What's the best way to jack up the tail?
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- Kyle Wolfe
- Posts: 707
- Joined: Mon Mar 17, 2003 12:30 am
What's the best way to jack up the tail?
I've looked at my service manual but can't find the best/easiest way to jack up the tailwheel. How do most members do this? Do you use a bottle jack under the tailspring, build a padded yoke to cradle the tail and lift (and if so where), or what?
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- Joined: Tue Apr 23, 2002 12:11 am
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- Posts: 230
- Joined: Fri Oct 25, 2002 11:46 pm
There are a lot of thing s to be careful of and I'm sure Eric meant to mention them. I'll cover for you this time Eric, HA!
If you hoist the tail it becomes very light as you approach level and could be easy to put on its beak, Yuck!
If you put a jack under the tail you should put a board with padding between the jack and the airplane to spread out the load. Plus you should be careful to place the jack at a station where there is a bulkhead to help support the weight. Otherwise you could easily damage the skin.
Kelly
If you hoist the tail it becomes very light as you approach level and could be easy to put on its beak, Yuck!
If you put a jack under the tail you should put a board with padding between the jack and the airplane to spread out the load. Plus you should be careful to place the jack at a station where there is a bulkhead to help support the weight. Otherwise you could easily damage the skin.
Kelly
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- Posts: 2271
- Joined: Tue Apr 23, 2002 12:11 am
Thanks for covering for me Kelly! I have the later-model (swept-forward) type 180 gear on mine,so the tail doesn't get as light as one would with stock gear legs.
Bottlejack: I put the jack on the centerline of the airplane, right under a handy bolt-head at the aft end of the tailwheel bracket. This bolt is one of a bunch that hold the retrofitted later-model finger-type tailwheel bracket on. Seems plenty sturdy.
Eric
Bottlejack: I put the jack on the centerline of the airplane, right under a handy bolt-head at the aft end of the tailwheel bracket. This bolt is one of a bunch that hold the retrofitted later-model finger-type tailwheel bracket on. Seems plenty sturdy.
Eric
- Kyle Wolfe
- Posts: 707
- Joined: Mon Mar 17, 2003 12:30 am
I was gonna say: A BAS tail pull and Cornflakes, but... If I have help, I do use the tail pull; if not, I use a bottle or floor jack with a foam backed carpeting wrapped 4X4 block, placed at the last bulk head. If you need to leave the tail up, lift at the spring and insert a 5 galons pail (bottom's up) with a thick foam gardening knee pad and center under a bulkhead. JD
Just call me the "human jack" as I lift the tail with....my tail so to speak. I get the sturdy step ladder ready with padding next to the tail, then crawl under the tail until I have it in the small of my back, and then lift and crawl on all fours a few inches to get the tail over the step ladder, and then relax. No worries about where to jack or having the ship fall off the jack. I'm sure OSHA would frown on this lifting practice...but I do wear a supportive safety belt for this operation...most of the time
John, 2734C in Summit Point, WV