To steer or not to steer
- Thread starter Eddie Foy
- Start date
Eddie Foy
MEMBER
South Florida
Eddie Foy
MEMBER
South Florida
Do you have a part number or pic of this glider tire? You use it with the wide yoke?
SteveE
SPONSOR
Jenks, OK
Ursa Major
Registered User
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
400x4 Glider tire from Ak Bushwheels. It fits on the same fork using the same spacer as the Baby Bushwheel. Uses the same STC as the baby bushwheel.
Eddie Foy
MEMBER
South Florida
400x4 Glider tire from Ak Bushwheels. It fits on the same fork using the same spacer as the Baby Bushwheel. Uses the same STC as the baby bushwheel.
cant seem to find it on the Alaska Airframes site.
Ursa Major
Registered User
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
It's on the website ( but a little hard to find) under 3200 tailwheel parts. They call it the 404 glider tire. Looks like the tire and tube are around 88 bucks. As Stewart points out, the Aero Classic tire is pretty common and available from a number of other sources. Mine is several years old and still seems to be in good shape.
behindpropellers
Registered User
NE Ohio
I would not put in extended baggage with the pod. You'll end up filling both, and putting the weight that far back really moves your CG back.
Ursa Major
Registered User
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
I've got pretty much the same setup (without the gap seals). I purposely keep light weight stuff in the rear of the extended baggage (sleeping bag, wing covers, foam pad) and haven't noticed any adverse CG issues. I have moved the battery out of the old location and mounted it under the front seat, which does help a little.
hotrod180
FRIEND
Port Townsend, WA
I priced ABW wide fork kits recently for my 180. With the baby bushwheel- $1050. With the 400 x 4 ribbed tire ("404 glider tire" per AA)- $700. If I buy a wide fork kit, I'm going with the ribbed tire.
Eddie Foy
MEMBER
South Florida
The extended baggage is for when I don't have the pod installed or when I need to load long or lightweight items like fishing rods. It's only good for 20 lbs.
i didn't survive 40+ years of flying by doing dumb stuff.
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One comment about the glider tire/tube, like all tubed tailwheels sand will eventually work it's way into the valve stem opening and grind on the tube until it fails. As I just had to deal with on a night when I had someplace to go. Disassembly of the wheel presented sand, sandy grease, and an unrepairable tube. It only happens at the most inconvenient times, it seems. A beautiful night wasted. Bummer. The Baby Bushwheel eliminates the issue, by the way.
Ursa Major
Registered User
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
I put a bead of rtv silicone between the valve stem and wheel opening during assembly. It seems to keep the grit out and is easy to remove if I need to change the tube.
hotrod180
FRIEND
Port Townsend, WA
Sounds like a good idea, on any tubed tailwheel.
Old Enduro Motorcycle trick, works well.
spinner2
MEMBER
Montana
Im writing this from a motel room in Canada on my return from a Cub trip to western Alaska where some Alaska friends and I banged around on the gravel bars fishing for rainbows, Dolly's and some Graying with fly rods. A perfect place for my preference for a free castering Baby Bushwheel tail wheel. But I left it at home and replaced with a steerable Baby Bushwheel.
The reason I did so had nothing to do with off airport landings and everything to do with long taxi work at places like windy Whitehorse. A half mile taxi in a crosswind with just brakes is slow and difficult and hard on brakes.
i think the free castering tail wheel is easier on the tail when going over big rocks, cut banks and the usual gravel bar trash. And in the air the rudder has a free feeling.
But for for this trip I went with the steerable tail wheel for practical reasons. When I get home I'll switch back.
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skywagon8a
MEMBER
SE Mass MA6
Another option for those who prefer full swivel tail wheels, which I've not seen mentioned, is a lockable tail wheel. Just a simple pin or lever actuated by a long push/pull cable. If you have ever taxied a Seabee (poor brakes and a large tail) in a crosswind you would appreciate this feature. It is a good thing that the Seabee has a reversing prop.
little wing
Registered User
Like you always hear, most things are a compromise. Define the mission and the question will practically answer itself with a little research, as you are trying to do. The BBW will dramatically slow down your steering at taxi speeds and will feel quite heavy, radius will increase a lot. Not real noticeable at landing speed, but it is slower to respond. You probably noticed the 3200 feels dull when you first got checked out compared to the training wheel on the front type airplanes. :lol: When you make the switch to the BBW you'll notice it takes much more room to turn without differential braking, this probably also increases the wear on the internals of the assembly, and isn't great for the ABWs either, at that point you will think of the 3200 as a carving knife instead of a machete.
On the other side, if you are in sand and gravel a lot it will be much easier to control because the BBW won't dig in like the 3200, lower RPM means less dings in that new prop on gravel. I have been in places where the BBW sank quite a bit, but not up to the axle. If you watch Chris' J-3 t/w dig in on the PRS night 1 video slo-mo landing you can see it digging into the gravel deeply, he even plows up a pretty large stick. (what happens when something under the surface tries to rip it off?) This probably helps a little while doing turning touchdowns to stabilize the rear of the plane, acts like an anchor.
As others and myself have pointed out there are pluses an minuses to each, decide what you will be doing 90% of the time and you'll have your answer. Congrats on the parts list, you'll have a completely different plane that will give you much more confidence when you go out searching for places the fedaralies don't want you to be, then you'll be needing top cover.
Gap seals definitely worth it, and if you're going for a 1A200, I keep an 82/42 and think that pitch would do you very nicely with your normal elevations. Have a ball.
On the other side, if you are in sand and gravel a lot it will be much easier to control because the BBW won't dig in like the 3200, lower RPM means less dings in that new prop on gravel. I have been in places where the BBW sank quite a bit, but not up to the axle. If you watch Chris' J-3 t/w dig in on the PRS night 1 video slo-mo landing you can see it digging into the gravel deeply, he even plows up a pretty large stick. (what happens when something under the surface tries to rip it off?) This probably helps a little while doing turning touchdowns to stabilize the rear of the plane, acts like an anchor.
As others and myself have pointed out there are pluses an minuses to each, decide what you will be doing 90% of the time and you'll have your answer. Congrats on the parts list, you'll have a completely different plane that will give you much more confidence when you go out searching for places the fedaralies don't want you to be, then you'll be needing top cover.
Gap seals definitely worth it, and if you're going for a 1A200, I keep an 82/42 and think that pitch would do you very nicely with your normal elevations. Have a ball.
tedwaltman1
FOUNDER
Delta, CO
Bumping this thread to provide feedback. Not bragging; Not claiming to be anything but an average Super Cub pilot at best. NOTE: Experimental Super Cub.
I did remove my rudder horn & of course steering springs back in 2015. In over 1,650 landings since removing them (I practice a lot--often 10+ landings per flight) I still have the original brake pads (pic below) with YEARS of pad left. I have landed up to at least 25 knots direct crosswind (once). I've landed short-no room for error--strips many times (example pic attached). NO ground-loops; NO off-"runway" excursions. All landings on 35" Bushwheels. By the way, I still have the original 35" Bushwheels with no cord showing yet (fingers crossed).
I did remove my rudder horn & of course steering springs back in 2015. In over 1,650 landings since removing them (I practice a lot--often 10+ landings per flight) I still have the original brake pads (pic below) with YEARS of pad left. I have landed up to at least 25 knots direct crosswind (once). I've landed short-no room for error--strips many times (example pic attached). NO ground-loops; NO off-"runway" excursions. All landings on 35" Bushwheels. By the way, I still have the original 35" Bushwheels with no cord showing yet (fingers crossed).
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tedwaltman1
FOUNDER
Delta, CO
I assume Grove brake pads since they were on my Grove 35-4A brake kit from the start
https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/lgpages/grovebrakelinings06-02971.php?clickkey=3695
https://www.groveaircraft.com/35series.html
https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/lgpages/grovebrakelinings06-02971.php?clickkey=3695
https://www.groveaircraft.com/35series.html
gntw
SPONSOR
Ft. St. John BC Can.
Brake pads in picture are rapco with the notch with out notch are Cleveland pads. Cleveland’s are what I like cost more but last way longer.
tedwaltman1
FOUNDER
Delta, CO
Icy Bay, Alaska.
Steve Pierce
BENEFACTOR
Graham, TX
I have had excellent service out of Grove pads. When I installed 35s on my Super Cub I used new APS BlackSteel brake discs and Grove pads and had better brakes than I had with my 31s. Started using the Grove pads on everything and they seem to work better. Roby Grove told me years ago to use Cleveland or Grove pads because Rapcos barely pass the braking certification tests. i am a firm believer in Groves after flying many Super Cubs with 35s and their less effective brakes and then mine. Just my experience for what it is worth. Haven't tried the no tailwheel steering thing yet.
courierguy
MEMBER
Inkom, Idaho
I could be fooling myself, wishful thinking, but I think having a steerable tw when on skis lets me make a tighter turn around, when I goose it with stick back and full rudder.
