What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Safe Method to Lift Airplane for Main Wheel Removal...

Piper J3

Well Known Member
I want to remount my main tires to even out wear. I have looked in the Maintenance Manual page 1-16 for lifting the airplane and it is not very specific. Under the title Lifting with a Jack - CAUTION: INSTALL A JACKPOINT WHEN LIFTING AT THE WING TIE-DOWN LOCATION. So is it acceptable to install a hard point (steel tie down ring) and lift one side of the plane by inserting a jack under the wing tie-down ring?
 
Tie down rings

Don't use your tie down rings. They can and will break possibly causing a lot of damage to your wing. Do a search and you will find different options people use. I used my rings for 5 years before one broke. I gut lucky with little damage.
 
It didn't take me very long to build a pair of maintenance stands from 2x4 and scrap carpet I had on hand. I haven't used them yet, but I like that idea a lot better than jack stands.
 
Here's a method I recently used on my airplane. It works because the fuselage is flat on the bottom and I place the jacks pretty close to the longerons. Maybe it will work on an RV-12 too.

b9Y9NyH.jpg


I have more information about the jacks here:
http://chrismadsen.org/2016/03/fuselage-jack/
 
I grew tired of borrowing a friend's heavy wing jack a few years ago and did a search for a better solution and found this thread:

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=82111&highlight=jack&page=2

A sturdy base, some galvanized conduit, a large hose clamp, a long-ram jack from Harbor Freight, and some basic hand tools and you can make your own. Stephan's pics seem to be gone from the thread now, but page two has a couple of pics so you can see how it's made.

I took a stock bolt that threads into the tie-down and rounded off the head. Then made a corresponding divot in the jack head. Thread the bolt into the tie-down and you have a jack point. Chock the opposite wheel and place the jack under the bolt and raise the ram until it meets the jack point and you're good to go. Mine works great and, as the thread says, cost me less than $50. Some of the designs and ideas on that thread are good -- but for guys like me who can't weld, the plywood base/conduit/hose clamp/jack design works.
 
Last edited:
I want to remount my main tires to even out wear. I have looked in the Maintenance Manual page 1-16 for lifting the airplane and it is not very specific. Under the title Lifting with a Jack - CAUTION: INSTALL A JACKPOINT WHEN LIFTING AT THE WING TIE-DOWN LOCATION. So is it acceptable to install a hard point (steel tie down ring) and lift one side of the plane by inserting a jack under the wing tie-down ring?

Actually it is very specific......

On page 1-17 it recommends that you make two support stands (translate that to saw horses in U.S language) of the dimensions specified.
Page 1-18 shows where to place them and how to get the fuselage up on them.
 
Does everyone always remove the wings before mounting the fuse on the saw horses?

I have done it both ways but it is easier to lift the tail for inserting the second one with them removed, because of the reduced weight.
It also makes it nicer when working on a wheel because the wing is not in the way. You can sit beside in on a short stool if you want.
 
Back
Top