Wheel Pants

[whake]

I have a set of wheel pants and the mounting brackets all drilled and modified ready to mount and do the final fitting. I have to put the brackets on the landing gear. How should I lift my BC12D ? I have an engine hoist available and I am considering a sling around the engine mount. When I remove the two bolts in the lower landing gear, am I in for any surprise or will the bolts slip out and the new bolts slip into place without any real effort with the weight off the gear.....be prepared....be prepared Walt

[crispy critter]

Re: Wheel Pants

An engine hoist and I strap or heavy rope around the engine mount at the firewall is how I always lift any of mine. It is the safest way in my opinion however I do only lift one side at a time....make sure you chalk the tailwheel so the tail doesn't swing around when you lift the main gear up.

[3Dreaming]

Re: Wheel Pants

Make sure you put new bolts and bushings while your at it. Tom

[whake]

Re: Wheel Pants

I have new bolts, any idea what size the bushings or where they are available?? I like the idea of lifting one side at a time from the engine mount, will that relieve the pressure on the bungees?

[crispy critter]

Re: Wheel Pants

The only way to completly relieve the pressure on the bungee's is with a pocket knife(cut them off and replace with new ones when your done with what ever you need them off for).

[flyguy]

Re: Wheel Pants

Walt,
I have had my gear off and the bolts that hold the lower end together out and nothing much happens when the gear is free of the weight of the aircraft. That is, it pretty much holds it's shape, if that is what you are asking. Of course you want to have the wheel off to take that weight off the gear triangle. Sounds like you have to use the gear bolt(s?) to hold the bracket for the pants on? Never put on pants. The bungees just hold the gear up against a stop and if there is no weight on the bottom there should be minimum distortion of the triangle. Hope this helps and is what you were asking.
Darryl

[whake]

Re: Wheel Pants

That is the imformation I was looking for...I think I will tie down the tail and lift at the engine mount with a engine hoist..with both wheels slightly off the ground the bungees should be home agianst the stops and the bolt should come out easy. I will remount the wheel pants brackets with new bolts and nuts...removing the wheels sounds like a good suggestion. When I had my Beechcraft Sierra I could put th plane on jacks and check the retraction system, but this T-craft makes me do a lot more thinking. Could I put a sawhorse under the main frame as a safty feature ?

[Forrest Barber]

Re: Wheel Pants

If merely lifting her for wheel pant brackets or wheel removal for skis you can use a "wing prop" a board that fits under the strut attach point with a small vee cut in it and have someone lift and you kick the board into place to hold the wing up and the gear off the ground. . I have used a wing prop by myself with the tail tied of couse.
THEN there is the padded board trick where I use a board (2x4 or smaller) placed fore and aft placed up onto the gear between the upper gear bolts and the cord area, then jack her up with a jack placed under the board. The one we use in the shop for all low wing ships works just fine.... kiss works at all times. Hoist is fine too, but make sure you hook her back by the fuselage, don't try bending the engine mount...

[n6346m]

Re: Wheel Pants

Does the T-Craft wheel pant have a little step on the top of it or does that fit something else? Someone foud a pair of pants in an antique shop and wasn't sure what they fit.

Bob Picard

[Forrest Barber]

Re: Wheel Pants

The Consolidair pant amde in Alliance was for other aircraft too. THEY did have the step on top kind of a teardrop.

[whake]

Re: Wheel Pants

I like your suggestions Forest, I intend to study all of them. I have an engine lift that will be available in a couple of weeks but I will look real hard at using a jack.. I always felt comfortable useing wing jacks on my Beechcraft Sierra for checking the landing gear. I will have to drill a tail anchor in my hangar floor... Thanks walt

[N74DV]

Re: Wheel Pants

I realy like that wing board lift idea! so simple. I took the pants off of mine a couple weeks ago for some glass repair work and I wanted to remove the brackets on the gear and replace the bolts. I think this wing board trick ought to work just great.

[Forrest Barber]

Re: Wheel Pants

The board, the triangle stand under the gear, the jack method were all in the original manuals from the factory. I always recommend someone stand by the board at all times if possible. Good place for that noisy guy that always shows up to ask what you are doing.

[VictorBravo]

Re: Wheel Pants

An old T-craft guy at my local airport had a steel tube pole with a little "Y" welded at one end wrapped with padding. This was used as a wing support out at the strut attach. I managed to change the bungees once by myself at great personal struggle using this tool and a bungee tool.

Having one or two others to safety the whole mess is strongly recommended, per Forrest's comment.

Someone could make up a tall teepee / tripod out of cheap lumber and have a much more stable tool. Some heavy wall PVC pipe, metal conduit, etc would do the trick too.

The big safety issue is that you have to have the airplane immobilized. If you're using one board and the plane rolls even a couple of inches, it could come down and damage you or itself. A tripod would offer some resistance but not enough by itself. You GOT to have the other main wheel chocked well and the tail absolutely immobilized... NOT just a tiedown chain wrapped around the tail spring. Put the tail up on a padded sawhorse or stool, with a chain running down from the tail spring to the ground under the stool. And THEN still have the local lookie-loo holding it.

[dedrekon]

Re: Wheel Pants

There's a set of wheel pants on Ebay: Set of Wheel Covers for Taylor Craft Airplane
They look cool, but I'm not sure they're Taylorcraft....also the seller has a somewhat checkered feedback history.

V