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Lifting Tail

T

TheNewGuy

Well Known Member
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I've seen a lot of posts about jacking the plane using the wing jack points, but what about lifting the tail? The tanks are full, so I can't lift it by the stinger. It also looks like Flyboys doesn't sell the TailMate anymore, and I don't have an engine hoist at the hangar.

I just need to get the fork off for greasing the tailwheel assembly . Is it okay to lift the stinger with a floor jack/wood block combo, or is there a better/safer method? Suggestions are welcome. I don't want to screw anything up. Thanks!
 
On my -7 I just grab the bar the tailwheel is bolted to with my hand.

If you want to disassemble the tailwheel for service and would like to have a hands free experience. I would use a engine hoist and a strap like for a ratcheting tie down.
 
You can put a block under the fuselage where the access hole is for the bolt that holds the stinger in. Since the TailMate lifts by the tailwheel, it won't help you service the tailwheel fork and associated parts. You need to put a block under there somewhere and then let the jack down and out of the way.
 
I typically get a helper to make sure I don't damage the plane...or damage me. But we first kick the tailwheel to one side to release the steering from the rudder. Then you can push the rudder aside to make it easier to pick up on the tailwheel rod. One of us lifts by the rod, then the other gets around in the crouched position to put the aft end of the fuselage on their back. That sounds like it's crippling, but it's not. Then the first guy gets the wooden stand that was made for this purpose and puts it under the tailwheel. If we're doing tailwheel maintenance, we put a sandbag on the stand and let the fuselage rest on it at the thick tail cone skin by the tailwheel. The sandbag distributes the weight and stabilizes the aft end on the stand. Somebody is rolling their eyes right now, I can feel it. But that's worked for me and my hangar mate with an RV-7 that he's had for almost twenty years. Our T-hangar is pretty tight with two planes in there, so we don't have a lot of room to maneuver a hoist at that end.

The wood stand is leftover from the build, as it held the plane in the level position. It is very stable and you can move around in the plane without risk of knocking it off. I know there are hoists and jacks you can buy. One of the magazines had a do-it-yourself version of a hoist that I think is online somewhere. It was either in Sport Aviation or Kitplanes. It was pretty slick and did the lifting part. But if you're going to be inside the plane, you need something more stable to let it rest on. It's kind of like working on a car: you can use a jack to lift it, but you really should have jack stands if you're going to be under it. Or IN it, as our case may be.
 
Thanks DW. I was able to those steps until the lifting part. I just can't lift via the stinger. its far to heavy since I have full tanks at the moment.
 
My 8 I can just pick it up by the stinger and put a jack stand with pad on it under the stinger. I've used a floor jack to semi-level the plane, but I'm always afraid of the airplane tipping forward-probably not justified but it seems like there's so little weight on the tail. When it's level for W&B purposes I seem to remember there's only like 40lb on the tailwheel?
 
Gino230 said:
My 8 I can just pick it up by the stinger and put a jack stand with pad on it under the stinger. I've used a floor jack to semi-level the plane, but I'm always afraid of the airplane tipping forward-probably not justified but it seems like there's so little weight on the tail. When it's level for W&B purposes I seem to remember there's only like 40lb on the tailwheel?
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Not sure if it's because of the full tanks but it's very heavy to lift by the stinger. With half tanks my A&P was able to lift by the stinger.
 
The worst thing you’ll screw up if you lift it manually is your back - even by pushing the rudder out of the way, you’re doing a twisting lift with your back and not your knees. Yeah, I did it that way for years until I got a Tailmate.

I understand they are not obtainable right now, so think about a floor jack used the way Steve Smith described - the area where the tailwheel stinger bolts in to the fuselage is pretty dense. When I lift the tail with the Tailmate, and then am going to work on the wheel, I set the plane on a pad on a low stool right at that point - been doing it with various RV’s for years with no sign of damage.
 
The funny thing is, even if you have a Tailmate / Tail Lift, you still need to lift the tailwheel 1/2" to slip the "trolley" underneath the wheel. I suggest lifting weights, it's helped me develop a strong back. ;)
 
Get a 12 - 24 in strap and lift it high enough to have the tailwheel sit on a 12" step stool. The strap gives you more leverage without bending your body and possibly hurt your back.
Then the tailwheel is light enough to lift it by yourself. If you pivot the tailwheel until it swings free, the rudder can be pushed away to give you more leverage.

Personally, I don't have problem lifting the RV8 with full fuel, and the canopy pushed to the rear. I could lift it and set the tailwheel onto a step stool and lift it the whole way to have it rest on a saw horse without using the strap. It is like doing dead lift but the RV8 is like a lighter weight.
 
I used to lift by the stinger and put a small stand under the fuse at the bulkhead, until I saw a pic on VAF where someone built their own lift. I copied the idea and made my own out of scrap 2x4's, plywood and a cheap manual strap winch and casters from Amazon. No more breaking the back.
 
RV7 To Go said:
. . . until I saw a pic on VAF where someone built their own lift.
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That was Sam's lift which you can find here. I have an actual Tail Mate, but Sam's wooden version would make for a perfect weekend project. I can't count the number of times I've needed to lift the tail, most often much higher than what a milk crate or a sawhorse can accomplish; thus, the tail lift is really a hangar essential.
 
Scott Chastain said:
That was Sam's lift which you can find here. I have an actual Tail Mate, but Sam's wooden version would make for a perfect weekend project. I can't count the number of times I've needed to lift the tail, most often much higher than what a milk crate or a sawhorse can accomplish; thus, the tail lift is really a hangar essential.
Click to expand...
Thank you, Scott. Here is the link for the entire thread:

Wood Tailwheel Lift ver. 2.0

Refined the wood tailwheel lift to make it easier to roll the aircraft's tailwheel into position. The bottom of the dolly was originally wood but it's been replaced with steel angle and plate which sits at floor level. It's amazing how well such a simple device works. :)
vansairforce.net
 
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