Jacking up a Citabria

Steel or aluminum legs?

There is a jack point under the lift strut attach point, but it requires a special block.

I use a bolt-on clamp on the gear leg with special jack pad. I carry it with me along with a spare mounted tailwheel.
 
I remove the upper cowl and hook my hydraulic engine hoist to the engine lifting ring. Lifting the engine a few inches unloads the gear. Hanging a weight (I use a one gallon can of brake fluid.) on a wing tie-down tips the aircraft enough to raise the opposite wheel. After removing the wheel, I put wood blocks under the axle for safety.
 
Same jack pad.

I made one out of a disc of aluminum - works great. Was not all that complicated.
 
Resurrecting a thread from the dead here (sorry) - anyone have the dimensions of the jack adapter here handy? Mostly just need the width of the c channel. I want to weld a couple up as a little project to put my new mig welder to use this weekend but won’t make it to the hangar to take measurements until the weekend - if anyone has got one handy (or the outside width of the attach lugs on the aircraft), would love a measurement!

This looks miles better than the adapter I have currently which damages the gear leg paint when used. At least any paint damage with this adapter will be in a non visible area so people won’t see a nasty touch up.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_3053.webp
    IMG_3053.webp
    30.7 KB · Views: 19
For future reference- I ended up making my own out of tube, bar and some C-channel. They ain’t nearly as pretty as the ACA jack pads and in the end - cost about as much in raw material, and much more in time. But hey, welding practice I guess. Making is half the fun. Maybe more.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_3122.webp
    IMG_3122.webp
    1.3 MB · Views: 15
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top