I'm planning to install some larger tires on my '59 C182. The two options I am considering are the 26" Bushwheels or the 29" buffed Airhawks on the 10" wheels. My home airport (and 75% of the other airports I fly to) allows me to land in the grass and make do most of my taxi ops away from the pavement so I'm leaning towards the 26" Bushwheels with the heavy tread. Is there anything that I'm not considering?

Airhawks are very heavy and over kill. Like carrying extra lead weight around fir no reason. Not need on a 182. 850/10's or even the 850/6 all around would do you just fine. Save the weight. Hopefully you have the firewall beef up kit.
That should be a priority. Great airplane but for some reason the bigger we go we start thinking just a bit rougher. Those 850/6's are perfect on the 182. Have you put the landis / air glass fork on yet? Beef up that firewall. I always say it's really not a matter of if. Still a great airplane.
AKT

Sorry for the thread drift but, can you share info on the firewall beef up? I’ve got a bone stock 182G and am trying to accumulate knowledge for a tire upgrade and bigger nose wheel.

flyingzebra wrote:Sorry for the thread drift but, can you share info on the firewall beef up? I’ve got a bone stock 182G and am trying to accumulate knowledge for a tire upgrade and bigger nose wheel.

https://support.cessna.com/custsupt/con ... s_id=32675

Keeping it loaded mid to aft CG is the best thing you can do to take care of the firewall and tunnel where they react the stress of the nose gear loads.

aktahoe1 wrote:Airhawks are very heavy and over kill. Like carrying extra lead weight around fir no reason. Not need on a 182. 850/10's or even the 850/6 all around would do you just fine. Save the weight. Hopefully you have the firewall beef up kit.
That should be a priority. Great airplane but for some reason the bigger we go we start thinking just a bit rougher. Those 850/6's are perfect on the 182. Have you put the landis / air glass fork on yet? Beef up that firewall. I always say it's really not a matter of if. Still a great airplane.
AKT

Thanks Kevin. I have the Landis so that will be going on at the same time. I also have the firewall beef up scheduled but the mechanics here are all swamped so I don't think it will happen until this fall. I won't be landing too rough to start with, not by western standards. But there are lots of soft fields/meadows to play with in New England so I'm looking for max flotation in those areas.

I'm running heavy tread 26s at 10 psi on my 170B, which replaced 8.50x10 tires that I ran as low as 15psi. The 26s mount to a smaller wheel (6 vs 10 inch) and can run at lower pressure so they absorb landing impacts and rough ground much better. I think if you had a chance to try both of your tire options back to back you would pick the bushwheels.

I agree with all the above. I recently went from 8.50 x 6 tires to 8.50 x 10 tires on Airframes Alaska 10 x 10 wheels. I'm running them around 18 psi right now. They do offer a good bit more cushion than the 6 inch tires, and the footprint is huge by comparison.

That said, I operate on pavement a good bit....or bad bit maybe. So, Bushwheels aren't very practical. Good news with these is that the 8.50 x 10 tires are relatively cheap. Desser now has a "lightweight" smooth (no tread) 8.50 x 10 tire as well. Kind of spendy, compared to the treaded ones, but I may go there if and when these wear out.

If you can treat your Bushwheels kindly, as in little pavement, be VERY conservative spinning the plane around, etc, etc...Bushwheels are really nice.

I agree with Kevin and Scolopax though, protect that firewall. If you have to install an extended baggage to get some weight further aft, that'd be high on my list.

Protect that nose gear.

MTV

Do the 26” bush wheels fit without spacers? I’ve heard they might rub on the brakes when pressured down.

Scolopax wrote:

flyingzebra wrote:Sorry for the thread drift but, can you share info on the firewall beef up? I’ve got a bone stock 182G and am trying to accumulate knowledge for a tire upgrade and bigger nose wheel.

https://support.cessna.com/custsupt/con ... s_id=32675

Keeping it loaded mid to aft CG is the best thing you can do to take care of the firewall and tunnel where they react the stress of the nose gear loads.

That kit is for the very early models. The ops 59 would have this factory installed already.


The price to install this kit would be pretty crazy anyway. As stated hold the nose off and learn to fly it. If you must do a firewall reinforcement, you might as well do the seaplanes west float kit and get something for the money anyway.

Pundy wrote:I'm planning to install some larger tires on my '59 C182. The two options I am considering are the 26" Bushwheels or the 29" buffed Airhawks on the 10" wheels. My home airport (and 75% of the other airports I fly to) allows me to land in the grass and make do most of my taxi ops away from the pavement so I'm leaning towards the 26" Bushwheels with the heavy tread. Is there anything that I'm not considering?

These are STC'd for 180/185/206. Not sure what the field approval process is like where you're at, but could be another option:

https://backcountrypilot.org/forum/tundra-tire-stc-from-seaplanes-north-grove-desser-24584?start=20