My mains are due for replacement in the near future, and I'm doing more and more dirt work. My 182 will never be a radical back country bird, but I'd like the peace of mind and smoother operation of slightly larger tires. I'm thinking hard about 8.00's on the mains, and 6.00 on the nose.

The stock brakes would be fine with that arrangement, yes?

I had a long chat with my mechanic, I was hoping to snag a 310/206 nose fork but he was saying by the time you find all the bits and pieces you could have paid for the Airglas fork. Do you agree with that assessment?

On a less important note, I'm wondering if a 6.00 would look stupid in a big Airglas fork? Does anyone have pictures of one?

As far as other mods, I already got shoulder harnesses installed, and have a good backcountry kit put together, this and extended baggage (for storage and CG management) plus lots and lots of practice are on my list for this year.

Thanks!

I have a 205, which is similar to your 182. With my Airglas fork I run either 8.50's and a 700, or 800s and a 600. The Airglas adds both width and height vs the stock fork for 500s.

I've run 800s with the 700 on the nose, and switched to the 600, as it gives me a few more inches of landing clearance before the nose touches, and keeps the fuselage flatter when on the ground. With a larger front tire, and especially when light (near the front of the CG) I'd stub the nose wheel more often.

I run 800s and a 600 almost all the time now. It works fine on everything called a runway or airstrip that I've been on.

Stock brakes hold the runup. I can lock up tires off pavement.

Note that the Airglas STC has CG limitations that supersede your POH when using combinations of tires other than 'all the same size' so it would be worth looking at those to ensure you understand the (regulatory) limitations.

Hi, you should give Todd Hitchcock a call. He is based at Nampa. He helped me out when I did what you are thinking. I upgraded to the heavy duty nose fork, added a 7.00 on the nose and went with 8.50’s on the mains with new six bolt wheels and double puck brakes which have been a huge improvement. I’ve been happy with the setup.
Cheers!

Thanks guys,

I exchanged a couple of emails with Airglas, and oddly enough the 800/600 combo is not an approved arrangement with the nose fork. I don't want to get into a situation where the nose is even harder to keep off the ground (my 182 has the small tail feathers).

I'm going to have to wrestle with the specifications of these tires, the 800/700 combo is approved. I was hoping to avoid going as big as 850's....

Goodyear has a spec manual that lists the dimensions of all their tires. Sometimes is hard to form a mental image from specs. I think I have 6/7/8.00s in the hangar and 8.50s on the plane so I’ll try to remember to take a pic next time I’m there.

You can fit as nig as a 7.00 in the factory HD fork. If you don't plan to go bigger I would recommend that route.

I have a 182 with a 310 fork. 600x6 on the nose and 700x6 on the mains. Love it.

I was able to find a guy selling a front fork with strut installed, 6x6.00 from wheel and a set of 8x6.00 tires for $1900. Had it installed during my annual. Total upgrade cost about $2500.
It has been a great balance for soft field/grass strip and pavement work.



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Thanks guys, your comments have confirmed that I need to hold out for a Cessna fork. I'm not sure how often they come up, but it's the right solution for what I need. I really want to stick with a 800 main / 600 nose arrangement.

CParker wrote:Thanks guys, your comments have confirmed that I need to hold out for a Cessna fork. I'm not sure how often they come up, but it's the right solution for what I need. I really want to stick with a 800 main / 600 nose arrangement.

Theres a few on ebay.

I need the complete strut assembly right, because I need the mounting block and hardware too, correct?

I see a couple for 310 forks, I'm picky to a fault.... I'd need the 206 fork or be willing to machine those tabs off of the 310 fork.

I’m confused why you are so determined to go with that specific combination of tires.

Take a good look at the tires you have, alongside the 8.00s. Then take a look at a typical ground squirrel hole.......point is, you’d be going to a lot of trouble and expense for very little benefit.

But, it’s you $.

MTV

Because for my purposes 8.50's are overkill and I'm looking for a more balanced arrangement. It's my understanding that 800/600 is the OEM HD arrangement so it makes sense to me. My skill level and equipment don't warrant tires that big, and I fly a LOT of cross country time, I fly 1200 mile trips at least once a year if not more. Gopher holes aren't my only concern, I'd like a little more prop clearance and a little more sidewall to help soak up "fair" condition airstrip rolls while still being well suited to paved operations. I don't intend to land on gravel bars or "poor" condition airstrips with this aircraft.

Alright guys, 206 fork is on the way, looks like I found a good used 40-76A as well. The best part is, all of this is from the parts book for my aircraft, should just be a log book entry.

I'm on a budget here, I'm thinking of going with Flight Special II's, is that a reasonable choice? I figured on ordering them from Spruce, but is there a better place to get them? This is the first set of tires I will have ordered.

What pressures are you guys running in your tires with this configuration? Michelin book calls for 29PSI max on the nose, 35 on the mains.

I have a 310 fork and strut that will swap out in under an hour. Running a 6" tire on it is really great for sandy strips and rough sod. I dont like seeing the A/S cut by that much, though, and when I'm done, the swap back to stock is easy while changing the oil or whatever. My model really, really needs the extra prop clearance.

In my experience with smaller tires, above 20 psi nothing should go wrong. Not quickly, anyway. The tires can creep slowly around the rim though. Just be careful of locking up the tires, and inspect the valve stem every now and then. You'll see the stem leaning over if you've had the tires creeping on the rim.

Anything less than 20 psi needs a beadlocker (read non-STC mod) to avoid spinning the tire on the rim and shearing off the valve on any given landing. 20 psi is a round number here, I never felt the need to establish the exact limit experimentally.

At pressures >20 psi the ride won't be any different. You'll get a little cushioning from the sidewall, but it only comes into play in extreme situations. The gear and fuselage still soak up all the bumps. Like you've said - that shouldn't be an issue for your mission.

If you can get a mechanical locking device, then you can go down to 10 psi without much risk. Some guys use a glue, I have no experience with that, it may not get to 10 psi before giving up. At 10 psi you get noticeably more flex in the sidewall, but it doesn't come close to bushwheels - noting this isn't what you're looking for.

I would recommend painting a slippage indicator onto the tire and rim sidewall, this allows you to check for rim creep with the hubcap installed.

I think it probably helps if you air your tires way up to seat the bead when you mount them.
Then let out the air til you hit whatever your chosen pressure is.
FWIW I run about 20 in the 850's on my C180,
mainly to make it easier to roll in & out of the hangar.
I used to run 15 on my C150/150TD & C170, never had any issues.
But the 180 is heavier & is no doubt easier to slip the tire on.
Ditto for a 182.

hotrod180 wrote:I think it probably helps if you air your tires way up to seat the bead when you mount them.
Then let out the air til you hit whatever your chosen pressure is.
.

The tire manufacturers recommend NEVER inflating your tires to pressures higher than the maximum recommended by the manufacturer. That should be high enough to seat the tires on the rim in any case.

Best advice was already given: Keep the tires above 20 psi at all times. That means CHECKING the pressure occasionally, because pressure will change. If you have hubcaps, that means removing the hubcaps regularly to check pressures.

And, no, you won't be able to "eyeball" a tire that's down substantially, by the time you will SEE low pressure, you'll be REALLY low.

Desser Tire is about the cheapest source of tires, of all brands. I prefer Michelin or Goodyear....they last significantly longer, in my experience, and with some sizes, they are physically larger in diameter.

MTV

Thanks,

I mounted the 600 on the nose wheel last night, it seated at exactly the max pressure. I bought Goodyear tires and Michelin airstop tubes. I'm good about checking tire pressure regularly, and have compressed air in my hanger.

Is 25PSI in all the tires a good start or will the mains need to be at a different pressure than the nose?