Suggestions for Maximizing Life of Alaska Bushwheels?

[sierra bravo]

I've had my 29" Bushwheels on the 180 for 10 years. I know how they work and what they'll do and I've enjoyed them but for all intents and purposes a set of 29x11x10 Air Hawks will do what I need so I'm considering them as a suitable alternative. The only thing I might give up is a little shock absorption and that's really not a big deal for me. I think I might appreciate some stiffer sidewalls and less lateral roll. I also think about dropping the 14" tailwheel to something shorter to improve the AOA. These are changes that make sense. Mission appropriate. Besides, I may just want to try something different.

[aktango58]

Ten years on a 180?

That seems like a great life span to me!

Another idea would be to buy another 180 so you could have one set up each way

Ok, I am funning you.

But as you say, mission appropriate. Often, I found myself where I could have flown 7:00x6 tires for days on end.... then the dumba, er... stup, er OAKIE influence would set in and I would wish for 35's.

Higher intelligence in the cockpit might solver my problem though!

[SFD9]

Randy, just use the grass until MAC says something about it, then plead your case, what can it hurt?

If your over this way stop by the OLD Jane's tower, all we have is grass & it's un-manned 24/7

[OVEREASYGUY]

Tim Allen put that Rhino Lining stuff on his and from what I hear it works great!! I have not yet had a chance to put it on mine, however it sure seams like an excellent idea. How can the rubber wear out if you have that stuff on top - when it wears off - just paint more on! I keep my cub outside during the summer months and cover them up with some scrap rubber to keep the sun off - I'm betting that helps some. I do all I can to stay off pavement. I think 12 PSI is best - if you run only 6 psi you will have WAY more rubber on pavement!
cliff in Maine

[Mark Cav]

I went to 4x4 Parts show. The new thing they are doing on Jeeps is a Kevlar Lining they spray on outside instead of Rhino lining.It comes in different colors?? Tuff stuff.

[sierra bravo]

Maybe Bushwheels should make two versions of their popular tires. One would be what they offer now, which works great for things like... the Alaska bush. And maybe add a paved ops version with harder, thicker rubber. Since many guys are using higher inflations than what rough field ops would require it seems soft tires aren't the priority. May as well equip for the mission. Similar to how F-1 has soft tires for max performance and hard tires for improved life. An F-1 car on hard tires will still be more than a guy like me can handle. I'd never recognize a performance loss. Or the difference between standard summer tires on your car versus stud less winter tires like Blizzaks or better yet, the Perelli equivalent. The soft tires are way better for summer performance driving but they wear out fast and they're expensive so we use harder compound tires for normal use. Harder big tires on your airplane may make sense considering how the big tire trend has evolved to include on-airport ops. Maybe call them New Holstein Wheels.

Bushwheels used to offer a harder compound option on their tires. Why did they stop? With improved technology and their refinement of manufacturing perhaps they should try again?

[FdxLou]

Tim Allen put that Rhino Lining stuff on his and from what I hear it works great!! I have not yet had a chance to put it on mine, however it sure seams like an excellent idea. How can the rubber wear out if you have that stuff on top - when it wears off - just paint more on! I keep my cub outside during the summer months and cover them up with some scrap rubber to keep the sun off - I'm betting that helps some. I do all I can to stay off pavement. I think 12 PSI is best - if you run only 6 psi you will have WAY more rubber on pavement!
cliff in Maine

Cliff

Tim is experimental and you are certified....I'm pretty sure there are rules that prevent you from repairing a tire in that manner. Wup can shed some light on this....once cord shows they are unairworthy. I'm pretty sure that Rhino Liner is not an approved repair method.

Lou

[cubdriver2]

Tim Allen put that Rhino Lining stuff on his and from what I hear it works great!! I have not yet had a chance to put it on mine, however it sure seams like an excellent idea. How can the rubber wear out if you have that stuff on top - when it wears off - just paint more on! I keep my cub outside during the summer months and cover them up with some scrap rubber to keep the sun off - I'm betting that helps some. I do all I can to stay off pavement. I think 12 PSI is best - if you run only 6 psi you will have WAY more rubber on pavement!
cliff in Maine

Cliff, Tim didn't want anyone to know about the bed liner on his BW, he's still trying to get a new free tailwheel eye bolt.

Glenn

[skywagon8a]

Cliff

Tim is experimental and you are certified....I'm pretty sure there are rules that prevent you from repairing a tire in that manner. Wup can shed some light on this....once cord shows they are unairworthy. I'm pretty sure that Rhino Liner is not an approved repair method.

Lou

Lou...You do not understand...Cliff lives in Maine where rules have a different meaning........

[Steve Pierce]

Carey, I think the picture in the wanted poster has now changed.

[Tim]

Steve, Carey made me do it!

[hottshot]

I am hoping to try out the new 31" ABW this afternoon and have had a few suggestions as to how to maximize the life of these tires.

Facts for Me:
1. I am on an all-asphalt airport (KANE)
2. I am not sure that the Metropolitan Airport Commission will smile upon me landing short, or on the grass beside the runway

Suggestions thus far...

Tire pressure:
1. Run at 12 lbs if on asphalt
2. Run at 10 lbs if on grass

Taxiing:
1. If you have to taxi on asphalt, try to minimize taxiing distance by accepting intersection departures
2. Make WIDE turns, avoid acute turns

Landing:
1. If possible, touch down short of the threshold in order to "spool up" the tires before setting down on the asphalt

Any other suggestions/opinions?

Many thanks to you.

Randy

Randy-

The big thing like has been mentioned is to make sure your toe-in/out is good, just like you car or pick-up driving down the runway is where you are going to wear the tires most, yes the initial spool up will give you a little wear but not as much as you will see with taxi. I am working oin some pictures that will help explain the wear points of the tires and why they wear the way they do... I will try to get that done and post shortly.

[OLDCROWE]

Ok it appears time for a refresher course, just follow the bouncing Baby Bush Wheel:

"You put your toe in,
You put your toe out,
You put too much toe in and you wear your tires all about,
You do the tail-wheel shimmy and you ground loop all about,
You do the and that's what it's all about..."

[hottshot]

Maybe Bushwheels should make two versions of their popular tires. One would be what they offer now, which works great for things like... the Alaska bush. And maybe add a paved ops version with harder, thicker rubber. Since many guys are using higher inflations than what rough field ops would require it seems soft tires aren't the priority. May as well equip for the mission.

Bushwheels used to offer a harder compound option on their tires. Why did they stop? With improved technology and their refinement of manufacturing perhaps they should try again?

SB-

We used to make 3 different tread compounds (52 soft-60 med-70 hard) and we thought "why?" so we went with the "Harder" 70 Duro tread compound. Now the "thicker" question.... Ok we had the option years ago and the difference in weight is about 2-3 pounds per tire and when you tell a client that you are going to add 6 more total pounds to their airplane you would be amazed of the reactions we have gotten on that one. So you get what we have here every one wants a tire that lasts 10 thousand years and weighs 6 oz..... well we all know what the answer to that question is. We as always are looking for was to improve the products we manufacture and with the new tech that is coming out every day we are testing things out as often as we can. As a certified part we can only move as fast as the FAA allows and any new changes to the product have to go through testing and cert process and we all know that happens overnight.

[cubdriver2]

SB-

We used to make 3 different tread compounds (52 soft-60 med-70 hard) and we thought "why?" so we went with the "Harder" 70 Duro tread compound. Now the "thicker" question.... Ok we had the option years ago and the difference in weight is about 2-3 pounds per tire and when you tell a client that you are going to add 6 more total pounds to their airplane you would be amazed of the reactions we have gotten on that one. So you get what we have here every one wants a tire that lasts 10 thousand years and weighs 6 oz..... well we all know what the answer to that question is. We as always are looking for was to improve the products we manufacture and with the new tech that is coming out every day we are testing things out as often as we can. As a certified part we can only move as fast as the FAA allows and any new changes to the product have to go through testing and cert process and we all know that happens overnight.

Maybe you need to start selling a " certified " can of bed liner.

Glenn

[SJ]

Wup,

We appreciate the clarifications and info!

Thanks!

sj

[sierra bravo]

SB-

We used to make 3 different tread compounds (52 soft-60 med-70 hard) and we thought "why?" so we went with the "Harder" 70 Duro tread compound. Now the "thicker" question.... Ok we had the option years ago and the difference in weight is about 2-3 pounds per tire and when you tell a client that you are going to add 6 more total pounds to their airplane you would be amazed of the reactions we have gotten on that one. So you get what we have here every one wants a tire that lasts 10 thousand years and weighs 6 oz..... well we all know what the answer to that question is. We as always are looking for was to improve the products we manufacture and with the new tech that is coming out every day we are testing things out as often as we can. As a certified part we can only move as fast as the FAA allows and any new changes to the product have to go through testing and cert process and we all know that happens overnight.

Wup,

Good stuff. I always assumed you dropped the 70 durometer and used 60. To the wear thing, all a guy needs to do is taxi straight down a paved, level surface and the tires will tell you a story about alignment, inflation, etc.

How does your 70d compare to "conventional" tires like 850 Goodyears and Michelins?

Check your web mail, please. I sent an inquiry to you because my email contacts were lost to a server error.

SB

[hottshot]

Ok here is a picture, I hope this will help with the air pressure and flex of the tire and why the tire wears the way it will on hard surface..

.tire profile1.jpg

How does your 70d compare to "conventional" tires like 850 Goodyears and Michelins?

Check your web mail, please. I sent an inquiry to you because my email contacts were lost to a server error.

Our tread compounds are very similar but the build of the tire and what it is designed for is the main culprit your other aviation tires are based on the same design principals as the auto industries to have a semi flat contact surface and in most cases the wear is pretty even. I did get your email and I will get you the info this am.

[driveacub]

If they sit outdoors in the sun, make a plywood frame which you can slide around thenm to keep them cooler. If you make a lower step on the front they are also handy for fueling,etc.

[Henny]

If they sit outdoors in the sun, make a plywood frame which you can slide around thenm to keep them cooler. If you make a lower step on the front they are also handy for fueling,etc.

Keeping the sun off the 35's. Hopefully heavy enough to keep the bears away also. Guy a couple spots down from me had one of his 31's chewed on last year.

OBTW, the 206 in the background is the one that flipped in Homer last week.

photo.JPG

[OVEREASYGUY]

I'm not talking about repairing an old tire - i'm talking about putting the stuff on a new tire. How is the rubber going to wear out if you keep a layer of Rhino lining on it? Reapply when it wears out. If the FAA asks, say you landed in some crap and it stuck all over your tire. I don't think the average FAA inspector is up to speed on the specs of a new bushwheel - just tell them that's the way they came. I have not put any on mine yet and mine seam to be lasting a long time. I keep them covered with a large sheet of rubber when the airplane is stored outside so it keeps the sun off them - I'm guessing that probably helps some.
Also if you keep 12 psi in them you really don't need a very wide band of that stuff on the tire to cover the most wearable section - I would think a 4 inch strip would do the trick?
Cliff In Maine

[Steve Pierce]

So what is the point in having Bushwheels if you run 12 psi? Flying in Alaska with Tal he had the pressure up to 10 psi or so for our trip up. Once we got out to Ultima Thule and were landing off airport it was obvious we had way to much pressure. I was sitting in the back seat and those things were going up and down like crazy and beating the hell outta the frame. Let them down to 6 psi or maybe less and it absorbed the shock well.

[behindpropellers]

So what is the point in having Bushwheels if you run 12 psi?

They look cool.

[Steve Pierce]

I can get some tattoos for that.

Didn't come out well but this is a Bushwheel tattoo.
100_2042.JPG

[sierra bravo]

So what is the point in having Bushwheels if you run 12 psi? Flying in Alaska with Tal he had the pressure up to 10 psi or so for our trip up. Once we got out to Ultima Thule and were landing off airport it was obvious we had way to much pressure. I was sitting in the back seat and those things were going up and down like crazy and beating the hell outta the frame. Let them down to 6 psi or maybe less and it absorbed the shock well.

Apparently 10# served you pretty well until you went boonie hopping, right? I believe you asked and answered your own question.

AOA. There's the #1 reason I like big tires. Pump 'em up hard or soft to suit your own mission but in either case the AOA advantage is a big deal. If I was wearing through tires every couple of years I'd still be reluctant to switch back to short tires for durability.

[myskyjeep]

I'm happy flying off the last 20%. I love worn out bushwheels!