This popped up on the C170 board today. Thought it was interesting. I know folks have been getting FAs for years, but there usage might finally be covered by FA Dodge's STC.

http://fadodge.com/images/pdf_files/FAA ... rcraft.pdf

Good news!

Quoting from the letter "the installation of 8.50 x 6, 4 ply tires on the original main gear wheels of Cessna 180 series, 182 series and 185 series is satisfactory"

Am I missing something?? This doesn't mention Cleveland wheels & brakes, so why do you need the FA Dodge STC for Cleveland wheels & brakes if it says you can put 8.50 x 6 on "original main gear wheels" ?

If somebody knows the full content of that original letter maybe that would clarify.

Thanks

Look here for more info:
http://www.cessna170.org/forums/viewtop ... 627#p94627

Again, from the C170 board posted by Pete Brown in AK:


I went by Atlee Dodge at lunch and spoke to Steve Kracke about the use of 8:50X6s. Steve indicated that the letter to him from the Anchorage FAA ACO is now the definitive document on the use of 8:50s as far as the FAA goes and it reconfirms and incorporates by reference the prior agreement between the FAA and Steve Peck in 1961. No field approval is required, just a logbook entry making reference to the new letter dtd 3/26/2013 reaffirming the earlier approval. I don't know but I assume that a new W&B may be appropriate.

The link to the letter is found here: http://www.fadodge.com/index.php?option ... &Itemid=60

Anyone is free to make use of this new letter.

Steve has a copy of the 1961 letter but its in very bad condition and not reproducible. The FAA has a copy of the original but this new letter was drafted specifically to eliminate the need to submit a copy of the earlier letter.

Note that the letter only addresses tire, not brakes, and is refers specifically to the "original main gear wheels of the Cessna 170."

If you want to use the double puck Cleveland brakes, which neither Steve nor I feel are really necessary on a 170, he can sell you the STC for that.

Steve has done our community a great service with this and I encourage all pilots to patronize his shop.

Thanks Greg,

That makes my plane legal!

I know there is an STC in the works for the 850's on the 170's ....

Hottshot wrote:I know there is an STC in the works for the 850's on the 170's ....

Dont matter now... None needed.

Additionally, use on the original main gear wheels of Cessna 170 series is approved due to similarity of application.

Does the "170 Series" include the C172's or C175's that have been converted to tail draggers?

Are they not considered "170 Series" as well!!!

Bowtie_1961 wrote:

Additionally, use on the original main gear wheels of Cessna 170 series is approved due to similarity of application.

Does the "170 Series" include the C172's or C175's that have been converted to tail draggers?

Are they not considered "170 Series" as well!!!

Nope.... Not for tires. A C172 is a C172 with nosewheel or tailwheel conversion, and 6.00X6 is the size unless you snagged field approval or an STC of some kind for the bigger tires.

Gump

As a former long-time 170 owner, this thread piqued my interest. I think that if a person wanted to split hairs, which the FAA sure doesn't mind doing, it sounds to me like the letter being referenced approves 850x6- 4 ply MLG tires on the original Goodyear W&B. It does NOT mention Cleveland W&B (single- or double-puck), which are installed on probably 95% of the 170's (and 180's) out there, nor does it mention anything other than 4 ply tires. Also, I believe that all the 850x6 tires commonly available are 6 or 8 ply. So unless your STC or field approval for the Clevelands includes approval for 850x6, or more specifically 850x6 (6or 8 ply), you're still in limbo as far as approval goes.
EZflap, if you're listening, I'd suggest including 850 approval on your t/w conversion STC, and maybe even 26" GY approval too. BTW some people don't know that 800x6 (4 ply) tires are approved on the C170 TCDS.

Can you imagine the screaming and yelling if you had to buy STC's, get federal approval, and make log entry's to go down to Kragen Auto and buy different rims and tires for your F-150 pickup?

Gump

Yes it would be challenging to make your own 8.50 x 4 tires, as it seems no one else does. At least for 180/185 the 180/185 club has an STC for a whopping $2.00. The letter, if you read carefully, still requires you to file an ACA-337 when you swap with the amended W&B. So you might as well just get the STC, which covers many wheel brake combos. It is a heck of a lot easier to file a 337 referencing an STC than explain to your PMI a letter from another FISDO.

I have had them say, "I don't buy that." Then refuse the mod. It is their region, go ahead, push on that amoeba. I'll just pay the $2 and rock on, don't need the physic energy drain in explaining things to special folks in the US gov.

http://www.skywagons.org/club_store.asp?menuID=18

So, 8.50's on a 180 with Clevelands requires an STC, right?

Regardless of what tire, you need an STC for Cleveland's.

Tires are a different issue. On the Skywagon, to go w/ 8.5x6s, you can use the STC Gump spoke of, or... just make a log book entry per FA Dodge's new letter. To Gump's point, much easier to use the $2 STC. For 8.5x10's you need the STC form ABW, which incidentally calls for the use of 199-62 Cleveland's (and also their 10" wheels.) This is the set-up I have on my Skywagon and I love it.

The Skywagon is not so much the interesting development. Its more exciting for the 170 owners as there was no "legal" way other than an old school field approval for use of 8.5x6's.

Here are pics of an 8.5x6 next to the 8.5x10s on my old C170.

I'm not a type member. Could someone click on this link and post the STC letter with all the brake/wheel combinations this $2 STC provides?

Is anyone out there running the non-standard combination of McCauley 6" wheels with Cleveland brakes?

Thanks.

dogpilot wrote:Yes it would be challenging to make your own 8.50 x 4 tires, as it seems no one else does. At least for 180/185 the 180/185 club has an STC for a whopping $2.00. The letter, if you read carefully, still requires you to file an ACA-337 when you swap with the amended W&B. So you might as well just get the STC, which covers many wheel brake combos. It is a heck of a lot easier to file a 337 referencing an STC than explain to your PMI a letter from another FISDO.

I have had them say, "I don't buy that." Then refuse the mod. It is their region, go ahead, push on that amoeba. I'll just pay the $2 and rock on, don't need the physic energy drain in explaining things to special folks in the US gov.

http://www.skywagons.org/club_store.asp?menuID=18

soyAnarchisto wrote:I'm not a type member. Could someone click on this link and post the STC letter with all the brake/wheel combinations this $2 STC provides?

Is anyone out there running the non-standard combination of McCauley 6" wheels with Cleveland brakes?

Thanks.

dogpilot wrote:Yes it would be challenging to make your own 8.50 x 4 tires, as it seems no one else does. At least for 180/185 the 180/185 club has an STC for a whopping $2.00. The letter, if you read carefully, still requires you to file an ACA-337 when you swap with the amended W&B. So you might as well just get the STC, which covers many wheel brake combos. It is a heck of a lot easier to file a 337 referencing an STC than explain to your PMI a letter from another FISDO.

I have had them say, "I don't buy that." Then refuse the mod. It is their region, go ahead, push on that amoeba. I'll just pay the $2 and rock on, don't need the physic energy drain in explaining things to special folks in the US gov.

http://www.skywagons.org/club_store.asp?menuID=18

No offense... but just pay the cheap membership and support the club. Not cool to post their STC for free.

Just my .02

I will once I am an actual owner. They won't let me in the club until I'm an owner anyway.

Right now I'm just inspecting a plane on a pre-buy. I'm trying to get figure out how excited to get about unapproved wheels and brakes.

soyAnarchisto wrote: I will once I am an actual owner. They won't let me in the club until I'm an owner anyway.....

No longer true. Non-owner enthusiasts can join as an "associate member", and ex-skywagon owners can now be "sustaining members". All for the same $25 a year dues. BTW associate menbers can't vote and don't get the paper newspetter- only access to the website one. IMHO it's silly to have these distinctions, but that's how they roll.

BTW looking at the "Club store" in a recent newsletter, that $2 STCTIRE is a copy of an STC for 850x10's, not an actual STC, if you can see the distinction. BIGTIRES for $1 is a copy of the 850x6 4-ply approval letter. As spelled out in the linked letter in the first post, the approval letter approves 850x6x4ply tires on the original wheels and brakes. Whether or not the letter would be accepted as approval for 850x6x6 ply tires (probably), or on Cleveland w&b (maybe, maybe not) is the question.
FWIW I believe Kenmore has an 850x6 STC for the 180, as does North Sound Aviation.

Great! Now how do we get 26" Goodyear's approved?