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Sam James pants ground clearance

az_gila

Well Known Member
I have a question for Sam James main wheel pants users.

Do you find that the ground to bottom of the fibreglas pant clearance is vastly different forward of the tire vs. aft of the tire?

I'm in the process of trying to fit the wheel pants and the 1/2 clearance over the top of the tire doesn't bather me as much as the lack of clearance under the wheel pant. The instructions aren't much help..:rolleyes:

With the aft end at just over 3.5 inches above the ground (RV-6A sitting tail low, 4.6 degrees at longeron) which is 1/2 inch above what the instructions seem to imply. At this position I seem to have about only 1.6 inches ground clearance behind the tire and about 3 inches in front of the tire.

Have others found the same disparity?

I'm tempted to hack into the aft bottom portion of the pant and raise it up to give more clearance, even if I lose 1 mph cruise...:)
 
I'm tempted to hack into the aft bottom portion of the pant and raise it up to give more clearance, even if I lose 1 mph cruise...:)

Or just remove the bottom fiberglass and replace with a rubber/glass bottom. Same profile as the stock pant. I run with 3/4" inch ground clearance behind the tire, zero clearance between rubber and tire sidewall. Needs a stick-on wear patch every couple years. I'll probably trim away even more fiberglass on the next set.



Do the layup on a waxed and PVA'ed pant, peel, trim, glue on with urethene adhesive.

 
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