SonexBuilders.net

I have a Waiex tail wheel spring that has bent slightly over the last 200 hrs and many landings. The "Kip" tailwheel assembly is starting to scrape the ground a bit over bumps.

Question - is it possible to remove the bolt and rotate the spring 180 degrees?
Can you get to the bolt through the top or the bottom?
Inspection is coming so all the panels will come off soon. The other option is to bend it back to shape. Is the steel holder strong enough?
I have put a small wire spool under it and stood on the spring. It may be possible but I don't want to hurt anything.

I probably have about 400 landings on it and some have not been "greased on"!

Paul
N148YX

I bent my tailwheel spring during a rough landing. I couldn't just rotate it 180 since the hole had been drilled off center. I removed the spring rod and had it straightened in a hydraulic press. The guy who did it actually overbent it just slightly and it stayed straight after that.

Paul,
If you have drilled the holes perfectly centered and perpendicular to each other then you should be able to flip the spring. Mine - no way!

The emerging problem in my tailspring is the fuse end hole is starting to wallow and I can rotate the rod/tailwheel assembly slightly. I think I might shim the hole with some .005" stainless shim stock. I used same to remove the slop between the spring rod and the tubes it slots into.

I am not the builder so have no idea of the precision of the drilling. I do have access to a hydraulic press so will plan on that and see if I "luck out" and get the bolt in "the other way". Something to do during inspection that I have to get an A&P to do. My fuse end hole seems to be tight. I do not notice any movement when moving the plan in and out by the tailwheel.

I shimmed mine with epoxy.

pgerhardt wrote:I am not the builder so have no idea of the precision of the drilling. I do have access to a hydraulic press so will plan on that and see if I "luck out" and get the bolt in "the other way". Something to do during inspection that I have to get an A&P to do. My fuse end hole seems to be tight. I do not notice any movement when moving the plan in and out by the tailwheel.

You could possibly flip the rod end for end, rotate 90 degrees and re-drill both holes. I doubt just rotating it 180 will align it.

pgerhardt wrote:I am not the builder so have no idea of the precision of the drilling. I do have access to a hydraulic press so will plan on that and see if I "luck out" and get the bolt in "the other way". Something to do during inspection that I have to get an A&P to do. My fuse end hole seems to be tight. I do not notice any movement when moving the plan in and out by the tailwheel.

I know of one Sonex owner who bent his main gear leg and bent it back with a press. Been going strong for many many landings since. Both are made of titanium.

mike.smith wrote:

pgerhardt wrote:I am not the builder so have no idea of the precision of the drilling. I do have access to a hydraulic press so will plan on that and see if I "luck out" and get the bolt in "the other way". Something to do during inspection that I have to get an A&P to do. My fuse end hole seems to be tight. I do not notice any movement when moving the plan in and out by the tailwheel.

I know of one Sonex owner who bent his main gear leg and bent it back with a press. Been going strong for many many landings since. Both are made of titanium.

Those titanium gear legs are a great. Very tough and good fatigue resistance. If it gets bent, you can bend it back and it doesn't seem to matter. Sonex could have saved some money by using a lesser material, but that is one feature that helped to sell me on the brand.

Bent mine couple of years ago. Got okay from Sonex to straighten it and did so by simply clamping one end in large bench vise and slipping length of pipe over the other end and yanking it back to straight. Been fine since.

Also for those asking about do-it-your-self 6" tail wheel, used a Colsun Performa round tread caster wheel # 5.00006.5PS that only cost about $15. This is a plastic hub wheel that happens to come standard with two sealed precision ball bearings, better bearings than in many pricey wheels sold as "tail wheels" . Tread is polyurethane. It has stood up well over time, 185 hours, and survived that spring bending incident without damage. Bracket was made from one piece of 0.100 thick 4130 steel folded to shape with only minor welding along edges where folded back on itself. Drawings of wheel and bracket on request.

David A.