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ROUND GEAR (RV-4,6 ) Jacking Kit

RV-4

Well Known Member
Hello All

This year at Oshkosh I bought the Round Gear Jacking Kit that had been advertised here on VAF from Flyboys Accessories as I thought that it was a fine little gadget that could save a lot of grieve while on the road ...

Well today I decided that it was time to put it on and as such I got to work jacking the airplane and got this show on the road..

To make a long story short...it didn't fit...as least not on my -4 with its present set up....

So I will be interested in seeing pictures of anyone's work on how you guys did it if possible

My RV-4 is an early model ( 582 ) so the lower gear set up might be different.

Thanks

Bruno
[email protected]
 
What I do

I have mine on blocks now. I simply remove the axle nut, insert my 1/2 drive Snap On breaker bar handle first, jack that up with a small floor jack. I slip the wheel out on the bar, put a couple pieces of wood under the axle and lower. Remove wheel service and repeat. Easy, simple and nothing fancy. I have though wished I had something I could travel with...my engineering wheels are working on this.
 
Bruno,

Can you send me a photo of your lower gear area? Or share it in this thread?

Thx,
Vince

Flyboy senior, the old man.
 
Tire Change on the road

With no equipment (just some wood blocks) I have found 2 young or 3 old people under the wing can use their backs to pop up the plane to spin off the tire and get the blocks under the Axle whilst you fix the tire (don't forget one of those mini bike pumps to put the air back in)

May be of help
 
RV-4 ROUND GEAR

Hello Gents.

Donnie (AvengerBoss ): I responded to your e-mail, thanks

Vince: I'm off overseas tomorrow for work but will try to take pictures of my gears over the week end and will send them to you.

It is a nice gadget and I sure will like to get it to work...Might take a little work but I'm pretty sure I will eventually get it to work.

Cheers

Bruno
 
I have mine on blocks now. I simply remove the axle nut, insert my 1/2 drive Snap On breaker bar handle first, jack that up with a small floor jack. I slip the wheel out on the bar, put a couple pieces of wood under the axle and lower. Remove wheel service and repeat. Easy, simple and nothing fancy. I have though wished I had something I could travel with...my engineering wheels are working on this.

How about one of the aluminum Porche jacks, and make a heavy-duty handle for the tow-bar. Use the handle in place of the extension and the light jack...
 
bottle jack?

I'm curious why nobody said he/she uses the jacking point that is built into the wing. The thread is for a standard hardware bolt if you don't have the ring tie downs.

I put the jack on a sturdy piece of wood which is placed on an old auto wheel. There is sufficient range in a small hydraulic jack to raise the wing far enough to get the wheel off the ground.

I haven't had to do this other thing in a long time but a well-cushioned saw-horse under the front of the fuselage can easily hold the whole airplane's weight. Mine is an A model but with a little extra finessing I think you could do it with a tail dragger, too.

What am I missing here?
 
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I'm curious why nobody said he/she uses the jacking point that is built into the wing. The thread is for a standard hardware bolt if you don't have the ring tie downs.

I put the jack on a sturdy piece of wood which is placed on an old auto wheel. There is sufficient range in a small hydraulic jack to raise the wing far enough to get the wheel off the ground.

I haven't had to do this other thing in a long time but a well-cushioned saw-horse under the front of the fuselage can easily hold the whole airplane's weight. Mine is an A model but with a little extra finessing I think you could do it with a tail dragger, too.

What am I missing here?

Not really missing anything. That'll work, but...I've seen people bend tie down rings by jacking with them. For on the road:

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=168845&highlight=jack+point

Cheap, cheerful, easy.

Ed Holyoke
 
On both my 4 and 7, I wrapped electrical tape around the gear leg just above the bend and installed a gear (hose) clamp around the gear leg (a wide one not the narrow one) with the screw at the bottom. This fits under the wheel pant intersection fairing below the gear leg fairing and can be left on the plane. Then just use a jack under the screw head of the clamp to raise the plane far enough to remove the wheel. Has worked like a charm for the last 6 years and many tire changes.
 
Have done the same to on my Rockets for many year although haven?t used tape
Works great ,have also done the same on other than round gear legs
 
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