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Lifting the nose wheel/jacking

WingnutWick

Well Known Member
All,

What method have you been using to bring the nose wheel off the deck to service the wheel/break away force?

Also, how are you lifting the mains off. I have a system for my 8 but it doesn't quite work with the 10.

Thanks!
 
For my 6A, I mounted a folding ring in the concrete floor under the tail and used a block and tackle to pull the tail down. (Folding so I don’t trip on it!)
Worked great. Didn’t chock the mains, so it moved itself over the pulling point.
 
Not a bad idea, I rent the hangar so installing anything isn't an option though I could probably scrounge up enough cinder blocks to do the trick. Didn't know if anyone was jacking the nose up at any point.
 
Jacking

I'm working pants and fairings. Same problem. I needed the nose wheel off the ground. Engine made it tilt forward. The fuse is on jack stands under the center section spar. Mains are off the ground.
I had an old heavy equipment balance in the yard. Must weigh 200lbs. I put it on a dolly and positioned it under the tail tie down ring. I used a piece of chain and a mini hoist to crank the tail down. Worked great.
20220707_192831.jpg
 
What method have you been using to bring the nose wheel off the deck to service the wheel/break away force?

When I had my 9A, the guy I rented hangar space from had a huge pile of those rubber-backed carpet squares you find in office buildings, which he'd bought from a surplus sale. These were about 18" square and surprisingly heavy for their size. It was very easy to build up a stack of these on either side of the horizontal stabilizer, until the tail gently lowered itself onto a padded support. They were grippy enough that I was never worried about them sliding off unexpectedly, though as a precaution I did put a chunk of wood under the nose gear fork while servicing the wheel/tire. I don't know how easy this would be to reproduce, but it was a great setup.
 
My floor jack is a perfect fit to lift the nose by picking it up from the bottom of the nose gear leg - it lifts from under the nut.

I can’t imagine an easier way to lift it.
 
Floor jack

I also use a floor jack. I don't leave the jack as the weight-bearing support while I work. In part, that's because decades ago I was taught to never work with a jack as the support, and in part because I usually disassemble the nose gear, clean and inspect the belleville washers, shaft, etc... while it's up. Rather, I load up a HF moving dolly with paver bricks, roll that under the empennage, and use two ratchet straps around it and through the tail tie-down ring (first strap is called "belt", the second "suspenders"). Like a previous poster, I put a piece of 2 x 6 on the ground beneath the shaft.


Sure you can. On mine, the threaded shaft is the only thing that touches the jackpad.
 
I place a blanket on each side of the horizontal and put a 60# sandbag on each side (120# total). Then I use a ratchet strap from the tiedown to the floor (it doesn't take a lot of force with the sand bags) to lift the nose wheel.
 
To lift my entire 9A, I have a motorcycle lift. I built a wood box to fit on top of it and under the belly of the plane because it was not high enough just the lift. I used a piece of styrofoam with a place cut out where I had an antenna sticking down. It worked great for the 9A. The whole plane was off the ground. It was not stable enough to get in but perfect to work on the wheels.

It was near it's lifting limit on my plane at 1100 pounds. Im not sure what it was rated or what the 10 weighs so you may have to get a different model.

My problem is it is in Idaho and I am in Michigan!
 
Lift

To lift my entire 9A, I have a motorcycle lift. I built a wood box to fit on top of it and under the belly of the plane because it was not high enough just the lift. I used a piece of styrofoam with a place cut out where I had an antenna sticking down. It worked great for the 9A. The whole plane was off the ground. It was not stable enough to get in but perfect to work on the wheels.

It was near it's lifting limit on my plane at 1100 pounds. Im not sure what it was rated or what the 10 weighs so you may have to get a different model.

My problem is it is in Idaho and I am in Michigan!

I probably have the same lift. HF Aluminum Motorcycle Lift. I also built a platform from 4x6s. Its not rock stable so I bought two heavy welding stands. They are adjustable and each rated at 2500lbs. I wouldn't climb in but it's very stable.
 
I use my floor dolly with three 80 lb bags of concrete laid on top. Then I attach a ratcheted strap around the dolly and connect it to the tail tie down. I then ratchet it down until the nose wheel is 2-3” off the ground. Works great!
 
Many options

Jack vs. weighing down the tail.
I prefer to weigh down the tail over jacking up the front end.
A 5 gallon bucket full of concrete with a tie down ring serves as weight and pulls down the RV-10 tail nicely. In a rented hangar, this is a good option and the concrete bucket also serves nicely as a "table" to remove tires from the rim.
Placing a bit of extra weight on the horizontal stabilizer makes it a very easy operation. I prefer a clean and clutter free work environment around the engine compartment and nose wheel when working on it.
Making up the bucket is a one time chore and serves you for a lifetime of maintenance.
This is how I do it.
 
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