I'm really looking for some help and advice for the 'legality' of larger tires for my '65 182H. I recently purchased a 310 nosewheel fork, a 7x6 Super Hawk nosewheel and rim and two 8.5x6 Super Hawks for the main gear. Two A&Ps have now told me that there's no way the nosewheel fork can be fitted because there is no mention of it as an approved modification in the TCDS for the 'H' model 182. Also, the 8.5 tires for the mains are an 'issue' too.
My question is....is what these A&Ps are telling me true or is there a way that I can fit these running gear mods? If I can....what is the suggested route? All advice is greatly appreciated.

I believe your A&P friends are correct, (I’d love to be wrong about this) there’s no easy approval I know of to install that 310 fork on your 182.

It’s been done by field approval many times, I’m sure a member here can provide a copy of an approved form 337.

You may get some pushback on the field approval route since the Airglas STC covers everything you want to do.

I did some brief scouting around for alternatives for my 182G model. The only legal way I found to run larger mains was with the Airglas STC.

Thank you both Halestorm and flyingzebra The thing that amuses me is that YouTube is full of nose wheel strut reconditioning and changes to HD for the 182. Airglas is nice…..but I’m not going to pony up $3400 for the strut and STC minus the nose wheel.
.

There is a Cessna HD fork p/n1243623-2 that is shown in the parts book as being applicable to the 182H, it looks like the 310 fork and may well be the 310 fork. There's also a separate attachment block and a different strut tube, just like installing an Airglas fork. You can see it in figure 35A of the 1961-1972 IPC.

Unfortunately neither the TCDS nor the IPC calls out any tire size other than 5.00x5 or 6.00x6, therein lies the problem.

The 310 fork is basically indistinguishable from the heavy duty fork option for the 182 except the 310 fork has little tabs near the bottom for the fender to attach to. I bought a 310 fork and my mechanic took a Dremel and shaved those tabs off. Then he signed it off as installing the factory larger fork option from the equipment list.

As Halestrom mentions, the HD fork is listed in the IPC, so they should be able i=to install it. But the tire combo is the issue, the IPC calls for 8.00 mains and 6.00 nose wheel with the HD fork. 8.50s and a 7.00 nose are only covered under the Airglas STC.

First, visit with your mechanic about tires. There is a generally accepted reference to using 8.50 x 6.00 main tires on Cessna 180/185. This was requested from the FAA by Steve Krake at Atlee Dodge. This MIGHT be a basis for a field approval from your FSDO, or maybe refer this to a DAR. A field approval from the FAA will doubtless take some significant time. DAR may be faster, but will cost you.

But, frankly, if you really need/want bigger tires, call Airglas, and order the new nose fork. That STC provides all kinds of combination of tire sizes. Yes, it costs $$$$, but it is aviation, after all .

MTV

1961 D model