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carry the spare

Cadstat

Well Known Member
I had a flat in the hanger on Wednesday. No big deal. I had the other one go flat at the gas pump yesterday 800 air miles from home. Thank goodness some RV forum recommended that you carry a spare which I do. The FOB loaned me a jack. I pulled the tire, put in a tube and lost only an hour on a 6 hour x-country. In 1000 hours of flying I never had a flat until yesterday but it can ruin your 'hole' day so far from home. Thanks Forum for saving my bacon!!!!
 
I had a flat in the hanger on Wednesday. No big deal. I had the other one go flat at the gas pump yesterday 800 air miles from home.

Wheels really are the weakest link in any airplane.

Doesn't matter how fastidious you are about maintenance, or how much you spend on reliability, or how careful you are with your flying, you can always be grounded by a flat tire.

- mark
 
My backup plan

After having 3 main flats on our RV7a in the last 2 years, I now carry a spare main tube as well as a nose wheel tube in the baggage stuff. Two of the flats occurred on trips out of town and one occurred while landing at home. We do not leave home without our spare tubes.
 
im having some fun with the nose wheel tube replacement.
any trick that you guys know of to not pinch the tube when assembling the rim halves?


After having 3 main flats on our RV7a in the last 2 years, I now carry a spare main tube as well as a nose wheel tube in the baggage stuff. Two of the flats occurred on trips out of town and one occurred while landing at home. We do not leave home without our spare tubes.
 
im having some fun with the nose wheel tube replacement.
any trick that you guys know of to not pinch the tube when assembling the rim halves?

Some wood blocks and a couple of big c-clamps will do the trick.

I also carry a main and nose tube, would not leave home without them. :)
 
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im having some fun with the nose wheel tube replacement.
any trick that you guys know of to not pinch the tube when assembling the rim halves?

I cut a piece of thin cardboard or other thick paper about 2 inches wide and length equal to the rim circumfrence. I place the tube in the tire, place the tire on one rim side, place the paper / cardboard between the tube and rim, tuck the paper / cardboard inside the top of the tire, slide the top rim half down leaving the paper / cardboard inside the tire. Works great.

I have also found that flats occur more frequently when I allow air pressure to drop. Thus, I monitor tire pressure and maintain high pressure - never had a flat when I have maintained pressure. I believe lower pressure allows the tube to get pinched between the tire and rim upon landing.
 
Green Slime

Been using this in my airplanes and motorcycles for years, never had a flat, never carried a spare even in the Backcountry.

Works great. Sold at the Wal Mart aviation dept.

Smokey

http://www.slime.com/
 
I lightly (barely) inflate the tube inside the tire and then insert the wheel halves. Keeps the tube from being caught in the seam (it just rides over it)

im having some fun with the nose wheel tube replacement.
any trick that you guys know of to not pinch the tube when assembling the rim halves?
 
Desser tubes

im having some fun with the nose wheel tube replacement.
any trick that you guys know of to not pinch the tube when assembling the rim halves?

Desser now sells a leakgard (sp) tube for our noses. I just installed one the other weekend and after inflating the tube with no valve stem in the tube it fit perfect. The tube is a lot smaller than the chen-shing piece of junk so there is no pinching involved. With the new tube it was as easy as the mains.

Vans sells these tube also.
 
I'm amazed by the number of failures some people are having. What sort of causes are you seeing? Pinched tubes, punctures, valve stems? I have had exactly one flat tire in 15000+ hours, and that one was easily explaned, an anti-skid failure on one (of four) main gear wheels on an airliner. A non-issue, since there was already a "spare" installed. :rolleyes:

John Clark ATP, CFI
FAAST Team Representative
EAA Flight Advisor
RV8 N18U "Sunshine"
KSBA
 
I'm amazed by the number of failures some people are having. What sort of causes are you seeing? Pinched tubes, punctures, valve stems? I have had exactly one flat tire in 15000+ hours, and that one was easily explaned, an anti-skid failure on one (of four) main gear wheels on an airliner. A non-issue, since there was already a "spare" installed. :rolleyes:

I picked up a piece of safety wire that went through the tire into the tube.
Lucky I was at home.
 
I'm amazed by the number of failures some people are having. What sort of causes are you seeing? Pinched tubes, punctures, valve stems? I have had exactly one flat tire in 15000+ hours, and that one was easily explaned, an anti-skid failure on one (of four) main gear wheels on an airliner. A non-issue, since there was already a "spare" installed. :rolleyes:

John Clark ATP, CFI
FAAST Team Representative
EAA Flight Advisor
RV8 N18U "Sunshine"
KSBA

I have had at least 4 flats I can remember. It got to the point it was predictable. Always the same - tube pinched between rim and tire after pressure allowed to decrease. Last one I noticed the tire looked low on pressure during preflight but wanting to get out before bad weather with icing prevented escape, I took off with the intention of adding air upon landing. I knew I was at risk for a flat. Sure enough, tube pinched upon landing and tire went flat by the time I reached the FBO.
Bottom line is keep your pressure up and your incidence of flats will decrease significantly - in my case my incidence of flats with 45-60 psi has been zero. I don't even need a guage to tell if it is low on pressure just looking at the tire one can see if it is less than 45 psi.
 
I have had at least 4 flats I can remember. It got to the point it was predictable. Always the same - tube pinched between rim and tire after pressure allowed to decrease. Last one I noticed the tire looked low on pressure during preflight but wanting to get out before bad weather with icing prevented escape, I took off with the intention of adding air upon landing. I knew I was at risk for a flat. Sure enough, tube pinched upon landing and tire went flat by the time I reached the FBO.
Bottom line is keep your pressure up and your incidence of flats will decrease significantly - in my case my incidence of flats with 45-60 psi has been zero. I don't even need a guage to tell if it is low on pressure just looking at the tire one can see if it is less than 45 psi.

The above is absolutely correct, keep the pressures up and you will eliminate probably 98% of the flats :D
 
ok. so leave the cardboard in the tire. no chafing or other issues? I guess its just paper really. how about balancing? does the tire need to be balanced?


I cut a piece of thin cardboard or other thick paper about 2 inches wide and length equal to the rim circumfrence. I place the tube in the tire, place the tire on one rim side, place the paper / cardboard between the tube and rim, tuck the paper / cardboard inside the top of the tire, slide the top rim half down leaving the paper / cardboard inside the tire. Works great.

I have also found that flats occur more frequently when I allow air pressure to drop. Thus, I monitor tire pressure and maintain high pressure - never had a flat when I have maintained pressure. I believe lower pressure allows the tube to get pinched between the tire and rim upon landing.
 
ok. so leave the cardboard in the tire. no chafing or other issues? I guess its just paper really. how about balancing? does the tire need to be balanced?

Yes, I just leave the cardboard in there and have not had any problems with it at all. I do not find balance trouble. I have not seen chafing. The cardboard spans the gap on the inside of the tire preventing the tube from getting pinched as the rim halves come together. I just tuck the cardboard inside the tire bead on both sides. The only break in my cardboard is for the valve stem. One key though I have found is to make sure you keep the tire pressure up or risk getting flats. If I notice tire flexing at all, the air pressure is too low for me. I maintain 45-60 psi. I have had at least 4 flats over the years and every time it was when I allowed tire pressure to drop.
 
ok. thats great. im heading to the airport this afternoon to swap tubes and will try the cardboard idea.
thanks!


Yes, I just leave the cardboard in there and have not had any problems with it at all. I do not find balance trouble. I have not seen chafing. The cardboard spans the gap on the inside of the tire preventing the tube from getting pinched as the rim halves come together. I just tuck the cardboard inside the tire bead on both sides. The only break in my cardboard is for the valve stem. One key though I have found is to make sure you keep the tire pressure up or risk getting flats. If I notice tire flexing at all, the air pressure is too low for me. I maintain 45-60 psi. I have had at least 4 flats over the years and every time it was when I allowed tire pressure to drop.
 
Leakguard Tube Info?

studied the Desser site, and Vans too. Couldn't find any "leakguard" tubes for the A model "Lamb" tire size either place. The Vans catalog talks about better leak resistance, but it's only $10, compared to $40 to $50 for Desser leakguard tubes of similar sizes. I doubt Vans is giving us that much of a break, WIWS!

Does anyone have the tube P/N for either source?
 
Instead of cardboard, I cut a 2" wide strip from a manila folder. It's still inside the front tire.
Data point - that Vans OEM nose tube sure holds air better than the main tubes.
 
studied the Desser site, and Vans too. Couldn't find any "leakguard" tubes for the A model "Lamb" tire size either place. The Vans catalog talks about better leak resistance, but it's only $10, compared to $40 to $50 for Desser leakguard tubes of similar sizes. I doubt Vans is giving us that much of a break, WIWS!

Does anyone have the tube P/N for either source?

Don't think the "leakguard" tubes are available or even necessary for the nose tire. The mains have historically used "aviation" tubes which I understand are natural rubber and prone to leakdown. The newer "leakguard" tubes are some sort of synthetic rubber which holds air much better. The nose gear tubes have always been made of the synthetic material because they have non-aviation origins.
 
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I used the manila folder as well. worked like a charm. was so easy to avoid taking a core sample of the tube (which i did the 1st time around).
I put in 50psi and a little green slime.
I have a new tire on order to be swapped at the annual and another tube to carry.
Another thing i'll be getting will be an automotive tire pressure sensor. 130$ as long as it doesnt throw the tires out of balance.
 
Leakguard Tubes

The Leakguard tubes are fantastic in my experience with them. I put a set of them on the mains of my old Cherokee in July 2008, and did not have to even add any air to them for over two years.
 
where do you get these leak guard tubes?
EDIT: ignore.. found 'em on aircraft spruce.

The Leakguard tubes are fantastic in my experience with them. I put a set of them on the mains of my old Cherokee in July 2008, and did not have to even add any air to them for over two years.
 
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