I have an early set of gear that has the PPonk kit installed.

One of the gear legs is splayed out and I have some built in bank.

I was thinking of swapping the gear with a set of 185 gear from a few hangers down.

My understanding is the 185 gear will be thicker and will interfere with the beef up kit.

Has anyone done the same swap with the kit already installed? Would I require a whole new kit? Worth waiting around for the same thickness legs?

Thanks!

I'm not sure about the fitment, but I suspect that 185 gear is going to be REALLY stiff for an early 180......

Call the Landing Gear Works, or look up Cessna specs.

Call Jim Hayton at North Sound Aviation- he can validate your gear, heat treat as appropriate- bend back to shape, and yellow tag your current set. 360-661-3302

Ditto what MTV & Silflexer said.
My 1953 C180 has 185 gear & I think it's too much of a good thing.
I think the -3 & -4 legs off a 1955-56 180 would be a better match for the weight of my airplane.

I too have a '53 with 185 legs.
I do not agree with those that say that is the best setup. 185 gear legs are for a plane with a gross weight of ?3150? On a plane with a gross of 2550 it makes no sense to me, the stiffness tranfers the shock to the airframe.

The only positive that I see is less in flight gear leg wobble with tundra tires.

StillLearning wrote:I too have a '53 with 185 legs.
I do not agree with those that say that is the best setup. 185 gear legs are for a plane with a gross weight of ?3150? On a plane with a gross of 2550 it makes no sense to me, the stiffness tranfers the shock to the airframe.

The only positive that I see is less in flight gear leg wobble with tundra tires.

185 went out at 3350 all up.

Re the fit of the pponk beef-up kit:
Perhaps the notch in the pponk casting could be milled out if required for thicker/wider gear legs.
See pic.

I had a 56 and the gear splayed out when loaded heavy, I found a pair of 185 gear .75 thick worked great (just took a bit more finess landing). I just bought a 55 and it;s .70 thick lets trade

I slapped (slopped?) this together for our KB:

https://backcountrypilot.org/knowledge- ... agon#parts