Can anyone explain to me how to use this atlee wing jack?

[Narwhal]

I'm trying to use an Atlee Dodge wing jack for a wheel change on a Carbon Cub. I've attached some pictures of what the jack looks like and what my strut and fairings look like.

Specifically I want to know what part of the wing strut I can attach the top of the jack to so that I can applying lifting pressure without damaging anything. The U shaped metal attachment at the top of the jack is not the same shape as the strut fairing. Is this jack (or at least the attachment) incompatible with this airplane due to this fairing or is there some way to use it? I asked if it was compatible when I ordered it. I feel like the jack will just ride up into the aileron cable pulley if I tried to lift the jack with the U shaped attachment making contact with the wing strut.

EDIT: I can't jack the strut by the gear/axles for this job, it involves working in the axle areas to put skis. I appreciate all the suggestions for that but it's not feasible, and I have covered gear. I realize that it's far and away the most popular way to jack up a cub, but it won't work in this case.

 

[BC12D-4-85]

Put some rubber flat cushion material between the lift head and the strut and tie down fittings. Prevents metal to metal contact. Used this for 48 yrs. Something like road wheel mud guard flap rubber cut to size.

Gary

 

[Steve Pierce]

Lots of pictures and discussion here. https://www.supercub.org/forum/showthread.php?58571-Atlee-Dodge-Wing-Jack

 

[frequent_flyer]

I'm trying to use an Atlee Dodge wing jack for a wheel change on a Carbon Cub. I've attached some pictures of what the jack looks like and what my strut and fairings look like.

You don't need that wing jack to change a wheel, only if you need to dismantle the suspension. Unless your tires are a lot wider than my 26 inch ABW all you need is a simple bottle jack and a suitable pad that is positively located on the jack stem. I made my pad out of two layers of plywood. One is bored to accept the jack stem and the other is not. Both pieces are screwed together.

The FX-3 maintenance manual shows how the wing jack should be located at the strut fitting.

Edit to add photos of jacking. A Scissor jack would probably work just as well but the bottle jack was available. Bricks under tire were only there because I wanted to leave the aircraft raised to transfer fuel between wings.

 

[stewartb]

It fits just inboard of the tie down ring, and the ring keeps the jack from sliding off the strut. Do your tie down rings move? Mine do. That requires making a fixture to adapt to that jack. My plane’s too tall for that wing jack. I have to build up a platform under it. More moving parts, never a good thing. You’d be better off with a Short Final Fab gear jack, anyway.

 

[DENNY]

The standard wing strut tie down will not pivot so it stops the top of the jack from sliding. It looks like yours will pivot if enough force is applied. You are going to have to come up with a better top to the jack than what you have. Make sure it is padded as the others have said and block the tail and other tire well. I would only use a wing jack if I had I needed to remove the gear or change to skis and had nothing else. I use a 4x4 under both axle shafts and a ATV or rolling floor jack for tire and ski change.
DENNY

 

[Mark_Moyle]

A buddy of mine in Soldotna uses an engine hoist and a fixture in place of the chain to lift at the wing strut.

I use a C groove fan belt, clevis and my engine hoist at the upper motor mount firewall cluster/bushing… one at a time. Or….spreader bar and overhead hoist.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Narwhal]

It fits just inboard of the tie down ring, and the ring keeps the jack from sliding off the strut. Do your tie down rings move? Mine do. That requires making a fixture to adapt to that jack. My plane’s too tall for that wing jack. I have to build up a platform under it. More moving parts, never a good thing. You’d be better off with a Short Final Fab gear jack, anyway.

I was dumb and got covered gear so I can't use those. The Tie down ring doesn't move (although I haven't tried applying 600+ lbs of weight to it like I would when jacking) and my plane isn't too tall, it's just that having that hard metal claw on the top of the jack supporting half the airplane's weight while pressing on a fairing or sliding up onto the aileron pulley and doing some real damage seems risky.

I read the thread that Steve referenced that had the pictures of your plane on the jack in it, but in your case it looked like you'd had a special adapter made for a ring that attached to one of your wing rips outboard of the tie down rings, and no one really had a close up detail of how this jack is supposed to ride on the strut/wing attach area.

I will try to use a ton of padding on the top of the jack, or maybe reconsider getting a hoist in the hangar.

 

[frequent_flyer]

I will try to use a ton of padding on the top of the jack, or maybe reconsider getting a hoist in the hangar.

A ton of padding is not the right answer. Any padding that moves the jack contact point away from the strut end fitting increases the probability that the tie down fitting will rotate and allow the jack to penetrate the wing. The thinner the padding the better as long as it performs the intended function of protecting the strut and its end fittings.

I'm going to need to do this soon and I plan to design a padded fitting that bears on the strut end fitting and also captures the tie down fitting so it cannot rotate. Lift will be done with a standard low wing aircraft jack with extension tube since those are in the hangar for PA-28 maintenance.

Once again though - you don't need to jack the wing to pull a wheel.

 

[DENNY]

https://www.supercub.org/forum/showthread.php?54657-How-to-jack-up-a-Cub&highlight=tire+change+jackhttps://www.supercub.org/forum/showthread.php?60016-Jack-for-covered-gear&highlight=Jacking+cub https://www.supercub.org/forum/showthread.php?60016-Jack-for-covered-gear&highlight=Jacking+cub
DENNY

 

[BC12D-4-85]

What's preventing the tie down rings from rotating about the cross bolt that fastens it to the wing? Normal Piper rings engage the two brackets that are bolted to the wing spar.

Gary

 

[StalledOut]

Once you see one of those jacks slip and go through the wing you'll wonder why you didn't use a axle jack. Just make sure that base is on solid solid ground.
I now use a ratcheting jack with a bent plate on top and jack the axle. If it's on ice I put a 2x6 block under it with screws slightly sticking out so it won't slip or slide.

 

[Steve Pierce]

Lots of ways to skin a cat. Hoist from the ceiling is my preferred method. I really like the Short Final Fabrication jack like Stewart posted pictures of on uncovered gear. I use a long piece of angle with stubs welded on bottom for a floor jack. Each end hits on the bottom of the axles, I use rubber sheet between the angle and the axle. Jack one side and you have clearance to get the tore on and off which you don't have when you have big tires with just a bottle or floor jack.

 

[Steve Pierce]

 

[Mot]

Not a supercub but might give you an idea.

 

[Narwhal]

I should probably mention that the purpose of the jacking is to change to wheel penetration skis w/ 8.50's off of 31's and I'm not sure that these sorts of Axle jacks will work with this ski installation, they use that area for the ski bracket. The summit bracket mounts to the axle flange and the bolt the bolt that attaches the axle to the shock strut (bungee tube).

Thanks for all the replies so far, I really appreciate it. I am working with an A&P IA on this but am attempting to learn so that in the future I night be able to DIY the changeover, and he is pretty busy so I can't pick his brain about everything until he gets around to doing the change.

Here is a picture of what ultimately needs to be done:

 

[Steve Pierce]

Ceiling hoist and lifting eyes or and engine hoist with sling strap around the engine mount at the cluster. I have hoisted with a prop sling and engine hoist one wheel at a time by hanging a weight on one tie down fitting.

 

[stewartb]

Lifting on that tab shouldn’t be a problem until skis are installed. How to connect the ski cables may be a trick without lifting so the skis can rotate. Maybe connect the front cable first, push the ski down to stretch the bungee, and attach the pedestal. Rear cables are easy. You’ll figure it out.

If this is the initial installation? The easiest plan is to get it up on a hoist to rig the skis.

 

[Randyk]

Single puck brakes with 31's? Oh, my.......

 

[Narwhal]

Single puck brakes with 31's? Oh, my.......

I have double pucks. That picture is from the ski install manual.

 

[NunavutPA-12]

Interesting to see the various methods that have been tried. Personally, I'd be a little hesitant to try a wing jack, and devastated if that thing failed and went through the wing.

Here's how I do it:

 

[frequent_flyer]

The Goodyear mechanical disc brakes on the Aeronca Chief used what many Aeronca owners called pucks. These pucks are a short cylinder (disc) of brake friction material that has no bonded or riveted steel back plate.

The Grove brakes used on the FX-3 Carbon Cub come in two sizes, the standard 1.5 inch and the optional 1.75 inch. Both are double piston calipers and neither, according to the Grove exploded parts diagram, has any "pucks".

The brake caliper shown in the ski attachment illustration seems to be a single piston type.

Is puck also a commonly used name for piston?

 

[DENNY]

Is puck also a commonly used name for piston? YEP
DENNY

 

[BC12D-4-85]

Hockey pucks too

Gary

 

[wireweinie]

And that little dude in the Shakespeare play.

Web

 

[KevinJ]

Rhymes with my favorite word…..

 

[akwing]

for what it's worth

ive had my plane slip off the wing jack a couple times, being a bit cavalier about jack placement.

it did not go through the wing, luckily hadn't started doing any maintenance when it slipped off, that would be bad - especially if you're replacing a hydrasorb or something.

a wing jack is my last resort and even then, will lock the opposite brake and find someone to steady the plane as im doing the maintenance.

 

[Dan Gervae]

I bought some Harbor Freight screw jack type tall stands and used them to stabilize my plane when I had it hanging from a chain hoist while I built my float rigging. I had placed a 2x4 across the upper wing strut attachments and placed the jack in the middle. I secured both the board to the upper end of the wing strut and the jack to the board so they couldn’t slip. These are about $70 each. For any wheel type maintenance I jack from the gear as others have illustrated. I’d sure hate to have the plane slip off one of these as mentioned….My plane was attached to the chain hoist so these were just used to level things including the positioning of the tail….the screw type adjustment was very helpful for micro adjustments.

 

[BC12D-4-85]

Chock the tires (all 3), put a non-slip piece of carpet on the floor/ground/ice surface and a rubber buffer at the strut. Go slow with the jack. It also helps to bolt a larger base to the jack to make it more stable. Can be made of wood or metal, plus they make a larger commercial base as an option. Keep the latching pins and joints lubed. I've used mine since the mid-70's to change out gear and adjust lift strut rigging. If I had to do it over I'd use it again.

Gary

 

[stewartb]

I’m in the “last resort” camp. Too many better options are available. The longer a jack is, the more potential there is for a problem.