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05-23-2020, 09:37 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 13
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Wheel Pants
Hey Everyone,
Recently picked up an RV3B. LOVING it.
I have the dreaded shimmy. Tires are pretty far out of round/balance. Brakes are worn. I have a bit of work ahead of me. Thankfully the fear legs already have a wooden dampener.
Interestingly, without the wheel pants I have no shimmy at all. I have the "stock" wheel pants, they look... huge on this plane. The extra weight at the end of the gear can't be helping the shimmy, even if I replace brakes/tires.
What wheel pants are everyone else running on their 3's?
__________________
Dave E
Status:
RV-3B
RV-8 Tail 75% Complete
Builder: 83523
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05-23-2020, 10:31 AM
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Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Ionia Michigan
Posts: 160
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I have an RV6 but I am running James wheel pants. I assume you also have 500X5 tires, so they would be the same for you. If you put on new tires and balance them it should help a lot.
__________________
RV6 N7219d
IO-320-B1A
Sam James cowl
first flight May 2, 1997
RV8 #83830 tail done, wing done
Fuselage started
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05-23-2020, 12:54 PM
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VAF Moderator / Line Boy
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Dayton, NV
Posts: 12,256
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Our -3 has standard pressure recovery pants, and they work fine. One thing that can affect shimmy is tire pressure - for us, lower pressure reduces it, higher pressure enhances it. Short of a major rebuild of....something..that is a quick way to reduce shimmy.
__________________
Paul F. Dye
Editor at Large - KITPLANES Magazine
RV-8 - N188PD - "Valkyrie"
RV-6 (By Marriage) - N164MS - "Mikey"
RV-3B - N13PL - "Tsamsiyu"
A&P, EAA Tech Counselor/Flight Advisor
Dayton Valley Airpark (A34)
http://Ironflight.com
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05-23-2020, 02:48 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 13
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Been tinkering with lower vs higher pressure. 25psi seems to be the best place for my current setup.
New tires and tubes are going to be on order after the holiday for sure.
__________________
Dave E
Status:
RV-3B
RV-8 Tail 75% Complete
Builder: 83523
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05-23-2020, 02:49 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by D Weisgerber
I have an RV6 but I am running James wheel pants. I assume you also have 500X5 tires, so they would be the same for you. If you put on new tires and balance them it should help a lot.
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Are the James wheel pants lighter? Narrower?
__________________
Dave E
Status:
RV-3B
RV-8 Tail 75% Complete
Builder: 83523
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05-23-2020, 04:22 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Ionia Michigan
Posts: 160
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They are narrower, not sure if they're lighter. I installed the James cowling so I bought a set of wheel pants to. When I got them it was Sam James and his son making them. The business got sold the new owners are still making them and the cowlings.
__________________
RV6 N7219d
IO-320-B1A
Sam James cowl
first flight May 2, 1997
RV8 #83830 tail done, wing done
Fuselage started
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05-23-2020, 06:32 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 158
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Rv3b
At 35psi occasional shimmy 30 psi none
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05-23-2020, 08:58 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: Gonzales
Posts: 21
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Is the shimmy dangerous? I have it as well but I just slow down and it stops. I wasn't going to worry about it. I don't notice it at all on takeoff, only on landings when I use the brakes to slow down. It only last for a couple of seconds when on the brakes. I then taxi with no issue.
Chris
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06-07-2020, 03:03 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Hilversum, The Netherlands
Posts: 145
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Just wondering - shimmy is nothing more than non-aerodynamic flutter. Our weapon against flutter typically is mass-balancing. Would the same work on wheel pants?
__________________
Hans Teijgeler
Hilversum, The Netherlands
Resurrecting an RV-3B
PH-BRR Bowers Fly Baby; Imported and upgraded
PH-MGA Jodel DR1050; Built, with Subaru EJ25
PH-SUM RV-4; Imported and upgraded. Sold my share :-(
PH-EIL RV-4; Imported and upgraded for friend. Sadly crashed
PH-ERD Robin DR300; Built with Subaru EZ30 for friend.
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06-07-2020, 08:15 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Brighton, Colorado
Posts: 393
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My RV-3 has just a tad bit of shimmy as I decelerate to taxi speed. It only happens for a 5-7mph range between about 30 and 25-ish. Once I'm below this range, it goes away. I never noticed it on the takeoff roll... only on landing rollout.
My 3 is out of service getting an engine rebuild and I took the opportunity to have Allen at Anti-Splat do the main wheel bearing mod as well as mounting and balancing new tires and tubes. I did the bearing mod to get rid of the old fashioned trailer bearings, but if the shimmy ends up disappearing because of the balance job, that'll be a bonus.
I have the new style Vans pressure recovery wheelpants. The initial break-in flights for the new engine will be conducted without wheelpants to keep me from exceeding redline on the airframe. This may be a good opportunity to see if the wheelpants are contributing to the slight shimmy. It'll probably be several weeks before I'm flying again, but I'll try to report back with results. Of course there's a good chance that the AntiSplat work will eliminate all the shimmy (with or without wheel pants) so I may not have anything to report! :-)
My shimmy was never so bad as to be dangerous or really even annoying, but it was there.
Just another data point.
__________________
Rod Woodard
Brighton, Colorado (CO12)
RV-3 N87CT (Thanks Chuck!)
Glasair 1RG N388DM
RV-3 N99RV sold 01/2000
F1 MkIII empennage?arrived 08/22/2018--collecting dust
Last edited by RWoodard : 06-07-2020 at 08:19 AM.
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