The International Cessna 170 Association

Those are tow lugs, for use with a V-shaped tow bar and a tractor or tug. They aren't designed for vertical loads and might bend if you try it.

See this post
viewtopic.php?f=24&t=11088#p101412. Welcome to the association and good luck with your plane

captrgrant wrote:Hello all,

I’m a relatively new 170 owner and will be installing my new Aeroski 3000’s soon. My 170 has Cleveland wheels and brakes and is fitted with these plates that look like lifting rings/plates on the inside of each gear leg. Does anyone know if one side at a time can be lifted using these plate/brackets to remove my wheels and mount my skis? My plan would be to use a chain fall through the hole in the bracket to a pin below. See attached picture for reference to the bracket. Any info on what these were designed for would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Rory

Hello, Rory!
Those are tow-brackets to be used with a tow-bar specially for tailwheel aircraft. They are originally intended for an L-19 or O-1 Birddog but are genuine Cessna parts (PNs 0641102-1 and -2 for left/right). They are not intended for jacking the airplane and I’d be leery of using them for that purpose.

Thank you Gents, glad to be here.

lots on lifting the plane in here. My go to method is a webbing strop a few wraps around the gear leg (mind the brake line) and an engine hoist. It feels the most secure.

Same here Charlie, for wheel work, brakes and axles, challenge is to lift and support the plane with the gear unloaded to check the gear leg / fuselage install and the dreaded clunk.

Rory, I second the notion that those are intended to be towing rings, not lifting eyes. The 170B I have half interest in has those rings and they are bent upwards somewhat, indicating to me that they weren’t intended to support the weight of the airplane.

Hi All - Sorry I forget to update this sooner. The AP inspected the gear attachments and found no issues - including no motion in the gear legs when raised off the ground. I was out of town but was told chain hoists and straps were used to lift the plane. Thanks again, Mark

Rory, those "plates" are L19 parts, and they are for a tow bar--a big "V" shaped device with pins that go through the holes. I wish I had a tow bar like that, but I'm not a welder yet.

In answer to the original question, a great way to get the weight off of both gear legs is to lift the airplane with seaplane lifting eyes. Like Rory's towbar brackets, they're available from Air Repair in Mississippi. I realize you are looking for other solutions, but thought I'd remind everyone of this "outside of the box" method. Its obviously very handy for float changes, but also works great for any work requiring removal of a gear leg or legs.