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Tailwheels..... Do they work ?

mike newall

Well Known Member
Sponsor
Our 7 is 11 years old, we have had the original, an alternate, a forked unit etc.

We still get plagued by lack of steering or shimmy.

The two are not necessarily connected btw. The locking pin gets gummed up with grease.

How are people maintaining their tailwheel units ? Grease, no grease. Oil, no oil ?

Is this an ongoing 3 monthly maintenance issue - just wash it out with solvent and re oil ?

Our problem is we are training new guys onto the aeroplane ( new gals are welcome ) - phew.... got away with that one :cool:

Suggestions most welcome.

Mike
 
tail wheels

my rv-3 has original non-swiveling tail wheel.
tracks straight,no shimmy and is easily steerable with rudder pedals. maintenance free between annuals.no dislikes. some times simple is better.
just my experience. lawrence
 
Been there, done that...

Can't decide whether it is tail or main wheel shimmy at the mo....

Think it is tailwheel...
 
Condition inspection

I do not have any shimmy or control issues on my -7 but did once have the pin stick causing interesting landing and taxi. Since then I have followed the threads on here and disassemble and clean every condition inspection and check the pin for burrs. I use a light coating of the white lithium wheel bearing grease that comes in a tube. No trouble since.
I have the standard chain set-up with slack in the chains, the bell fork and the flyboy accessories lightweight tailwheel and control arm with tiedown.

I do get shimmy from the main gear sometimes on hard surfaces and I do not have the wooden dampeners (did the Dan Checkoway foam thing back then), generally a tap on the brakes stops it.
Just one data point.
Figs
 
Initially had a sticking issue on our -8. Cleaned up burrs and took the pin to a Scotch Brite wheel.

Clean and lubriplate grease at annual and no further problems for 7 years and 750 hrs...
 
Tail Wheel maintainace

Every oil change remove tail wheel fork and clean, deburr and grease the little spring and pin. Every oil change.
 
Once we initially cleaned up the pins on ours, they all get serviced annually with a quick disassemble, inspection, grease, and re-assemble. They never give us any trouble in between these inspections.
 
Mine does get sticky between inspections. I've taken to just squirting some LPS-2 in there every once in a while, does the trick.
 
Been there, done that...

Can't decide whether it is tail or main wheel shimmy at the mo....

Think it is tailwheel...

Is it kicking you in the pedals? If not, it's probably the mains.

The tailwheel typically only shimmies if the vertical pivot shaft is no longer vertical... or vertical enough as it can vary. Often this can be from bent parts, such as the spring. You can re-bend the spring to fix it... carefully... in a press. BE CAREFUL, lest the spring sproing out and smite thee.

The control arm and pin are wear items. Even if you live in the U.K. and pay ridiculous shipping and VAT, they are still cheap compared to loss of steering or shimmy or other mishaps.

Blake has tech tips on his website. www.flyboyaccessories.com
 
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