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Main Gear, need a shim? Right tire more worn then left
4 Attachment(s)
Hi gang,
First, I know I can check with the new toe in/toe out part - C-1211, but my new to me RV-12 did not come with it. So, string method may be my option. Dave G has offered to take a look and help, but I also thought I'd post to share my experience and see what the collective experience here thinks as well. My airplane (and tires) only has about 90 hours on it. I've put 11 of them & 23 landings. No idea of the # of landings before me. But, my right tire is worn considerably more than my left. Here are a few pics. I know I can break the wheels and reverse the tire to even the wear a bit before replacement. But, this wear seems excessive for only 90 hours and the unevenness vs. the left has me wondering if I'm out of alignment. Any thoughts/recommendations? Right Tire from Front: https://1drv.ms/u/s!Atwwakv8E39y1IQFbIfOw45n2IGVYQ ![]() Right Tire from Rear: https://1drv.ms/u/s!Atwwakv8E39y1IQMJtglHalKtmW82Q ![]() Left Tire from Front: https://1drv.ms/u/s!Atwwakv8E39y1IQGl9EUPMnsQqRJqg ![]() Left Tire from Rear: https://1drv.ms/u/s!Atwwakv8E39y1IQOLq0VZpwoso4vpA ![]() Undercarriage from Rear: https://1drv.ms/u/s!Atwwakv8E39y1IQL71d9D6RdJdwBnA ![]() Undercarriage from Front: https://1drv.ms/u/s!Atwwakv8E39y1IQRp6i3dS8yt87vFg ![]() Thanks! John |
Weird, they show on PC, but not on my mobile. I’ll check when I get home. Thanks!
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Updated with direct links to original pics until I figure out why my embedded pics didn't work.
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I am guessing it has something to do with flying solo and landing solo, most of the time, vs with the weight of a passenger on the right hand side, doing something as to how it doesn't load up the suspension as much, or keep the alignment correct.
My plane has the same wear pattern, outer right tire. When I first met the owner of N836BL, he had just changed out his tires with the same wear pattern as you exhibit. His plane had 120 hours on it, spent mostly flying and landing solo. Lots of 20 to 24 minute flights. He now has 260-270 hours on the plane, 95% of those new hours with me as a ballast passenger, and he doesn't have any exhibited tread wear like that on his tires, since he started taking me flying. I know it's just one example, and I can't prove it, but I suspect it's not an alignment problem. |
Interesting thought. And it makes sense. Although it’s a bummer to see tire wear like that so quickly.
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Get some replacement big thick 2 groove tires, if they work for you, and maybe rotate main wheels, left to right, and right to left, while repacking the grease in the wheel bearings? Be sure to press and pound out the brake rotors off of the rims internal hub with a rubber mallet, before changing out the tubes and tires on those rims, if you decide to rotate the tires on the rims for more usage. |
Yep - flip tires is definitely the plan. And ultimately get better tires when needed. Just didn't know if I had an alignment concern as well.
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Wearing of the outboard portions of the RV-12's main tires appears to be a characteristic of the landing gear's geometry. On my RV-12 I typically fly about 150+ hours on a new set of Aero Classic tires before I have to reverse the tires on their respective rims. I then fly another 150+ hours before I need to replace the tires with a new set. So, overall, I am getting about 300+ hours out of each set of main tires flying off of a paved runway. The left and right side wear patterns are very consistent. As you might anticipate the nose tire shows little if any wear. You can certainly recheck your toe-in/toe-out but I suspect that you will find the wear pattern I noted above to be characteristic of the RV-12.
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Thank you and agree. Do you also see the right tire wearing much more than left tire? And if so, is most of your flying solo?
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