Bushwheels

[Clearprop!]

I have yet to see any J-3 with oversized Tundra/Bushwheels.

What is the biggest tire size the J-3 could run with?

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[Grant]

These are 29" Airstreaks on a J3 I finished this year for a customer and they are more than enough....

[Clearprop!]

These are 29" Airstreaks on a J3 I finished this year for a customer and they are more than enough....

Exactly what I needed to know, thank you!

Sent from my SM-G950F using SuperCub.Org mobile app

[Steve Pierce]

My brother ran 29" Airstreaks on a 90 hp J3. Best gravel bar airplane out there for getting into and out of places.

[Crash, Jr.]

Legally you can run up to a 31" Bushwheel on a J3 per the STC...but I wouldn't. As others have said the 29" Airstreaks are the way to go. There's little difference between the 29" Airstreak and 31" Bushwheel except a deceptively small size difference, 6lbs per tire, and $300 per tire.

On the other hand as far as looks go the 26's look just "right" on a J3. Bigger tires (while they work better off airport) just make the cub look like it's trying too hard. Like a kid running around in dad's shoes.

BTW there are quite a few pictures of J3's on big tires, I think I have a few on here of mine on 26's and there are quite a few online on Instagram if you search for J3's on Airstreaks

[Steini]

31 looks about right.

[aktango58]

A friend used 8:50x6 tires to keep the weight down on his 90 hp J-3. He did an incredible amount of off airport work with it.

[akomara1]

Not sure what the 29’s and 31’s weigh, but the 8.50’s I used to have on mine were 6ply and weighed 16lbs each (Air Trac’s). I just put these aero classic smoothies on there at 22” tall and weight in at 10lbs each. The 4 ply makes them so smooth. I’m looking to sell the Air Tracs btw.

[cubdriver2]

Just put my 25 back on




Glenn

[Grant]

Just put some smooth 8.50s on this cub that I fly. They seem to be about perfect for an all stock J3...

[Steve Pierce]

[courierguy]

Just got the RANS back on the 29's, a rite of spring. Don't have to duck anymore walking under the wing. Those are 6:00's on the left, for the Datum skis.

[Crash, Jr.]

Just got my little cub on new 29's with fancy tire stickers. Going through quite a few upgrade/maintenance items in preparation for summer.

[akomara1]

Nice setup crash! That’s a lot of weight for tires though! I love the belly pod on that thing and am curious if there’s an STC for it or if your going experimental. The one downfall to the j3 as far as camping goes is the luggage space, and I can’t really find a good easy fix for extended baggage.

[G44]

Crash,

A friend of mine just ordered stickers for his new 29’s. I was wondering how difficult/easy are they to install? Any tricks or cautions to be aware of?

Thanks

Kurt

[cubdriver2]

Nice setup crash! That’s a lot of weight for tires though! I love the belly pod on that thing and am curious if there’s an STC for it or if your going experimental. The one downfall to the j3 as far as camping goes is the luggage space, and I can’t really find a good easy fix for extended baggage.

Cover the front stick socket and unhook the rudder and brake rods. You can load floor to skylight

Glenn

[mvivion]

Just got my little cub on new 29's with fancy tire stickers. Going through quite a few upgrade/maintenance items in preparation for summer.

Ah another Brittany fan! Great dogs. Oh, and nice looking Cub, too.....

MTV

[Crash, Jr.]

Nice setup crash! That’s a lot of weight for tires though! I love the belly pod on that thing and am curious if there’s an STC for it or if your going experimental. The one downfall to the j3 as far as camping goes is the luggage space, and I can’t really find a good easy fix for extended baggage.

Thanks! The pod is erm...."Alaska legal". Plan on working with a DER to get a field approval this summer but in the mean time I justify it by the fact that you can't actually fit the minimum required survival gear in the stock baggage. The tires aren't too bad considering the size. 23lbs each for the old 26 Goodyears that came off (tire and tube) and 28lbs each for these new Airstreaks. Plane was 765 in the W&B before and now will calculate to probably 800 or thereabouts after the pod, tires, and tailwheel. Actual weight is probably in the 850lb range empty.

Crash, A friend of mine just ordered stickers for his new 29’s. I was wondering how difficult/easy are they to install? Any tricks or cautions to be aware of?

The tire stickers were surprisingly easy but there is some pitfalls. The tires grow quite a bit and the spacing between letters changes as you change pressure. The stickers are cut out on the backer for kind of a low-ish pressure, I think mine lined up best at around 2-3 psi. I just mounted the wheels (so you don't damage the tire with pressure) then played with the pressure until things lined up. Tried to get fancy with spreading the glue out perfectly with a brush but it didn't improve anything. Just follow the directions that they come with and it works out great. If you get too much glue in one spot though it can cause a dark spot on the letter so watch out for that. Oh, and I should mention the tire stickers are only made for newer tires. The Bushwheel letter font/size changed in 2014 and the Airstreaks in 2017 so they only work on tires made after then.

Cover the front stick socket and unhook the rudder and brake rods. You can load floor to skylight, Glenn

But then where would the dog sit?

[Colorado-Cub]

If they made 31" Airstreaks, I would buy them in a heartbeat. Until then, another J3(ish) on 29s:



(I use mesh cargo net above the rear baggage to emulate a pod, but a carbon pod like Crash's is on my short list...)

[BTV]

Another option is to find a set of 31’s that are about worn out. I just put a set on a new to me -18 with c90. They weigh 29# each and should last a long time on a light cub.

[KevinJ]

Another option is to find a set of 31’s that are about worn out. I just put a set on a new to me -18 with c90. They weigh 29# each and should last a long time on a light cub.

Ive got a patch kit my cub. Remind me to throw a bike pump in

[RaisedByWolves]

Don’t be causing trouble and blaming joe with that paint job now.


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[BTV]

[QUOTE=RaisedByWolves;800877]Don’t be causing trouble and blaming joe with that paint job now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
It’s called plausible deniability. Imagine the fun I can have in Eaton’s neck of the woods!

[Crash, Jr.]

Worn out 31's are the ultimate Airstreak. There's more than one pilot around that has a set of "competition tires" that are missing a few lbs of tread.

[TurboBeaver]

If your doing a bunch of steep sidehill strips
this may be an answer��

[akomara1]

If they made 31" Airstreaks, I would buy them in a heartbeat. Until then, another J3(ish) on 29s:



(I use mesh cargo net above the rear baggage to emulate a pod, but a carbon pod like Crash's is on my short list...)

got any pics of your net setup?

[Colorado-Cub]

got any pics of your net setup?

None handy, but easy enough to describe:

Take one of these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

...and you can clip it to fuselage tubes in various configurations. I store soft stuff like sleeping bags or hammocks between it and the turtle deck area and the cargo net essentially compresses everything to the ceiling. If I need more room, I clip it to the rear seat tubes and create a divider of sorts. A few carabiners and a bit of cursing and most everything stays where it was supposed to, even when crossing the Rockies in an underpowered kite of an aircraft.

[courierguy]

If your doing a bunch of steep sidehill strips
this may be an answer😳

Took me a while to understand your post, until I noticed the tires.....as luck would have it, my first back on the bushtires landing was this site yesterday, and I did my quick turnaround at the top to the left so the small tire on the right/big tire on the right setup would have been a perfect setup. it sure feels good to be back on "real" tires, and to have brakes again.

[akomara1]

None handy, but easy enough to describe:

Take one of these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

...and you can clip it to fuselage tubes in various configurations. I store soft stuff like sleeping bags or hammocks between it and the turtle deck area and the cargo net essentially compresses everything to the ceiling. If I need more room, I clip it to the rear seat tubes and create a divider of sorts. A few carabiners and a bit of cursing and most everything stays where it was supposed to, even when crossing the Rockies in an underpowered kite of an aircraft.

Nice thanks man! Got one on order from eBay.

[Colorado-Cub]

Took me a while to understand your post, until I noticed the tires.....as luck would have it, my first back on the bushtires landing was this site yesterday, and I did my quick turnaround at the top to the left so the small tire on the right/big tire on the right setup would have been a perfect setup. it sure feels good to be back on "real" tires, and to have brakes again.

Tom -- what peak is that just behind the right shoulder of your landing area?

[DENNY]

Worn out 31's are the ultimate Airstreak. There's more than one pilot around that has a set of "competition tires" that are missing a few lbs of tread.

Gabe
Don't be giving away all the secrets!!
DENNY

[courierguy]

Tom -- what peak is that just behind the right shoulder of your landing area?

Bannock Peak, nothing special, just looks more impressive due to the smaller terrain around it, does look pretty cool this time of year, like it's Mt. Kilamingaro or something.

[IainR]

29's on my cub, stroker C85 now hanging on the front, waiting on a radio and paperwork then should be good to go

[Crash, Jr.]

Wow, Iain those look great! 29's on a yellow cub look just right. That's going to be quite a machine with a stroker 85.

[akomara1]

I dig the paint too. What process and color is that?

[Crash, Jr.]

It does look a bit more on the "white" side of yellow but it's probably just the lighting or camera filtering. I know the tire stickers are pretty much exactly cub yellow and they look to match the paint

[TurboBeaver]

Gabe,
Be sure to update us on how you compare your old Goodyear's to your new Airstreaks for sidewall stiffness
after you get used to them..........lol.
Dresser sent me the Goodyear's in 1990 to test them for them! I ran them for about 25 hrs on the Cub we had at the time. Then went back to my 30" (Guy Selman) Airstreaks we used to run before there was a ' Bushwheel'

[hotrod180]

I'd like to order two sets of stickers:
one "26" Goodyear" & one "850 Airtrac".
Thank you.

[Crash, Jr.]

Gabe,
Be sure to update us on how you compare your old Goodyear's to your new Airstreaks for sidewall stiffness
after you get used to them..........lol.

I can tell already it's going to be a trip flying on tires that are so much larger and softer. I've flown 31's in an -18 so I have an idea of how much higher you feel in the plane when the tires touch but the softness of the Airstreaks are in a different league. And BTW these 29" Airstreaks actually measure 30"

I'd like to order two sets of stickers:
one "26" Goodyear" & one "850 Airtrac".
Thank you.

We tried getting the printer to do them but they just kept coming out misspelled as "too small" and "even smaller"

[TurboBeaver]

Lots of folks out there that still haven't made the connection between "high pressure" and "low pressure" tires; regardless of their size.
Good luck with em!
E