Lifting gear legs to replace tires

[juredd1]

I have done my work in trying to search for this answer and actually found the thread I was looking for a couple nights ago but for the life me I can't get the right search pattern right tonight.

I am wanting to put my bigger tires on the 170 and unlike the C-152 I owned I don't see a good point on the gear leg to attach a jack. I have got bits and pieces that lead me to believe I could use two blocks of wood and use a C-clamp to attach them to the leg and that I guess would give a floor jack something to hang on to. I also recall reading about something you can actually buy to do this with, found it on aircraft spruce I think but again I can't remember what I did two days ago. So any guidance would be appreciated. I just need to get one axles off the ground at a time to swap out tires and maybe pack bearing while I'm at it.


Thanks,
Justin

[T. C. Downey]

I lift all the Cessna spring gear with my engine crane, by tying a clover leaf knot around the leg down low, using a nylon strap.

[W.J.Langholz]

You can buy an adjustable one from Chief Aircraft made by Bogart. There are cheaper ones on eBay that will fit too.

http://www.chiefaircraft.com/bog-jack-pad.html



This one will fit too for $48: http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-CESSNA-150- ... 0f&vxp=mtr

These work really good. I had some scrap iron around so I made mine just like it.


W.

[bigrenna]

delete

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

With the jack pad like the yellow one shown you must line it bottom and sides with something heavy like carpet or rubber or it will scrape the paint from the gear legs.

The 2x4 and C clamps actually works really well. The secret is to not be stingy with the size of the C clamp. You want the C clamp big enough that you can put enough pressure on the 2x4s so they don't slip. Of course protecting the paint with a piece of rubber or leather pad between the 2x4s might be a good idea and help with the slippage.

[juredd1]

Thanks to all for the suggestions. I am liking the 2x4 option since I have all the needed supplies. Thus it puts a bit more money in my gas fund.

This could likely seem like a silly question but what the heck. The gear legs are something like 4 inches wide (I'm guessing), so should my piece of 2x4 be slightly wider than the legs and the C-clamp be placed on the 2x4 just to the outside of the gear leg on each end as to give plenty of room for the head of my floor jack or should the C-clamp be placed so it is compressing the 2x4 directly against the leg. A 2x4 likely won't give much in the center as long as I don't extend must past the leg when tightening the C-clamp.


Thanks,
Justin

[bigrenna]

delete

[juredd1]

I'm thinking she don't have an option. I haven't measured in a while but I think I'm going to come up on the short side of 10"-er stick.

Thanks again.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Your 2x4s should be about as about a foot long. It's not critical. Your going to need C-clamps at least 5" opening but bigger is better to a point here because larger C-clamps have a larger screw hence more surface area allowing you to tighten it harder. The end of bigger clamps is also bigger so it won't crush the 2x4 as much. Mine are probably 10" but you could probably use 6" and anything in between.

I run mine parallel on the gear, one on top and bottom so max wood area is on the gear gripping it. You should be able to catch the corner of the 2x4 with your jack or with the C-clamp screw on the top, catch the bottom of the C-clamp.

[johneeb]

[W.J.Langholz]

John were you and En ga near in you past life.....

[johneeb]

Flight Engineer, that probably counts as much as spending the night in a Holiday Inn.

I really cannot take credit for the lifting bracket it was a Christmas gift from one of my airport geezer buddies who likes to weld.

Notice where my transponder antennae is located, been there a lot of years and has been trouble free (where is the emoticon for crossed fingers?).

[C170U2]

John,

You should tell your geezer buddy to start mass producing those things! I know of at least two customers here at my home airport! We have made some pretty shaddy looking cradles out here.

Mike

[daedaluscan]

I like the look of the cradle but cant quite see if the ends reach the gear legs? I am not familiar with the gearbox structure, would this allow you to remove the gear legs while on a cradle like this?

[johneeb]

Charlie,
The ends of the cradle do not quite reach the gear leg, so (I have not yet tried it myself) you could pull the gear however it would be necessary to first remove the nut that holds the end of the gear leg before jacking the airplane.