustable stair stepper to set the jack to roughly 90 deg to the dangle of incidence of the wing - werks good.

We need pics of this bath towel process ! Hopefully with your wife in the towel and not you ! BADA BING, BADA BOOM !

RB