Champ Landing gear

Nothing really changed with the plug out but this morning I was hanging on the wing strut and noticed that there actually is about a 1/4 of deflecting when I hang on it. Not sure if that's enough but I am gonna call that bill pancake dude and bend his ear.
 
Dave Rude is the man to talk to when it comes to OLeo’s. quick search on here or barnstormers will provide his number, he rebuilds them out of NC during wintertime, if I remember correctly.
 
I finally got up with him,after trying a few numbers,in case your're interested it's 919-208-3074,thanks again for all your help,this is Dave Rude
 
Champ-7AC. I just got a pretty good deal on a set of 1500# wheels. They are hydraulic. I currently have manual brakes with the 1000# wheels-(AD). I'm trying to make the 1500# wheels work. Running into some challenges. (Guess I should re-word that last part.) Anyway, has anyone on this site done this before? I'm trying to retain the mechanical setup vs Juice brakes. Every ounce of weight saved is a pound earned
 
Our experience is that mechanical brakes are for not-very-crowded airports or maybe farm fields. I have converted a couple 7ACs to Grove disc brakes via field approval. Doing that got lots more difficult lately because of a rule that prevents a manufacturer from selling parts that have not been approved - I maintain that a field approval constitutes part approval, but I am alone in that viewpoint.

But disc brakes change the personality of a Champ. A really good move. The Grove setup is almost identical to the earlier 7ECA heel brake setup.
 
Thank you for the feedback Bob. I don't ever use brakes for take off or landings. I do have creep when Ido my run up and when I'm turning off onto the first exits. My idea is to eliminate the AD on the 1000# wheels. I was trying to just use the wheels but having some challenges making this work. I will, in all likelihood, make them juice brakes. Thank you again.
 
The Grove setup is not cheap, but the STC Cleveland stuff is really, really expensive. The wheels with the AD, when you find them used serviceable, are roughly the same price as new Grove wheels. And then they crack.

If you do try for a field approval, you can legally use the non-TSO parts, but Grove cannot sell them to you. He can only sell them to an experimental builder. Strange, but that is the way the reg is written.

Same with radios - Garmin could not sell me a non-TSO radio, but Spruce could.

If you go for the field approval, we have pilot reports in writing raving about how much safer and better the hydraulics are. Push “safety of flight.”
 
I just drifted over to the Aeronca forum - I don't think anyone has posted there in about three years. What a shame - but thankfully we have this forum, which is working just fine. We should invite more Aeronca folks to join here.

There is probably a Facebook group that has sucked all the participants out. I have zero time for Facebook, mostly because I have some relatives who enjoy such things as conspiracy theories, photos of food, and baby pictures, none of which interests me at all. I have to block them.
 
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