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JACKING UP an RV-8

lucky

Well Known Member
During the build process I modified U-Bolts to make a cessna style landing gear hard point to raise one gear at a time to eventually weigh it.

But for maintenance like removing wheels, what are folks generally doing to raise and secure an 8 while removing the wheels for an extended period?

thx,
lucky
 
Jack...

.....by the tiedowns, Lucky. You have to weight the tail down while you do this or it will come up. We use a bottle jack on two concrete blocks and a 2 X 8" piece of wood. A cheap, store bought coarse thread bolt with the head cut off and rounded, screws into the tiedown hole.

Regards,
 
You can buy a 30" bottle jack at Harbor Freight for $39. Make your own jack stand and you are in business. Better make 3 or 4. The guys at the airport will want to borrow them. ;)
 
I tie web strapping around the engine mount and lift with engine hoist. Quick, clean and safe.
 
I tie web strapping around the engine mount and lift with engine hoist. Quick, clean and safe.

Ditto what Mel said; awhile back I needed to lift both wheels to rotate the tires. I tried using a couple of different jack points with bottle jacks, but combine the flex of the gear legs along with the flex of the tires and the whole thing just felt wobbly and shaky. Mel's method of engine hoist and straps came to the rescue; a perfect, stable, even lift of both wheels; easy!
 
I prefer a lifting table

From Good ol HF...$80 for a 500lb rated table that has an area of 32" * 18" roughly.

This makes a nice stable platform that can't topple.

I made a frame so I can lift my James cowl up from below as it a little unweildy....Just so happens the table works great for lifting one side of the airplane via the tie down too.

Frank
 
I got this idea from someone else, but if you back drill thru the center hole on the gear leg where the axle attaches thru the wheel pant bracket, you can slip a deep well socket or 3/8's bolt( I think) in the hole. Then you can use a floor jack to lift the plane.
 
You can but

You have to take the pant off first and remove the little bracket you made to hold the nutplate on the cap.

Thats OK (i did that for emergency wheel removal away from home with tools I can likely borrow)...But its a bit more of a hassle than jacking by the tie down ring.

Frank
 
HF?

From Good ol HF...$80 for a 500lb rated table that has an area of 32" * 18" roughly.

This makes a nice stable platform that can't topple.

I made a frame so I can lift my James cowl up from below as it a little unweildy....Just so happens the table works great for lifting one side of the airplane via the tie down too.

Frank

Sorry to be dense, but who/what/where is HF?
 
I made a couple of little pads to go under the gear leg at the mount. Take the cover off (where the fuell vent comes out) and put the pad between the brackets up under the fuse, and jack there. Really stable, and you don't have to weigh down the tail. Same jack works there or on the tiedowns. This is just an -8 solution since gear legs are flat on the tail dragger.
 
Securing the bolt to the bottlejack

What keeps the bottlejack and bolt from separating? I'm seen a certified plane that slipped off it's jacks in a FBOs maintenance hangar and the jacks went through the wings so I always said I'd never do it that way!
 
Jack

Lucky:

Sharpen the bolt to a point, then drill an indention into the jackpad for the sharp point to nest into. Drill deep enough so the point can't slip out.
 
Yet another way: Unbolt and remove the inboard half of the brake assembly. Slip a floor jack under the bottom end of the landing gear leg and lift.
 
HF= Harbor Freight

I use a motorcycle jack($60-$80). I built a wood box 14"x14"- 16" high to sit on the jack platform. Position the jack under the spar center section and raise the whole plane up as needed, both mains come up first, another 2" higher and the nose wheel is off also. It is very stable and well balanced. Takes all of 2 minutes. (got this idea from Jim Ellis):)
 
You can buy a 30" bottle jack at Harbor Freight for $39. Make your own jack stand and you are in business. Better make 3 or 4. The guys at the airport will want to borrow them. ;)

Hi Larry, went to Harbor Freight's website. Couldn't find a 30" jack. Tallest they had was I believe 20 1/4".

Don
 
Engine hoist/lift straps

Mel:

Where on the engine mount do you put the straps? I've got wiring, etc in the way most places.

Would the lifting ring on my O320 be secure to lift the whole airplane with an engine hoist?

George
 
I tie web strapping around the engine mount and lift with engine hoist. Quick, clean and safe.

Has anyone used this technique to raise the mains on an "A" model? Where did you place the support on the aft end of the fuse?

Thanks,
 
How much weight?

Approximately how much weight is required to keep the tailwheel grounded on an -8? I'm in 1st condition inspection ****. No aft tie down available, so it's time to find some heavy stuff I suppose. Input much appreciated.
 
No weight necessary; the tailwheel will take about 50# to lift, depending.

If you're talking about an "A" model, I have no idea.
 
Approximately how much weight is required to keep the tailwheel grounded on an -8? I'm in 1st condition inspection ****. No aft tie down available, so it's time to find some heavy stuff I suppose. Input much appreciated.

I will jack one wheel on my -8 without weight, but if I jack both wheels I attach a rather large old tractor weight to the tail tie down.

I jack at the wing tie down points, which lightens the weight on the tail significantly... Suggest jacking it up a little and test how much it takes to lift the tail, then add weight to match your comfort level...

Given the consequences of having the plane tip forward I tend to err on the side of caution...
 
RV-8 Wheel Jack

Here is mine from sq aluminum tube. Weighs 4.7oz and takes up very little room if you don’t carry the car jack in the plane. Strong and does not harm the fairing bracket.
 

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Do not use the engine hoist point!

Absolutely do not use the engine hoist point to lift the plane. Lycoming is adamant that is only to lift the engine itself.
 
every aircraft is different

Approximately how much weight is required to keep the tailwheel grounded on an -8? I'm in 1st condition inspection ****. No aft tie down available, so it's time to find some heavy stuff I suppose. Input much appreciated.
Doesn't take much, but depends on your aircraft's engine/prop weight. I usually put something "heavy" in the baggage area, like a case of oil or some bottles of water. Then lift slowly to make sure it won't tip forward.
 
I can't build a plane but I can build rough things like this. I made it in a few hours out of angle iron





 
Jack points

For those of you that are less inclined to homebrew a solution, you may want to check out Winter Motorsports' Jack Points for RVs. Find them on our site here.
 
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