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stearmansteve

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How do I jack up my RV-8? Does anyone sell a fitting for the wing tie down points? Do you slip a tapered bracket to the gear legs like used on a Cessna 180? Hang it from the engine mount? What seems to be simplest?
 
stearmansteve said:
How do I jack up my RV-8?......What seems to be simplest?
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Here is a review of the "Handy Jack" I use. Works great.

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=21087

Today, I used the "Handy Jack" to very quickly raise each wheel off the ground just high enough to position/slide pads used with electronic weight scales underneath the tires. Each wheel was raised up in less than one minute....it is that fast. As you can see in the picture, there was no need to use ramps to roll the airplane up onto the pads thanks to using the "Handy Jack."

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RV8 Jacking

The best RV8 jacking method I have seen is to put a rod in the tooling hole in the leg and use a normal sissor jack to lift it. If I can figure out how to put a picture of it I will attach it. Note put a bung in the hole to stop it filling with crud when not in use.
 
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rv8or said:
The best RV8 jacking method I have seen is to put a rod in the tooling hole in the leg and use a normal sissor jack to lift it. If I can figure out how to put a picture of it I will attach it. Note put a bung in the hole to stop it filling with crud when not in use.
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I agree but how do you get he wheel off? Isn't it caught between the gearleg and the jack?
 
Resisting the temptation to say something smart about the recent introduction of the -8, I won't do it. But -8's are different. If you're not familiar, think Cessna 170 or similar.

Now that we've got that out of the way, there's one method not mentioned that can be done almost anywhere by most people in reasonable physical condition. Having someone with wooden blocks standing by, you can lift a wheel of the ground by crouching under the wing and lifting using using your shoulders. I've done it making sure I'm under the main spar somewhere ~3-4 feet out from the attach point. Get the wheel off the ground and slip in the proper wooden blocks or stand under the end of the gear/axle assy and you're there.

It's not perfect, not for everyone, not to be done if you aren't in good shape. But it works in a pinch, or to just quickly get the wheel off the ground.

Normally, I thread a steel stud into the tiedown and use a homemade hydraulic jack to get the plane off the ground.

It all really depends on what you need to do to the plane in the first place.
 
put a steel rod in thru the INBOARD side of the gear leg

RV8or has it right, this is really simple. I use a 12-inch length of 7/16 drill rod. I don't remember, I might have had to turn the OD down a tiny bit to fit in the hole.

Stick it in the hole, put a floor jack, sizzor jack, or bottle jack if you are brave, as close to the inboard face of the gear leg as you can ( to minimize bending moment in the rod) and jack away. You can carry the rod in the plane, and anywhere you can get a jack, you are all set.
 
scsmith said:
RV8or has it right, this is really simple. I use a 12-inch length of 7/16 drill rod. I don't remember, I might have had to turn the OD down a tiny bit to fit in the hole.

Stick it in the hole, put a floor jack, sizzor jack, or bottle jack if you are brave, as close to the inboard face of the gear leg as you can ( to minimize bending moment in the rod) and jack away. You can carry the rod in the plane, and anywhere you can get a jack, you are all set.
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OK - maybe I'm having some memory recall issues. I don't recall there being a hole drilled in my gear leg. Guess I need to take a look. Mine's original Van's, circa 1999. I'm 99% sure there's no drilled hole in the leg.
 
It's covered up

Low Pass said:
OK - maybe I'm having some memory recall issues. I don't recall there being a hole drilled in my gear leg. Guess I need to take a look. Mine's original Van's, circa 1999. I'm 99% sure there's no drilled hole in the leg.
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There is a hole in the leg, but it gets covered up by the wheel pant attach bracket. You'd have to match-drill a hole in the bracket to be able to use this method. It would go right in the center of the four bolts in the picture below.

lowerbrakeline-w.jpg
 
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Geoff said:
There is a hole in the leg, but it gets covered up by the wheel pant attach bracket. You'd have to match-drill a hole in the bracket to be able to use this method. It would go right in the center of the four bolts in the picture below.
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Thanks - I'll check that out.
 
Can someone tell me how the Vans wing tie down gizzmo works. I see it is a ball but what is used to then jack the aircraft up. A trolley jack won't reach that high?

Paul
 
Thank you all for your ideas. Looks like there is something for every occasion, even useing your back if you have no tools away from home.
 
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