Replacing Tailwheel Leafsprings

[DillanMcL]

Yup Gary I think it’s the shackle. I should have supplied them with the proper bolt or shim tube but assumed they would figure it out from my written description based in your previous recommendation. I’m still on the lookout for a real 170 shackle but it seems like this is a nearly extinct artifact now.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Dillan, it really isn't fine. As is you could be bending your main spring as it was not designed to be installed like this. Your should be able to do wheel and 3 point landings and limiting yourself to prevent damage is wrong. You could also fly your plane with 3/4 throttle max, but I'll bet you wouldn't do that.

And there is no reason you have to wait for annual to perform maintenance. The mechanic should be interested in doing this installation correctly. It is not done correctly.

The first thing you should do is jack the tailwheel of the ground. You need a good saw horse or similar with a pad. Someone with a good back can get on all 4s and using their back under the tail at the elevator, lift the tail up. Have another person place your saw horse under the fuselage right at a bulkhead and lower the tail until the fuselage at the bulkhead, is resting on the saw horse. If you don't have a person with a strong back, a hydraulic car jack under the tail bracket can be used to lift the tail. Be careful the jack does not slip out from under the spring bracket.

With the tailwheel of the ground there should be no gap between the bottom main spring and the spring above it. If there is, a C-clamp can be used to squeeze it together. Shouldn't take much effort.

Measure the distance between the shackle bolt and the spring. This is the thickness of a sleeve you need to use over the bolt to use this shackle with your spring pack held tight together

[n2582d]

Yup Gary I think it’s the shackle. … I’m still on the lookout for a real 170 shackle but it seems like this is a nearly extinct artifact now.

Preferred Air Parts show they have shackle p/n 0542108 in stock. Another - probably cheaper - alternative is to have SendCutSend make you a shackle from 4130.