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Suggestions for Maximizing Life of Alaska Bushwheels?

WindOnHisNose

BENEFACTOR
Lino Lakes MN (MY18)
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
 
Ask the airport manager he may say its Ok at your own risk also ask if you can at least taxi on the grass. Taxiing is by far the hardest on the tire its the scuffing as you turn so yes on wide turns will help. when I had my 31s I never had more then 6lbs in them I no a lot of guys run them with 10 to 12 lbs but I personally don't care for them that tight. I've never seen the need to spool the tires up just have a slight tail down on touch down and expect a little drag when the tires first touch down.

DW
 
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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

I have heard, not sure if it is true but it makes some sense in my mind that you will wear the tire out faster running them hard like that. You will wear out the top of the tire verses running a lower pressure and having more tire making contact with the ground.

What is the point of having Bushwheels running that much pressure anyway, they don't really start working for off airport until around 5 psi.

Greg
 
Minimize and slow down your ground ops. That means taxi less and taxi slower, take off shorter and slower, and land shorter and slower. Land near your runway exits. Minimize turning with brakes. Diameter of the turn is less important that resistance to the turn. I usually run my 31s at 4-5psi. My mechanic pumped them up to 8# per the STC because it made it easier for him to push the plane around. I don't care for how hard they are at 8#. It defeats the purpose.

My tires will die from UV damage long before tread depletion. Maybe you should move to where there isn't any pavement.

If you can't afford to wear them out you should leave them in the hangar. (Wearing them out is the point, isn't it?)
 
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
dges where
Any other suggestions/opinions?

Many thanks to you.

Randy


Old racing trick: Take white liquid shoe polish to the side walls and along the edges where you think it is wearing and see where it scuffs off while you do the things you do. The shoe polish will wash off when you are done.

I have had a few sets wear on me and have found that the tire has a heavy side where it always touches first. Therefore if you rotate the tires left to right and turn them on the rim as well so they are rotating in the same direction all the time (there are radial right) you will move the wear spot around on the tire.

After I wore my first set, I now sell them after a couple years for 80% of new price and get a new set. A set of tires with tread showing is worth nothing, a used set with no tread showing is worth 80% of new. Do the math.

Bill
 
2. I am not sure that the Metropolitan Airport Commission will smile upon me landing short, or on the grass beside the runway

I was just being a smart alack to Randy the good doctor. :)
 
Before you put them on make sure the toe-in/out are correct. That tears them up pretty fast. Any pavement will kill em quick. Enjoy them, put money in the bushwheel jar. There are guys that go through a set a year.
 
Bugs66, I didn't know there is an extra thick option.

Steve Pierce, I catch your drift... turns out one of the tower controllers (it is a private tower) flies a C170 and it has allegedly been seen landing in the grass:)

Steve Pierce, I had that phrase as my motto until my kids grew up to be teenagers...now I am not sure that is such a good phrase:)

Steve Eaton, you are sooooo enlightening.

Randy
 
His point is just land in the grass. TOWER! Time to move Randy.
 
I am exploring the option of moving, but your suggestions are helpful (except yours Steve Eaton, you rascal). I have found a home for the super cub at a grass strip nearby:)

Randy
 
Randy : Move it to BJI - 4200 FT. x 100 E-W No tower !!! No one squealling to the Feds as sometimes happens where you are now .
 
fly all you want, just don't land!8)


Seriously, find places to get fuel and such that don't require dreaded blacktop. Concrete is worse.

keep them out of the sun...


stay out of shale and broken rock

don't loan them to Mr. Big Eaton, he will put them on his tractor!:wink:

It has been said that you can paint conveyor belt dressing on them and extend their life.
 
I disagree that taxiing is worse for the tires than the initial spool up upon landing on asphalt. I have three nice little circles about the size of a half dollar with thread showing, just outside of the centerline of the tire. All three of these little hickies came from landing on asphalt. On the occasion I go to the local towered airport (restaurant on the field) I request landing on the grass "at my own risk". Seems to satisfy the Saturday morning controller who is a total prick.
 
There was a decussion about wear on Bushwheels a few posts ago. Some Cub owners had a Auto Parts store fix ,that was real tuff when applied.
 
Im going on three years with the 31s no cords showing yet, course I ordered the extra thick ones like Bugg's mentioned Randy.
 
Randy,

While I think all of the advice and comments above are fantastic and in some cases provided useful information, I would suggest you NOT even think about what the tires cost or how long they are going to last. If you wear out a set of tires whether on asphalt, concrete, gravel, or sand, it will be an indicator of how much fun you have been having - on any surface. You have plenty of time from when the first cords show to take a couple extra night shifts and pay for a new set of tires.

Just have fun. Don't worry, fly happy!

sj
 
Just put them back on the shelf! They are useless anyways...

I have heard of people putting rhino liner coating on the tire so you can wear out the rhino liner instead of the rubber itself. It would not make a difference in grip since there is no real tread to begin with!

I do not know what pressure works best on hard surfaces but anything above 4psi is useless off airport because the tires will not absorb the bumps, they will just send you flying!

But SJ is right, the wear is a measure of how much fun you are having!

Bobby
 
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