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6.00 x 6 wheels/tires on RV-12?

rv3flier

Well Known Member
Over the years the grass strip I fly from has been getting rougher and out of 7 airport lot owners only 2 are still flying. The cost of improving the surface is a hard sell. Have any RV-12 owners installed 6.00x6 wheels/tires on their RV-12 and if so, what observations have you made between them and the stock 5.00x5 's - a significant improvement on rougher fields?
 
I run Desser 500-5 6 PLY AWBS RETREAD ELITE PREMIUM 2 GROOVE (ELITE). The private strip I operate from is pretty rough and also wet in the spring. I think this is major improvement over stock RV-12 tires.

A word of caution… adding larger/heavier tires/wheels puts additional stress on aluminum gear channel carry-through, not so much from rough ground ops, but in-flight loading. When airplane is in turbulence the spring landing gear oscillates up/down, and depending on severity, the heavy wheels will impart negative loading which can lead to crack formation at the outer clamp mounting holes.

In my opinion, a set of heavy steel plates is needed to sandwich the aluminum channel to spread force of small washer/nut that holds the outer clamp.
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Is the physical size of the Desser 500-5 6 PLY AWBS RETREAD ELITE PREMIUM 2 GROOVE (ELITE) tires actually larger than the stock 500-5's or are you operating with a lower pressure?

Also, thanks for your thoughts on the stress on the gear during flight -- not something that I'd considered.
 
Is the physical size of the Desser 500-5 6 PLY AWBS RETREAD ELITE PREMIUM 2 GROOVE (ELITE) tires actually larger than the stock 500-5's or are you operating with a lower pressure?

Also, thanks for your thoughts on the stress on the gear during flight -- not something that I'd considered.

They are larger diameter and wider. Need to make wheel fairing clearance larger to accommodate. ~32 psi g tire pressure.
 
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