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DougG

Member
Hi, just wondering if anyone has put 6 inch wheels on a RV-6 and if so what wheel pants did they use? Does the RV-10 use 6 inch wheels?
Doug.
 
Do a search for larger tires

380 x 150 x 5 tires are the same tire OD as 600 x 6 tires and you won't have to change wheels. A number of people on this forum have made this swap. The larger tires will fit in the pressure recovery style wheel pants. Recap 380s can be purchased from Wilkerson tire for about $55@ delivered.

Larry Tompkins
N544WB RV-6A
W52 Goheen Field
Battle Ground, WA
 
Larry, what is the advantage of your method? I am "assuming" that the 6.00x6 tires are a larger diameter which could be beneficial on some surfaces.
 
There are several threads on the forum regarding these larger tires. The main advantage is using the stock wheels, but getting a larger-diameter tire, but apparently narrow enough to not cause interference issues with the stock pants.

If you want to go to anything larger, Richard Squires (works with Harmon Lange, and they make all of Van's round gear legs) can make you a set with a slightly longer (1") axle, and you have a lot more options for wheels and tires. I've been using 800 x 6 tires (no pants of course) on my 9 in the summers when I'm in northern BC/Yukon.

Greg
 
HI again,
I was just looking for a little more ground clearance for the prop I was planning to use.
Are you saying the stock axle is not long enough to mount the 6 inch wheel?
thanks Doug
 
DougG said:
HI again,
Are you saying the stock axle is not long enough to mount the 6 inch wheel?
thanks Doug
Click to expand...

I was unable to find a 6" wheel that would fit the standard axle. 1.25" axles are not a particularly common size.

If all you are looking for is the clearance, I would suggest the simplest route is to go to the 380x150x5 tires on the stock wheels.

Greg
 
380 tires

Doug, I am using new 380-150 x 5 tires and I am very pleased with them.They will give you more clearance but not the options that 6.00 wheels will offer.Richard will make custom gear legs for you and I found Langair great to work with when I had them make me a custom nose gear leg. Ron
 
thanks for the info, I have 6 inch cleavlands on my Pacer and pretty sure it 1.25 axle but won't swear to it. would anyone know what height the center of axle is with the 380 tires so I can do some measuring for prop clearance.
Thanks'
Doug.
 
Doug,
Our 1 & 2 place RVs use 5" wheels. These wheels call for 1.25" diameter axles and wheel bearings. 6" wheels call for 1.5" diameter axles and wheel bearings. Aside from the RV8, with it's flat spring main gear, obtaining 1.5" axles would require purchase and installation of special main gear legs with 1.5" axles.
I'm sure if you did some research, that you could find wheel bearings with the 1.25" ID. That "might" [width of wheel issue mentioned above] allow use of the 6" wheels on your standard gear legs. Paul Trotter mentions in the thread linked below, that Grove makes 6" wheels for use with 1.25" axles. See

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=9133&highlight=wheels

Hopefully, Paul will chime in here with how that turned out. Using the larger tires as has been mentioned previously, would probably be the easiest solution.

Charlie
 
HI, thanks I was looking at the Grove wheels but if the cleavlands off my Pacer fit I would go that way. I'm pretty sure it has 1.25 axle but if not I don't think it would be to hard to whip up a spacer on the lathe as long as the axle is long enough for the wider wheel.
Thanks for the link, don't know how I missed it in the search.
Doug.
 
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Matco makes 6" wheels for a 1.25" axle (that's what I have), but your choice is pretty limited (was when I was buying two years ago). Call or email George Happ at Matco ([email protected]) and ask him (their website is pretty horrible in terms of finding information) - he's very willing to help out and a great guy.

After thinking about it a bit, their smaller 6" wheel might fit on a standard RV axle. Mine, being for the larger 800x6 tires, has a spacer between the rims, so without that spacer, perhaps the two rims would fit.

Greg
 
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