Freezing Brakes

[Wantabe]

Hi,

I carry very little air in my tires. This morning while taxiing in, the brake froze, though I did not use them at all. The snow was about 2-3" deep at most. This has happen before and I was extremely aware not to touch the brakes. This time, the tire slipped on the rim and sheared the valve out of the tube. This occured at a slow taxi speed. What can I do to prevent the brakes from freezing, and would more tire pressure help to keep the tire from slipping? I get along fine with that pressure in the summer, but did not add air to account for the lower temps.

Thanks for all advice offered.
Larry

 

[coldNF]

First of all, make sure your brakes did not lock up because the master cylinders got to hot. This can be caused when the fluid expands from heat. A rear seat scat hose run under the front seat and laying on the master cylinders can be the cause (be sure to tie wrap any scat hose away from the master cylinders). Also it can be caused it the brakes where bleed in very cold weather and the master cylinders get warmer from a good heater blowing on them.

The brakes can freeze up as you say they did in your case. This can be caused if the brakes are set to tight and are dragging. The excessive drag will warm the disk as you taxi and melt the snow. The wet disks freeze after takeoff.


Steven Williams

 

[Dano Bardwell]

tires

bet some bush wheels & you wont snap valve stems or screw the tires to the rims @ the tire bead. works good!

 

[aktango58]

Both colder air and higher altitude (lower air pressure) will affect your tire pressure. When running low pressure and go from summer temp to fall, you need to recheck your pressure to ensure proper inflation. Especially if running on the edge of too low.

Bushwheels will solve some of this spinning tire problems, but inflate the pressure a bit, unless you are on super soft or super rough, the lower pressures will only wear out tires.

Also, if you pull out of a warm hanger, (above freezing) and into the snow, the temp of the plane will melt snow, dripping water on breaks.

Also youre tire pressure will go down.

As you park to start, run up then taxi, frozen breaks. clean the snow off the breaks whenever possible.

 

[Sam Beckett]

Move to Modesto we never worry about freezing anything.....


Yeow..Just a suggestion and the consideration is not " Official Advice " It is merely nothing more than a very pathetic pilot comment!


Sam


8)

 

[RedEye]

Bushwheels, gotta love 'em ! After about 6" of the white stuff the other day I couldn't resist going to play !! After several landings in the fresh powder I noticed a substacial pull to the left while landing. Looked out the window & sure enough left wheel wasn't turning. No prob, 31's acted just like a ski.

 

[aktango58]

gets expensive when you hit a patch of dry pavement

 

[Steve's Aircraft (Brian)]

First of all, make sure your brakes did not lock up because the master cylinders got to hot. This can be caused when the fluid expands from heat.

This is one of the reasons we developed our Vented Booster Brakes. To solve this problem along with getting rid of the need to continually maintain the fluid levels in the old style master cylinders. Any excess fluid will just fill up the reservoir, and you still have maximum braking pressure when needed.

Brian

 

[mvivion]

The brake cylinder heating thing is real, don't neglect it. It can wreck an airplane.

If you run tires low on pressure, checking tire pressure should be a MANDATORY PREFLIGHT INSPECTION item. EVery time you fly.

Check those pressures regularly. Keep them a little high during times ofthe year when temps vary.

Bushwheels are great, but they appreciate proper inflation as well.

This is probably one of the most neglected aspects of bush airplane preflight there is.

Check em, regularly.

With an accurate low pressure gage.

MTV

 

[Dave Calkins]

On the subject of locked brakes and winter......it has been surmised that more than one Cub went over on it's nose or ground-looped because a rear seat heater hose blew HOT air on a master cylinder and caused fluid expansion in an already "tight" (pressurized and 'topped off') brake, thus locking the wheel.

Steve's vented booster would seem to eliminate this problem.

...not to hijack the thread.....

 

[kase]

Ive been out flying allot this last week in the snow on wheels and my brakes lock up several times aday. I kick the tires when I get ready to take off and that usually breaks them free. On landing they just slide untill enough weight gets on them to break loose. My airspeed hasnt worked since last Thur. Must of got snow in the pitot and froze that up also.