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  #1  
Old 06-27-2022, 04:22 PM
DMFenster DMFenster is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Woodbridge, VA
Posts: 129
Default Tailwheel Castor
So I have been having issues with controllability when the tail comes down on my 8. I recently went on a long trip and mounted a gopro under a wing to grade my landings. I noticed my tailwheel would shimmy when it touched down. I reached out to this guy:
Blake Frazier @ Flyboy Accessories
He suggested changing my tailwheel angle so the nut points aft. My tailwheel nut tilted forward about 4 degrees.
So I bought a HF tubing bender and put about an 8 degree bend in my TW spring - now my tailwheel nut tilts aft about 4 degrees. Huge difference. If anybody wants to bend theirs, I am in Culpeper VA (KCJR). Let me know and we can bend yours.

Dave


ᐧ
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  #2  
Old 06-27-2022, 06:53 PM
Scott Hersha Scott Hersha is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Posts: 2,286
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I didn’t know you could bend those springs that much permanently. Good to know. I know that the tailwheel bolt is supposed to have a negative castor, but don’t know that I’ve ever seen it on an RV, except the RV14 that has a more robust, and curved (I believe) tail spring - at least the one RV14 TD I saw at Oshkosh had one. It may not have been a stock unit.

I don’t think I’ve ever had the tailwheel shimmy, but I have broken one of those steering links, so maybe there was a shimmy right at first after landing. I know that my landings were better, and easier with the broken (removed) steering link - waiting for a new one. I eventually went to the ugly door springs and it was an instant improvement.
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SH
RV6/2001 built 2000/sold 2005
RV8 Fastback/2008 built/sold 2015
RV4/bought 2016/sold/2017
RV8/2018 built/Sold(sadly)
RV4/bought 2019/sold2021
RV6/Used kit purchased 2021 building
Cincinnati, OH/KHAO
JAN2022
Last edited by Scott Hersha : 06-27-2022 at 08:22 PM.
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  #3  
Old 06-27-2022, 07:02 PM
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Jpm757 Jpm757 is offline
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Sherman, CT
Posts: 1,059
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O.P.'s fix is exactly what I did and it eliminated my t/w shimmy.
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Jake
RV6 #20477 completed 1991 sold.
RV7 #72018 N767T first flight 11/21/2017
(KOXC)Oxford, CT, (0NY0)North Creek, NY.
1941 J3 Cub skis, floats.
Current Project Javron Super Cub
Thank You Doug!
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  #4  
Old 06-27-2022, 10:40 PM
mr.sun mr.sun is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Wet, Western Washington
Posts: 215
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I did the tailspring bend a while back using a HF 12 ton tubing bender. The smallest die worked great. Now I have a hydraulic bender sitting in my shop with just one use. Too heavy to ship.
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  #5  
Old 06-28-2022, 06:18 AM
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smithflys23 smithflys23 is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Jupiter
Posts: 303
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For those of you that have done this, how did you bend the spring to ensure the tail wheel remains perpendicular to the ground, and not canted off left or right?
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  #6  
Old 06-28-2022, 02:01 PM
DMFenster DMFenster is offline
 
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Location: Woodbridge, VA
Posts: 129
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Leave the tailwheel on and let it hang. Check with a level.
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  #7  
Old 06-28-2022, 02:18 PM
DMFenster DMFenster is offline
 
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Location: Woodbridge, VA
Posts: 129
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This was good reading for me...

https://inspire.eaa.org/2019/03/20/t...-can-go-wrong/
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  #8  
Old 06-28-2022, 06:30 PM
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smithflys23 smithflys23 is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Jupiter
Posts: 303
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DMFenster View Post
Leave the tailwheel on and let it hang. Check with a level.
That makes sense. Thanks
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