So my nose wheel is starting to shimmy & one of my main pants is busted pretty good. I am based on a grass strip and frequent others that aren't quite so smooth. It may be time to finally do the wheel and tire upgrade I've had in mind forever. I love to ditch the wheel pants & do a larger fork & 8.00 nose & 8.50's on the mains.
Questions: What's up with double puck brakes? Are they necessary on that size tires? Would I notice a lot of difference if I got them? I don't fly true back country, just have lots of grass strips I'd like to explore & try to develope / hone some STOL skills. So many things I never even knew I needed until I started reading on here, lol If so, is Cleveland's the right (only?) answer? Or can/should I just put 850s on the exact wheels and brakes that I've already got? Does Berringer make wheels & brakes for certified Cessna replacement?
Also, A fellow has a fork from a 310 he will sell me, that's got to be tons cheaper than the Airglas, right? How do they compare, and is it really worth the extra money to get the official STC from the Airglas fork and go that route? Can you even put an 8.00 tire in a 310 fork? (If not, maybe a 7.00 & 8.00's would be big enough to make me happy). I'm assuming the 310 fork would require a field approval? Don't know how hard that is to get... I love the looks of that Airglas but don't know what kind of $$$ to expect to spend to upgrade all 3 tires & fork, and maybe brakes? Definitely budget conscious, but want a smoother ride on the grass.
Thanks in advance for any ideas and comments, love this forum!

I have a 56 182 with a 310 fork. 600 on nose and 800 on mains. Just right for me. The biggest tire you can put on a 310 fork is a 700x6. That said it is next to impossible to get a field approval for a 310 fork today. As far as brakes go, I used to run a 700 on mains and breaks were fine. Went to 800's and the breaks not as good but I think they are adequate. I have never run 850's on the mains but my guess is that you will most likely have to go with double pucks if you go 850's.

If you want bigger tires go with an Airglas. Like I said it is next to impossible to get a field approval for a 310 fork these days.

The only 7.00 x 6 tire that will fit a 310 fork is the Airhawk other brands the fit its too tight.
310 fork works fine in the 182.

First things first: Are your current wheels/brakes in good shape, and what brand are they? If they’re in good shape, I’d probably leave them alone…..at least until I took them apart and took a good look at them, and had a mechanic look at them.

Then, IF something needs replacement, call Airframes Alaska. They have STCd wheels for an amazing array of aircraft applications.

I don’t think Beringer has anything legal for your aircraft. Cleveland are good, but approvals??? And more expensive than Airframes, if you buy new.

Nose fork: IF you want a larger nose fork, the Airglas Fork is the best….partially because it comes with an STC to install it AND bigger main tires. I can’t emphasize how important these STCs can be….they make life easier, and unless your mechanic is regularly getting field approvals……don’t even think about that…..get the STCs.

On a 182, id buy the Airglas nose fork kit, a 6 inch nose wheel if you don’t already have one, and an 8.00 x 6 nose tire. Then, I’d install 8.50 x 6 main tires. I’ve run that combination on 206s pretty extensively, and it’s my favorite.

Now, that combination MAY require (legally) double puck brakes…..but again, get a GOOD look at your wheels/brakes when they’re apart….you may want/need to upgrade anyway.

Always fun to spend other people’s $$.

MTV

I tried to get the 310 nose fork approved for my 182c. I tried three different places around the country. Nobody could do it. I think the days of the 310 fork being field approved are over. Airglass is the way to go.

I just sold my family’s 182D….should be the same as yours. I just assumed the double puck brakes were stock. I believe they were McCauleys.
I was debating heavily on bringing it home to AK but decided to just sell it. I looked into different nose fork options and the Landis just made the most sense. I agree with Mike…8.50 on the mains and 8.00 on the nose. All clean and approved with the STC.

Thanks for the info, just what I was looking for... so Airglas sounds like the ticket (big ticket!) So the stock nosewheel is a 5x5.00? Can you put any bigger wheel / tire in the stock fork? Like a 6x6.00 maybe?
And, realistically, if I swap from stock with pants to Airglas with 8.00 & 8.50's, how much speed am I going to lose? I gotta admit, I like the speed of this plane compared to the '68 L model that I flew for 3 years (although I think it had some rigging issues that slowed it down).

NETX wrote: And, realistically, if I swap from stock with pants to Airglas with 8.00 & 8.50's, how much speed am I going to lose? I gotta admit, I like the speed of this plane compared to the '68 L model that I flew for 3 years (although I think it had some rigging issues that slowed it down).

About 10 kts. And no you cannot put a bigger wheel in a stock fork.

I agree 8-10 kts loss. That's wheels pants to 800 and 850's. maybe 3-4 kts from small tires to the large. I still run the single puck brakes and haven't had any stopping power issues. Just depends what crazy strips you want to stop on. I operate easy out of 1200 ft of grass.

Just spend the money on the airglas and be done. Then you also have a legal option of different tire size combinations. There are so many incorrectly done 310 fork installs floating around without any paperwork and now are getting cracked down on at annual time. Seems to be lots of 182's in new hands now with new A/P's. Even if the HD fork is an option in the manual, you can't put any bigger tires than 600x6 all around unless you get a field approval.

Buy the airglas, a 6x6 nose wheel and a another strut tube - simply slide out your 5x5 assembly and slid in the new assembly. Very easy to go back to the small nose wheel and full wheel pants for a long trip this way if you want. Or if you sell this plane you can easily go back to stock setup and keep the airglas.

Mark Y. wrote:.....Buy the airglas, a 6x6 nose wheel and a another strut tube - simply slide out your 5x5 assembly and slid in the new assembly. Very easy to go back to the small nose wheel and full wheel pants for a long trip this way if you want. Or if you sell this plane you can easily go back to stock setup and keep the airglas.

Good idea.

Mark Y. wrote:I agree 8-10 kts loss. That's wheels pants to 800 and 850's. maybe 3-4 kts from small tires to the large. I still run the single puck brakes and haven't had any stopping power issues. Just depends what crazy strips you want to stop on. I operate easy out of 1200 ft of grass.

Just spend the money on the airglas and be done. Then you also have a legal option of different tire size combinations. There are so many incorrectly done 310 fork installs floating around without any paperwork and now are getting cracked down on at annual time. Seems to be lots of 182's in new hands now with new A/P's. Even if the HD fork is an option in the manual, you can't put any bigger tires than 600x6 all around unless you get a field approval.

Buy the airglas, a 6x6 nose wheel and a another strut tube - simply slide out your 5x5 assembly and slid in the new assembly. Very easy to go back to the small nose wheel and full wheel pants for a long trip this way if you want. Or if you sell this plane you can easily go back to stock setup and keep the airglas.

Most if the parts manuals that have the HD fork as an option also list 8.00x6 for the main gear. But no options for 8.50s.

Mark Y. wrote:
Buy the airglas, a 6x6 nose wheel and a another strut tube - simply slide out your 5x5 assembly and slid in the new assembly. Very easy to go back to the small nose wheel and full wheel pants for a long trip this way if you want. Or if you sell this plane you can easily go back to stock setup and keep the airglas.

Can you explain this further? How does the 5x5 assembly simply slide out and be replaced with the airglass? Thanks

MooseMeat wrote:

Mark Y. wrote:
Buy the airglas, a 6x6 nose wheel and a another strut tube - simply slide out your 5x5 assembly and slid in the new assembly. Very easy to go back to the small nose wheel and full wheel pants for a long trip this way if you want. Or if you sell this plane you can easily go back to stock setup and keep the airglas.

Can you explain this further? How does the 5x5 assembly simply slide out and be replaced with the airglass? Thanks

If you buy a different strut tube for the airglas assembly, then you just pull the whole stock tube out and put the "new" strut tube with the airglas in.

I go back and forth with the HD strut. It only takes 45 mins.

I have a 6" setup for the nose when using the HD, which is a nice change and worth the hassle for rumbling around on rougher strips. I had the 8" setup for the mains but the speed loss vs the level of rough strip performance I needed meant I never bothered with them after a while...I dont think I still have them around even. So 6" all around, and I'm careful with the strut extension and the tail cone in that configuration. I used the same brakes for both. I never felt like the single Clevelands were inadequate, and a lot easier to maintain than the stock units.

But if someone feels the need to throw another 7% or so away of cruise with 8's to land heavy on rough stuff, one can at least try it with single pucks first.

Interesting! That falls outside of what the owner can do.. Swapping out main tires, and nose tires is one thing. The strut assembly is A&P turf. The "slide in and out" terms threw me a little. Thanks for the clarifications.

Well, it is still slide in and slide out and then refill with oil/air. Then a simple A/P sign off. Simple 2 hrs even if you need to have them do it. Removing and installing wheel pants need to be done by an A/P also. Different weight and balance if we need to split hairs.

Mark Y. wrote:.... Different weight and balance if we need to split hairs.

Pretty simple to have more than one W&B sheet--
just carry the one in the airplane that's applicable to the currently installed equipment.
Reference it (as well as any applicable 337) in the logbook entry documenting the switch in landing gear components.

hotrod180 wrote:

Mark Y. wrote:.... Different weight and balance if we need to split hairs.

Pretty simple to have more than one W&B sheet--
just carry the one in the airplane that's applicable to the currently installed equipment.
Reference it (as well as any applicable 337) in the logbook entry documenting the switch in landing gear components.

Your right, like running with no backseat. Crazy though how many planes you see running around with only wheel pants on the mains or only a wheel pant on the nose. People get goofy about A/P "only" work, but then do than.