Antisplat ball bearing wheels

[jask]

I spent the day Tues with Allan getting the wheel bearings installed. I have not installed the main wheels yet but the nose wheel spins extremely easy. I did the balance myself with a modified HF motorcycle balancer. This will do a lot to prevent the nose wheel from locking up and folding the gear. Pressure on the nose gear will not increase bearing preload as it does on the tapered bearings.

I am extremely pleased with his workmanship.

[erich weaver]

Originally Posted by jask

This will do a lot to prevent the nose wheel from locking up and folding the gear.

Can’t remember ever hearing about this happening before

[jask]

The design of the nose wheel system is not good. There is a 3/8 bolt that has two jobs. It serves as the axle and also adjusts the preload of the bearings. If enough pressure is placed on the nose wheel, the axle will bend and increase the preload on the tapered bearings. If the pressure is great enough, the bearings will lock up and the nose gear folds. IMO, it is the main cause of nose gear failures.

[Roy Thoma]

I agree that the nose wheel axel in RV's with the Matco wheel is poorly designed. Anti Splat bearings is one way to improve the design and minimize the rolling resistance.

I think the lease expensive way to reduce the rolling resistance of the nose wheel is the axel assembly from Matco. See http://www.matcomfg.com/AXLEASSEMBLY...dv-3657-1.html

Another way to minimize the rolling resistance, and to get rid of the tube that we use in a tubeless tire is to get the Beringer nose wheel. Aircraft Spruce is one source. See https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catal...oaAsSWEALw_wcB

I flew with the Matco wheel and axel for about 10 years before changing to the Beringer wheel.

On Soapbox: I've seen a handful of nose wheel flats using the cheap Van's tube in the tubeless type tire. My plane and sever others. It's my belief that tubes should not be used in tubeless tires and that doing so contribures to the tubes failing. The inside of the tire is rubbed away - because it is not designed to have a tube against it. Cord is exposed against the tube and it destroy's the tube. Off Soapbox.

Regards,

[jask]

I was not aware that Matco offered that axle. It solves the problem but you still have to pack bearings.

[Walt]

Grove also offers a tubeless wheel with an improved axle design.

[jask]

Does the set screw mess up the threads on the Matco axle?

[lr172]

Originally Posted by erich weaver

Can’t remember ever hearing about this happening before

+1

Thousands of RV's with the std bearing. SImply NO WAY a tight bearing will cause a nose gear leg to fold over.

Larry

[BillL]

A low rolling resistance will allow the nose wheel to rotate when flying. My -7a friend has this condition (anti-splat wheel) and it caused a primary vibration of the nose gear in flight due to wheel imbalance. The balance was fixed, but is everyone happy with the wheel always rotating in flight? That seems draggy.

Just asking . . . .

[Bavafa]

Originally Posted by erich weaver

Can’t remember ever hearing about this happening before

Plus one.

For those who wish to not have any resistance on the nose wheel, Matco sales a very nice axle for a very reasonable price (around $50).
I had installed it on multiple RV with great success.