Wheel Alignment

[jrevens]

A tailwheel tilted slightly forward will introduce a shimmy tendency....
Lowell

I agree with Lowell 100%. It is my experience, having flown many different types of taildraggers, that the swivel axis should definitely not be angled forward. This is counter-intuitive to many people, but is a fact. I believe that the best is a perfectly vertical axis with the airplane loaded to max weight, with the corresponding spring deflection. This will necessitate it being angled back when lightly loaded or empty. I learned this the hard way with tailwheel shimmy so bad that it caused damage.

[jiott]

You guys convinced me I should check wheel alignment on my new SS7 with the Grove gear (taildragger). I did that today and found that the right side was perfect at neutral toe-in/out. The left side was also nearly perfectly neutral within 1/16" (on a 16" tire). This is with the airplane leveled in a flight attitude. This is as close to perfect as I can reliably measure so I am going to leave it as-is.

I am not surprised at the accuracy of the Grove gear. After all, the gear legs axel mounting pads are machined as are the axels themselves. It would be pretty sloppy manufacturing if they were not dead on. On welded gear, like the Kitfox bush gear, I can see much more chance for alignment error.

Oh well, my mind can rest easy now even though I think that it was kind of a waste of time to check brand new Grove gear. The process was educational as I studied up on recommended alignment for taildraggers. You all were also very helpful.

Jim

[Straightandtrue]

Hi Guys

Must say John is very accurate for without weight there will be a positive camber and with weight a negative camber, therefore because you mostly fly with weight it is always better to adjust a total toe of 2mm toe in depending on the true camber of wheels on a full load. That way you will get the most out of a set of tyres and increase your landing life.

also to watch out for is one side must not have a positive camber where the other side have a negative camber (very important) because it will make your aircraft known as (CRAB) and will decrease your handling.

Front wheel and known as steering it came to my attention that allot of aircraft's have a high negative castor witch is also bad. if you look at a shopping trolley to make it easy. with the high negative castor when you push it fast the two front wheels shake from side to side and the same with big aircraft's when empty load or half load sometimes it feels shaky when landing.

i have been studying and doing research on my own for a few years now to do and increase not just Tyre life of aircraft's but also the handling and controlling of aircraft's to make it better and more stable on taking of and landing. but as I read over the internet there is allot of people with this problem but no one to give a change to help them increase it.

i am originaly from South Africa and currently in New Zealand and have 14 years of commercial vehicle wheel alignment and axle straightening experience and are still looking to get in the market to help airlines/aircraft's to achieve the best out of there suspensions.

have a good one guys