In the garage sorting through project stuff, threw out two boxes of damaged ribs and thought today would be a good today to work on something specific. The project came with a tailwheel and I found another yoke (for lack of a better word), maybe it was intended to be a replacement, but it's all on the bench. I had no idea that these things were so complicated and, after looking at it, probably worth disassembling and cleaning every few years depending on how much you're flying. It looks like if you maintain it and replace the wearable items it will last forever. If things get old though and begin to wear, maybe rebuilding it isn't an option if it's too far gone?
First up, the wheel gets removed. The nut is on one end, the grease fitting is in the head of the bolt on the other end. In between are a few washers, two bearings and the inserts that hold the bearings in. Here's a few pics showing the details and the order of assembly.
The pivot point comes apart next. The grease fitting goes into the top of the bolt that the wheel pivots on, the fitting can be unscrewed but the bolt seems pressed in so I'm going to just leave it in there unless it falls out on its own. It's probably better that it's in there tight given that loose is the other option and probably not good. There's a bushing that the whole wheel assembly pivots on.
The magic of a full swivel and still steerable tailwheel appears to depend on a few small springs. The flat steel spring is what gives it that steerable but still pivoting operation, it catches the notches in the yoke to steer and gets dislodged for swivel mode. The pics might make it hard to see how it would work, ask questions, I can try to explain it better.
The whole assembly rides on three (look like) bronze bushings, one above and one below the yoke and another up top in the head that the assembly bears against when the weight is on the wheel.
And lastly, up in the body of the pivot point, the bronze bushing is seated on a sacrificial phenolic disc that is probably meant to protect the inside of the aluminum casting. And the pivot bolt to wrap it up.
First up, the wheel gets removed. The nut is on one end, the grease fitting is in the head of the bolt on the other end. In between are a few washers, two bearings and the inserts that hold the bearings in. Here's a few pics showing the details and the order of assembly.
The pivot point comes apart next. The grease fitting goes into the top of the bolt that the wheel pivots on, the fitting can be unscrewed but the bolt seems pressed in so I'm going to just leave it in there unless it falls out on its own. It's probably better that it's in there tight given that loose is the other option and probably not good. There's a bushing that the whole wheel assembly pivots on.
The magic of a full swivel and still steerable tailwheel appears to depend on a few small springs. The flat steel spring is what gives it that steerable but still pivoting operation, it catches the notches in the yoke to steer and gets dislodged for swivel mode. The pics might make it hard to see how it would work, ask questions, I can try to explain it better.
The whole assembly rides on three (look like) bronze bushings, one above and one below the yoke and another up top in the head that the assembly bears against when the weight is on the wheel.
And lastly, up in the body of the pivot point, the bronze bushing is seated on a sacrificial phenolic disc that is probably meant to protect the inside of the aluminum casting. And the pivot bolt to wrap it up.
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