Jacking up a RV7

[ALagonia]

Originally Posted by MacCool

I made a couple of these, and used some smoothed-off grade 8 carriage bolts in the wing tie-down mounts as jack points.

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This complete set up is exactly what I use to Jack my 9.

[DennisRhodes]

I jack up a single side maingear leg at a time with following.

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1Q...NReEd2OS1ueEp3

[bjdecker]

I used galvanized pipe caps, drilled and fitted with 3/8-16 #8 bolts. This provides a more secure jack-to-airplane interface.

[Tony Petrone]

Originally Posted by Taltruda

I just used these to jack a -8 and a -9a. I tied an old car jack to the tail for weight and only lifted one wing at a time just enough to get the wheel off. The wing jack was a harbor freight bottle jack propped up on some 4x4 cribbing that was screwed together for stability. The jack had a divot drilled into the jack pad for these points to go into so the plane didn’t slide off.

Hi Tom, I have the Baron jacks and they fit under the wing .I just wanted to make sure that the tie down ring was the proper place to jack the plane. Thanks Tony

[mr.sun]

I also have a nice wing jack that I made from the long Harbor Freight jack and use the Bogrt Aviation Jack Points. However, I get nervous using it.

I welded a 12" piece of 3/4" steel rod to an old scissor car jack and just remove the axle nut and slide it into the hollow axle. It is long enough for me to slide the wheel out onto the steel rod and then I lower the axle down onto a block of wood with a groove cut into it to hold the axle. Very, very stable and low to the ground. I can do both sides and have total confidence even while getting in and out of the RV. Then, I just put the loose wheel back on the steel shaft, jack up the axle about an inch and slide the wheel back & tighten up the nut.

To keep the same bearing adjustment, I used a permanent marker to mark the nut exactly where I removed it. Can't adjust it with my little scissor jack method. I've checked it a couple times while hanging from the wing jack and it never needed adjustment.

Now that my landings are better and I am practicing long rollout wheel landings, I haven't needed tires or brakes for a long time. Just FYI, I don't want to risk a flat so I use Michelin tires and a new Airstop tube each time I change tires. I do flip them half way thru their life and keep the same tube. Have collected a number of tubes and keep a spare in my fly-away tool kit.

[Taltruda]

Originally Posted by Tony Petrone

Hi Tom, I have the Baron jacks and they fit under the wing .I just wanted to make sure that the tie down ring was the proper place to jack the plane. Thanks Tony

Tony, if you are just servicing the tires, it’s a little safer to do one side at a time and also keep weight on the tail so the plane doesn’t nose over. The jack points may be a little behind the CG, or at least behind the mains. If you still want to take off both tires, then jack one side, remove the tire, and set the plane back down on a 4x4 under the axel, then jack the other side! The tie down points should be threaded 3/8 x 16 thread, and about an inch deep or so..

[David Z]

I saw someone use a plastic 55gal drum cut in half and filled with concrete with a hook in the middle. Tied that to the tail of a plane being jacked up.

[ge9a]

I’ve been flying my plane for a few months but now it’s time to match drill my wheel pants and get them square, etc. I can envision this taking a fair amount of time, and once started, I don’t want to move the plane after I’ve marked the centerline, etc. ……

Do I need to be concerned with jacking the plane so the mains are off the ground and leaving it there for an extended period of time using only the wing tiedowns while I’m getting everything done? Oh, yeah, and it’s also full of fuel at the moment.

Thoughts? No big deal? The wing tie downs are designed for this? Or do I really need to let it rest on a sawhorse or something similar under the fuse at the spar so the entire weight of the plane isn’t supported by only the wing tiedown points?

Thanks for any advice.

[wirejock]

Originally Posted by ge9a

I’ve been flying my plane for a few months but now it’s time to match drill my wheel pants and get them square, etc. I can envision this taking a fair amount of time, and once started, I don’t want to move the plane after I’ve marked the centerline, etc. ……

Do I need to be concerned with jacking the plane so the mains are off the ground and leaving it there for an extended period of time using only the wing tiedowns while I’m getting everything done? Oh, yeah, and it’s also full of fuel at the moment.

Thoughts? No big deal? The wing tie downs are designed for this? Or do I really need to let it rest on a sawhorse or something similar under the fuse at the spar so the entire weight of the plane isn’t supported by only the wing tiedown points?

Thanks for any advice.

I had the same concern. I got a bit more involved but it worked awesome. Basically a lift and two serious jack stands under the center section. I was never concerned about stability and never had to redraw center lines. I wrote it up as an article for Kitplanes.
Shoot me an e-mail (below) for the draft. Photos are on my blog (below).

[crabandy]

All the jacks I used prior leaked down and I'ld have to re-level the plane constantly. When I was fixing my gear leg last year I bought some boat jackstands that worked awesome, they were very solid under the center section. Only caveat is I would not jack anywhere along the fuel tanks.

https://scaffoldmart.com/marinemart/boxed-boat-stands/
https://vansairforce.net/community/s...d.php?t=201077