bart wrote:It helps to have heavy machinery handy

You'll notice I didn't use chocks on the other tire...I meant to, just got a little ahead of myself. The tailwheel is "anchored" such that it won't kick out to one side or the other. This setup is fairly stable, and I'm gonna make an adapter for the forks to be able to lift both sides at once without being able to rock from one side to the other. The forks aren't long enough as they are, and the forklift would hit the spinner...or at least be too close for comfort.

I just got done mounting new wheels/brakes/tires, and now going through the arduous process of adjusting the toe-in.

Isn't that fun? The toe in and camber?

bart wrote:It helps to have heavy machinery handy

You'll notice I didn't use chocks on the other tire...I meant to, just got a little ahead of myself. The tailwheel is "anchored" such that it won't kick out to one side or the other. This setup is fairly stable, and I'm gonna make an adapter for the forks to be able to lift both sides at once without being able to rock from one side to the other. The forks aren't long enough as they are, and the forklift would hit the spinner...or at least be too close for comfort.

I just got done mounting new wheels/brakes/tires, and now going through the arduous process of adjusting the toe-in.

That looks like a hot setup Bart! I can actually do the same thing with a chain hoist strapped to a large beam in my hangar. I might pull the wing root fairing and wrap a strap around the spar/carrythrough junction. Has anyone pulled from that point on a Cessna?

Having carried a hi lift jack in my pickup for twenty years of farming, every time I take it out to use it I'm thinking "Isn't there a better way to do this?"

champflyer wrote:Having carried a hi lift jack in my pickup for twenty years of farming, every time I take it out to use it I'm thinking "Isn't there a better way to do this?"

Haha, so true champflyer. I've seen plenty of bruises and a few knocked out teeth due to a "jack all", as we call them around here. Can be so handy, but most of the time are a pain in the ass and an accident waiting to happen.

Scolopax wrote:
That looks like a hot setup Bart! I can actually do the same thing with a chain hoist strapped to a large beam in my hangar. I might pull the wing root fairing and wrap a strap around the spar/carrythrough junction. Has anyone pulled from that point on a Cessna?

That won't work because the sheet metal for the roof extends out over the wing and covers the wing root connection area.

I too was reluctant to hoisting from the engine mount but after doing it, I realized its solid. Just use a soft strap. Didn't leave any marks, and couldn't hear or see the airframe tweaking and creaking...works fine.

I actually have four hoisting rings on my plane, but they are basically useless without a long extension for the forklift and an elaborate spreader bar that wouldn't allow any rocking.

The hardest part about lifting the plane this way is removing the top cowling

These have worked great for the past several annuals
The bolts hold the jack in and the baffle protects the paint

The lift rings for a Maule are basically an inverted U with a small flat plate welded at the ends. The plates are drilled to accept the forward wingspar to fuselage attach bolts and longer than standard bolts are used. A plastic blister fairing covers it where it protrudes through the wingroot fairing.
Not very expensive from Maule and they may even fit the Bearhawk. Looks like a lot was borrowed from Maule's design.

I do a combination of what Bart is doing with the strap around the engine mount at the firewall using an engine hoist. Also I use a jack that is used for a retract test with a padded block of wood under the gearbox. I jack both in stages. Also, with the 29 inch Bushwheels I roll the tailwheel up on a stack of pallets to level the plane some. Another thing I do is put a 2x4 between the base of the jack and the bolts that hold the axle to the spring landing gear and that keeps the gear from flexing in when it comes off the floor.

After nearly two decades of precarious jacking methods that I never quite became comfortable with, this combination is by far the best solution that I have found.



It is simply a shop floor crane, AKA "engine hoist" that I found for 80 bucks on craigslist pulling on a 4000 lb nylon strap with hooked ends wrapped once around the gear leg. The crane is set to the 3000 lb setting. Once tensioned only a little, the strap does not slip on the leg at all.

The weight is not teetering on a column, and there is no weird kick load trying to torque the jacking clamp off of the leg. Instead it is suspended from above in a very stable arrangement. Makes tire or wheel changes very quick and easy.

Scolopax wrote:After nearly two decades of precarious jacking methods that I never quite became comfortable with, this combination is by far the best solution that I have found.



It is simply a shop floor crane, AKA "engine hoist" that I found for 80 bucks on craigslist pulling on a 4000 lb nylon strap with hooked ends wrapped once around the gear leg. The crane is set to the 3000 lb setting. Once tensioned only a little, the strap does not slip on the leg at all.

The weight is not teetering on a column, and there is no weird kick load trying to torque the jacking clamp off of the leg. Instead it is suspended from above in a very stable arrangement. Makes tire or wheel changes very quick and easy.

Yup! That's the only way I'll lift an airplane, too. All that other crap attached to the gear leg and pushing up from below is both a pain in the ass and an accident waiting to happen.



You can get a 4,000 pound engine hoist for less that a hundred bucks...why anyone would try to hoist a airplane leg any other way is beyond me.

i use Zim's jack on my C-180 and it is great! I can install little tires, bushwheels, wheel skis (jack high enough to easily attach front bungee by myself). It is the right tool for the job.

Prior to buying the tall bottle jack I dreaded gear changes. No more.

Buy the tall bottle jack and your worries are over.

Scolopax wrote:After nearly two decades of precarious jacking methods that I never quite became comfortable with, this combination is by far the best solution that I have found.



It is simply a shop floor crane, AKA "engine hoist" that I found for 80 bucks on craigslist pulling on a 4000 lb nylon strap with hooked ends wrapped once around the gear leg. The crane is set to the 3000 lb setting. Once tensioned only a little, the strap does not slip on the leg at all.

The weight is not teetering on a column, and there is no weird kick load trying to torque the jacking clamp off of the leg. Instead it is suspended from above in a very stable arrangement. Makes tire or wheel changes very quick and easy.

Yep, I use a similar setup. Custom bracket with a D-ring attached to lower leg and then a engine hoist. No weird geometry or possible falling off the jack issues. Safest method that I’m comfortable with switching from Bushwheel to 8:50s and skis.

Hammer wrote:

Scolopax wrote:After nearly two decades of precarious jacking methods that I never quite became comfortable with, this combination is by far the best solution that I have found.



It is simply a shop floor crane, AKA "engine hoist" that I found for 80 bucks on craigslist pulling on a 4000 lb nylon strap with hooked ends wrapped once around the gear leg. The crane is set to the 3000 lb setting. Once tensioned only a little, the strap does not slip on the leg at all.

The weight is not teetering on a column, and there is no weird kick load trying to torque the jacking clamp off of the leg. Instead it is suspended from above in a very stable arrangement. Makes tire or wheel changes very quick and easy.

Yup! That's the only way I'll lift an airplane, too. All that other crap attached to the gear leg and pushing up from below is both a pain in the ass and an accident waiting to happen.



You can get a 4,000 pound engine hoist for less that a hundred bucks...why anyone would try to hoist a airplane leg any other way is beyond me.

Ya, that looks safe, and so much better than those cumbersome straps.

I also use the engine hoist / gear leg choker method,
thanks to Hammer posting about it several years ago.
I've tried a bunch of gear leg clamps / adapters with both bottle jacks & floor jacks,
and IMHO hoisting is both safer & easier.

a3holerman wrote:Ya, that looks safe, and so much better than those cumbersome straps.

Haha...guessing that's sarcasm because of how thin the line is. The line is Amsteel, with a 4,000 lb breaking strength, so it's actually pretty safe. It does look funny, though.

Hammer wrote:

a3holerman wrote:Ya, that looks safe, and so much better than those cumbersome straps.

Haha...guessing that's sarcasm because of how thin the line is. The line is Amsteel, with a 4,000 lb breaking strength, so it's actually pretty safe. It does look funny, though.

And you clearly have the skills with cordage... The hooked end straps are more my speed until I study up on knotsmithing.

How does the paint hold up with the Amsteel? Seems the strap would dig in less. I messed up the paint on mine using one of thes aluminum taper deals using a bottle jack.

180Marty wrote:How does the paint hold up with the Amsteel? Seems the strap would dig in less. I messed up the paint on mine using one of thes aluminum taper deals using a bottle jack.

No issue with the paint, though I think my legs are powder coated, so it might be a bit tougher than some other paint.

If I didn't have Amsteel whoopie slings laying around I'd just use 1" climbing webbing or similar...the Amsteel doesn't do anything better, other than a whoopie sling makes it easy to adjust the length.

On a side note I've have people come up and berate me for using "clothes line tie-downs", which I always get a kick out of. If you didn't know what Amsteel was you'd never believe it was proper.

Same here. I use my tail tie down that I got from Hammer a few years ago.