The International Cessna^® 170 Association

I have C170B w Scott 3200. 1954.
Want to remove tailwheel and replace main spring

How do I support airframe while trying to loosen the tail wheel bolt?

Thinking tight bolt. Long wrenches. Twisting, moving

I don't want to DROP airframe onto hanger floor.

Please Help

I lift it and block on padded blocks at a reinforcement area.

John

I used a wide stance scissor jack with a rubber cushion between the tailwheel bracket and the jack pad. I didn't have any trouble loosening the bolts at either end of the spring stack. If yours are properly torqued, I'm guessing that you won't have any trouble either. Just hold the main spring to stabilize everything while you are loosening the bolts.

Farm-boy-it.
Fifty pound sack of corn, bird feed, dog food... whatever.... on a strong box, crate, sawhorse... Squat and place horiz stab over your shoulders/back, and a buddy under the other stab.... both close to the fuselage.... lift with your legs, and have a third person slide the support beneath the fuselage as far aft as possible with the sack of corn/etc on top, to support the fuselage.

Alternative: Using a common automotive floor-jack and short stack of rubber-mats to protect the fuselage,... roll the jack beneath the tailwheel support bracket, and jack 'er up.

Third method: Using an automotive engine-lift (or chain hoist from the ceiling, etc) in conjunction with a large Strap (such as a ratchet-strap for securing cargo) , wrap the strap around the fuselage at the most convenient bulkhead (look for vertical rivet line) immediately forward of the horiz stab and lift the fuselage.

In all cases, do this inside the hangar, out of the wind, and Chock the main wheels in every instance.

Lift by the horizontal stabilizer only as a last resort! If you try this on only one side, or if the people on both sides don't lift together, you can buckle ribs. Don't ask me how I know...

The tail weighs in at around 100 pounds so it doesn't take a crane to lift it.
But 100 pounds wrongly applied to the horizontal stab can ruin your day.

I've had good luck just crawling under the fuselage and pushing up with my back and having someone block it at the tailwheel bracket.
I've only done this outside. Block the tires well and tie the wings securely.
If you need to leave the airplane without a tailwheel for any amount of time, lower it down onto the main spring with a sheet of plywood under it.
Obviously a calm weather day or two is nice to have.

Put a scale under the tailwheel sometime and you'll see that the weight on it is significantly more than the number in your weight and balance sheet. The CG of the airplane has a vertical component as well as longitudinal, is fairly high, and rotates rearward as the tail is lowered to the ground. You can actually feel it get lighter as you lift it.

I'm looking forward to using my new tail pull handles for this job.