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Wheel pant install


Animosity2k

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Main wheel pants are easy 15 minutes tops and 4 screws each. Nose wheel pant on the other hand is not as easy. It requires removing the nose gear from the airplane to slip inside the fairing. Maybe an hour total if you know what you are doing. $300 seems really steep to me.

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27 minutes ago, AGLyme said:

Removing the mains is a cinch (I have the "tundras").  When/if you reinstall, use Locktite on the 4 screws... I had one back out on me... haven't had the problem since.

What page in the manual do they list how to do it on? I scoured the thing all night (even though it looked simple enough to do) and I couldn't find the section. 

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I have removed my nose wheel twice now. I made up a stand that goes just behind the firewall/engine cowling (like they describe in the service manual). Also drove a heavy steel stake into the floor just in the right place to pull down the tail. That is the main way to lift the nose wheel enough to drop the wheel/fork. The stand is a fail safe. 

6. Nose wheel hold up system.JPG

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49 minutes ago, Tom Baker said:

Main wheel pants are easy 15 minutes tops and 4 screws each. Nose wheel pant on the other hand is not as easy. It requires removing the nose gear from the airplane to slip inside the fairing. Maybe an hour total if you know what you are doing. $300 seems really steep to me.

Tom, is there any youtube video you know of that helps walk you through this? Is removing the main something you can do as an owner? 

Thanks in advance. 

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3 minutes ago, ibjet said:

I have removed my nose wheel twice now. I made up a stand that goes just behind the firewall/engine cowling (like they describe in the service manual). Also drove a heavy steel stake into the floor just in the right place to pull down the tail. That is the main way to lift the nose wheel enough to drop the wheel/fork. The stand is a fail safe. 

6. Nose wheel hold up system.JPG

How did you drive that stake into the concrete? 

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My floor is asphalt. If you have concrete you could drill a hole with a concrete drill and install a concrete anchor. That would be easier with a hammer drill, they are very reasonable now. Removing and replacing your wheel pants would not be legal for an owner to do unless he has an IA to sign off the work. I went and got a Repairman license before I took delivery of my CTSW. Then I realized I had a very good IA very active at my airport! But, he is not very familiar with LSA's. If you have mechanical aptitude, you might want to see if there is a local (maybe retired) IA that locals use for owner assisted annuals. If so, and if you can do the work, I'm sure he would inspect and sign off very reasonably. You might want to consider going to the Repairman training (I believe the standard is 16 days). Allows you to sign off your work and Annual inspections. Still the very complex service (like pulling the wings) you need to get checked out to do.

ET 

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30 minutes ago, AGLyme said:

Anim, I have a CTLS... I am not familiar with the SW, but the LS pants are incredibly straight forward.  If a mechanically challenged person like me could do it, anyone could.  PS: I like your stand idea...

I have a LS as well, and I am equally as mechanically challenged. 

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13 minutes ago, ibjet said:

My floor is asphalt. If you have concrete you could drill a hole with a concrete drill and install a concrete anchor. That would be easier with a hammer drill, they are very reasonable now. Removing and replacing your wheel pants would not be legal for an owner to do unless he has an IA to sign off the work. I went and got a Repairman license before I took delivery of my CTSW. Then I realized I had a very good IA very active at my airport! But, he is not very familiar with LSA's. If you have mechanical aptitude, you might want to see if there is a local (maybe retired) IA that locals use for owner assisted annuals. If so, and if you can do the work, I'm sure he would inspect and sign off very reasonably. You might want to consider going to the Repairman training (I believe the standard is 16 days). Allows you to sign off your work and Annual inspections. Still the very complex service (like pulling the wings) you need to get checked out to do.

ET 

Do the fairing removals / re installations need to be in the log books? What would happen if there was an entry for removal, but no one ever entered the install? 

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2 hours ago, ibjet said:

My floor is asphalt. If you have concrete you could drill a hole with a concrete drill and install a concrete anchor. That would be easier with a hammer drill, they are very reasonable now. Removing and replacing your wheel pants would not be legal for an owner to do unless he has an IA to sign off the work. I went and got a Repairman license before I took delivery of my CTSW. Then I realized I had a very good IA very active at my airport! But, he is not very familiar with LSA's. If you have mechanical aptitude, you might want to see if there is a local (maybe retired) IA that locals use for owner assisted annuals. If so, and if you can do the work, I'm sure he would inspect and sign off very reasonably. You might want to consider going to the Repairman training (I believe the standard is 16 days). Allows you to sign off your work and Annual inspections. Still the very complex service (like pulling the wings) you need to get checked out to do.

ET 

Just to be clear you do not have to have an IA for anything to do with a SLSA. Also IA privileges do not allow for supervision of work. An A&P can supervise your installation of the nose pant, or a LSRM can perform the work.

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2 hours ago, Tom Baker said:

Just to be clear you do not have to have an IA for anything to do with a SLSA. Also IA privileges do not allow for supervision of work. An A&P can supervise your installation of the nose pant, or a LSRM can perform the work.

Tom, so as an owner of an SLSA I will just need a supervisor to put my front wheel pant back on? 

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2 hours ago, Animosity2k said:

Tom, so as an owner of an SLSA I will just need a supervisor to put my front wheel pant back on? 

Owner or not, you would need a A&P to supervise if you did the work. A LSRM could also do it for you, but they can not supervise you doing the work.

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2 hours ago, Warmi said:

Just put the damn pants on and go on with your life 🙂 

Installation of the nosewheel pant requires removing the steering horn and disassembly of the nose strut from the airplane.  The steering horn is directly connected to the rudder control system. Impropper reassembly could lead to loss of the nosegear in flight and loss of rudder cable tension. It is not a simple preventive maintenance item.

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10 hours ago, Tom Baker said:

Installation of the nosewheel pant requires removing the steering horn and disassembly of the nose strut from the airplane.  The steering horn is directly connected to the rudder control system. Impropper reassembly could lead to loss of the nosegear in flight and loss of rudder cable tension. It is not a simple preventive maintenance item.

I will  pass on messing with it and let the shop do it. 

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10 hours ago, Tom Baker said:

Installation of the nosewheel pant requires removing the steering horn and disassembly of the nose strut from the airplane.  The steering horn is directly connected to the rudder control system. Impropper reassembly could lead to loss of the nosegear in flight and loss of rudder cable tension. It is not a simple preventive maintenance item.

That makes sense ... I assumed it was more like on Sting planes where you just need to disconnect the lower part of the strut without messing with the upper part that is connected to the rudder control system.

 

F0080A37-5B0A-4F67-B676-DC046A7A862A.jpeg

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