Tailwheel mounting question.

[mhorowit]

I've put my fuselage back on it's legs and tailwheel so I can move it around easier.
Please see the attached pic I got off the forum. Is there supposed to be some shim or padding between the spring and the "U" shaped bracket (see the arrow)?
I have about a 1/4" or slightly more gap and wonder if I misplaced a rubber bumper or something.

- MikeH

[Carl E. Carson]

Re: Tailwheel mounting question.

Typically there is a piece of webbing/belting material, at least that what mine had.

Carl

[mhorowit]

Re: Tailwheel mounting question.

So I could probably stuff a piece of tire/heavy rubber in there with no ill effect? - MIke

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Tailwheel mounting question.

Both of mine had a piece of hard rubber. I would think a piece of webbing would hold water against the steel and cause it to rust.
Mike, did you make sure the bushing didn't fall out at the front hole? (not related to the gap) There is a short piece of tube in the fuselage to keep the bolt from tilting back and forth. REALLY easy to have it fall out and not notice. I KNEW it was there and spent a LOOOOOOONG time sweeping my hand across the grass trying to find it when I dropped it. Danged thing BOUNCED ON GRASS! Found it several feet away. DON'T leave that bushing out!!! Your spring will rock back and forth on landing and make your roll our REALLY EXCITING, not to mention messing your tail wheel tire up pretty bad. When you pull your tail spring to the side it SHOULD NOT DEFLECT!
Hank

[Ragwing nut]

Re: Tailwheel mounting question.

There is suppose to be a piece of hard rubber in there. Should be 3 dimples in the clapm that help hold it in place.

Mike

[mulwyk]

Re: Tailwheel mounting question.

Mike;
When I took my tailwheel spring off I found what looked like a "rubber pad" in that location. On closer examination it turned out to be a bicycle inner tube, folded several times and then wrapped in black friction tape! Not exactly a FAA PMA part, but it's been doing the job for several decades.

[flyguy]

Re: Tailwheel mounting question.

Radiator hose. LOL
DC

[Dick Smith]

Re: Tailwheel mounting question.

Rectangular piece of bicycle tire tread or rubber conveyor belt material. Dick

[VictorBravo]

Re: Tailwheel mounting question.

IMHO there should be a piece of rubber between the upper spring and the bottom of the fuselage. I used a piece of 1/16 or 1/8 inch baffle seal rubber.

Remove the springs/clamp/bolt and either powder coat or "Kal-Gard" (gun coating) the springs and hardware against corrosion.

I reassembled mine with thin rubber between the clamp and lower spring, and baffle seal rubber above the spring. So far it works great but I do not have a lot of time on it yet.

[tawadc95]

Re: Tailwheel mounting question.

I went to my local auto parts store and bought a rubber engine mount and used a coping saw to cut to fit slightly oversized so when I tightened the clamp down it swelled the rubber tight enough to stay in place. many landings and still working.

[Forrest Barber]

Re: Tailwheel mounting question.

The Parts book SHOWS the pads A-5018 used top and bottom at that location . It is necessary to relieve shock to the system. New ones are out of existense, maybe the factory has them now. I use the rubber from cast off Cont. intake hoses . Leather is good . any good apdding works., probably NOT a folded over bicycle tube.

[mhorowit]

Re: Tailwheel mounting question.

youse guys have sparked my imagination.
rubber coupling with about 2"ID for coupling two pieces of PVC - MIke

[Len Petterson]

Re: Tailwheel mounting question.

Mike does the rubber copling has good amount of cord in it?
It maybe is to soft to use and will brake up.
What is the plumber in me speaking.
Tire or rubber belting sounds better.
On KZU there is a rubber between the fuselage and the front mount of the spring as well.
Len

[Ron Coleman]

Re: Tailwheel mounting question.

I don't know what the original material was, but in the auto industry at that time shock pads between the frame and body, many places in the spring impact points etc., the companies used pads cut from old tires. They used the sidewalls of the tires, not the tread areas. A material almost identical to those old pads can be cut (as Dick Smith said) from rubber conveyer belts. Some of the new corded plastic belts are vastly superior. They won't "jelly" out and whey won"t retain water. Where these belts are used in the food industry for transporting, sorting and cleaning vegatables and the like, they are discarded before they wear out. You can usually get a bunch for hauling it away. I use it for sealling my barn doors to keep the snow out.

and on my tailwheel springs.

RonC

[astjp2]

Re: Tailwheel mounting question.

Univair P# U30541-002 is the aft spring mount pad rubber for the cub, its real close to the taylorcraft...

http://univairparts.com/pma/search.php