The International Cessna 170 Association

As someone who paid his way through college and flight school working as a mechanic, and as a graduate of the Toyota rear-axle overhaul and repair school at their Houston technology center, and having rebuilt and repaired for the Toyota factory untold numbers of rear axles including setting the bearing preloads on those differentials and axles using dial indicators and specially calibrated torquemeters and computerized Gleeson machines.... I think I can recall the basics of bearing preloads on wheel bearings.
Can't remember that girl's name I met in Orlando tho'...

I am always amazed at the amount of collective knowledge we have here at the forum.

Need a rocket scientist, we've got one.

N9149A wrote:I am always amazed at the amount of collective knowledge we have here at the forum.

Need a rocket scientist, we've got one.

MILES!

oh oh...me too!!! (rocket scientist that is) OK ok, the degree says "aerospace engineer" but rocket science sounds sooo much cooler...

I know just enough about rocket science to be truly dangerous. (Ya wanna motor that develops as much thrust as a 170, but only weighs a pound or two? We got 'em.)

My sheepskin says "Electrical Engineer" but the vast majority of my career has been applied to controls and instrumentation involved in testing rockets. I agree though, "Rocket Scientist" sounds kinda cool!

Miles

Well Dip me in S--- and call me "Stinky"! Who woudda thought an old geezer like me coudda learned something new about wheel bearings at my age.
I'll probably keep on doing it the way I always have though, just to see if I can get one to fail before I die.

Hey, Dick! Ain't YOU and ME both Rock-ette Sciontists? I vaguely re-member studyin' those long-legged girls. YOu think we cud git a JOB doin' that????

Now George, you just had to think that when we talk about serious things. I do happen to know a former Rockette .

John

n3833v wrote:Now George, you just had to think that when we talk about serious things. I do happen to know a former Rockette .

John

I thot thet's whut i wuz payed by awl yew guys so much to do....theenk!

gahorn wrote:I thot thet's whut i wuz payed by awl yew guys so much to do....theenk!

To paraphrase Bruce's signature: We get what we pay for.

Miles

Getting back to the original subject (about my 170 handling), I landed at Grawunder (06R) yesterday, it is 30 feet wide, normally not a huge deal but narrow enough to get your undivided attention, there is no way I would have landed there in the past. Before, even though I always strive to keep the airplane exactly on centerline, I could never trust the airplane to track where I wanted it, sometimes it would make an uncontrollable excursion of 10-15 feet. Now it tracks where I point it. Wheel landings which were always squirrely are now actually easier than the three point. I am digging on the new utility of my airplane!

If anyone is having trouble withn the ground handling I would sure recommend checking the alignment.

Now I wonder where I can find one of those Rockettes?

David

When you land at the Petit Jean 170, don't pay any attention to the scoring judges lined up beside the runway.

cessna170bdriver wrote:I know just enough about rocket science to be truly dangerous. (Ya wanna motor that develops as much thrust as a 170, but only weighs a pound or two? We got 'em.)

Miles

That motor sounds pretty good. What's the range on one of those?

I've found the wheel alignment discussions very interesting. My 140 tires were getting old, wearing and needing replacement. The left side was wearing quite a bit on the inside, and the right side wearing on the inside but not anywhere near as much. I bought a set of Condors, same as the old ones, and a 10' long piece of 8" channel for a straight edge. Used the greased garbage bag method, though I think next time I'm going to try the newspaper method. I measured the toe and found both sides had 5/16" toe-out. the airplane always seemed to handle fine, no tendency to swerve or chase geese in the grass on either side of the runway. I figure that since the toe was the same amount of way out on both sides, it balanced things out. I adjusted the toe with the new tires to about 1/32" toe-in on each side. It should still handle good and the tires oughta wear better. Tire pressure wise, it's had between 32-35 psi in the mains since restoration last year. I've reduced that to 22 psi, 16 is the factory spec but I don't want to go there in one swoop. Now I just need the snow and hurricane winds to move on so I can see how she handles.

Reading through SLN-56 I'm curious about the admonition:

"In making the shim installation, it is very important that the shim be installed correctly, that is, with the thickest corner forward and down."

I found that it would be impossible to reach any toe-in at all if the thick corner was always down and forward. To move the front of the wheel inboard the thick corner has to be in the back.

tye

Re-read the SLN. The 170 beginning position is forward and UP.