Installed 180 Landing Gear

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Metal Master
Posts: 526
Joined: Thu Dec 02, 2004 1:52 am

Installed 180 Landing Gear

Post by Metal Master »

Yesterday I took a day off from my regular job and installed the 180 gear in my 170A. I bought the STC SA01756NY from the Association. The gear I used were as follows
Early Cessna 180 Gear P/N 0741001-1, 0741001-2,
A dimple is used to support the brake clip.
The gear has a straight leading edge facing forward.
The thickness is 11/16‘s of a inch
On the -1 & -2 the gear comes straight out and down to the axle attach on a straight line, also referred to as wheels aft. However they are forward of the 170A gear.
The gear together weighed 66 Lbs. 33 Lbs. each.
I jacked the airplane using my high wing jacks using the tie down rings as jack points. I had leveled the airplane in flight attitude before removing the wheels and axels. I had an engine hoist providing security at the tail and the tail wheel sitting on three stacked milk cartons. I removed the inboard AN7-20A bolt from the inboard end of the gear springs first and then the two bolts holding the gear wedges in next and had the new AN7-20A bolt ready to put in place. The original 170A gear slid right out and I had the 180 gear ready to slip right in with an assistant standing by to put the new AN7-20A bolt in place. I then reinstalled the original shims with new AN4-11 bolts. Everything went right in. The original brakes and brake lines bolted right on.
I really like the new stance on the 180 gear. Today I will check the alignment. And measure how far forward the axle moved. Part of the reason I wanted the 180 gear was to put more weight on the tail wheel during Taxi with the Constant speed prop and TCM IO-360 engine installed.
Prop clearance is greatly improved not that it was bad. I still have not installed the covers at the fusalage or Cotter keys in the axels as I still need to do the wheel alignment.
Painted gear legs
Painted gear legs
View from front 170A Gear legs
View from front 170A Gear legs
Prop clearance with 170A gear legs 24 5/8 inches
Prop clearance with 170A gear legs 24 5/8 inches
Prop clearance on 180 gear 28 3/4 inches
Prop clearance on 180 gear 28 3/4 inches
180 Gear view from front
180 Gear view from front
A&P, IA, New owner C170A N1208D, Have rebuilt some 50 aircraft. So many airplanes, So little time!
robw56
Posts: 87
Joined: Fri Oct 29, 2010 12:45 am

Re: Installed 180 Landing Gear

Post by robw56 »

Looks good! If I could find a set at a reasonable price id probably install them too.
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bplanecrazy
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Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2005 5:26 pm

Re: Installed 180 Landing Gear

Post by bplanecrazy »

Looking for recommendations for gear leg coatings IE: paint (which type is best?) or another process.
Thanks
bagarre
Posts: 2615
Joined: Thu Sep 30, 2010 11:35 pm

Re: Installed 180 Landing Gear

Post by bagarre »

Looks good!
I have 180 legs for 95D as well but they need straightened. One's a little tweaked.

For paint, any quality primer and top coat in color of choice is fine.
Powder or other exotic coats might hide future cracks or corrosion and will make repairs more complicated.

Mine will be shot with a simple single stage urethane (PPG Omni) gull gray.
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bplanecrazy
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Re: Installed 180 Landing Gear

Post by bplanecrazy »

Thanks for the good info
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TFA170
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Joined: Tue Jan 26, 2016 3:18 am

Re: Installed 180 Landing Gear

Post by TFA170 »

This is on my "one day" list... :D

Looks great!
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Ryan Smith
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Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2008 4:26 am

Re: Installed 180 Landing Gear

Post by Ryan Smith »

Aryana wrote:Nice write up. I think the ramp appeal of this mod is undeniable. Makes any 170 have a much more commanding stance with the spinner almost another 1/2 a foot off the ground.

BUT, I have to say that IMO raising the nose of the 170 with 180 gear ruins one of the best things about the 170...the spectacular forward visibility for a taildragger while taxiing.

You have an awfully nice plane and I love everything you've done, but unless I was planning on doing some serious backcountry boulder smashing I'd have gone with the B model lady legs instead of 180 gear.

My experience is based on a direct comparison of my 55 170B and a friends 55 180. I know there are small variances, but the difference was pronounced enough to make me lean towards the sight picture of my 170 instead. Of course I'm really biased since I've been flying with the stock lady legs on our 170B for 22 years so I'm sure that swayed me too.
Flew a friend's 1953 180 a few days ago and I was more than a little shocked at how poor the visibility over the nose was compared to the 170. It's not much better than a 195!
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TFA170
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Re: Installed 180 Landing Gear

Post by TFA170 »

What do you have to look out for when buying 180 gear legs? What needs to be checked? Where do you send them to be checked?
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canav8
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Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2008 2:34 pm

Re: Installed 180 Landing Gear

Post by canav8 »

TFA170 wrote:What do you have to look out for when buying 180 gear legs? What needs to be checked? Where do you send them to be checked?
Corosion, Wear, bent. Yellow tags help.A good set of legs will cost around $3500 US
52' C-170B N2713D Ser #25255
Doug
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Ryan Smith
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Re: Installed 180 Landing Gear

Post by Ryan Smith »

.
Last edited by Ryan Smith on Wed Dec 07, 2016 2:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
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canav8
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Re: Installed 180 Landing Gear

Post by canav8 »

Ryan, 180 legs?
52' C-170B N2713D Ser #25255
Doug
bagarre
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Re: Installed 180 Landing Gear

Post by bagarre »

Dibs on the 180 legs
Metal Master
Posts: 526
Joined: Thu Dec 02, 2004 1:52 am

Re: Installed 180 Landing Gear

Post by Metal Master »

Aryana wrote:BUT, I have to say that IMO raising the nose of the 170 with 180 gear ruins one of the best things about the 170...the spectacular forward visibility for a taildragger while taxiing.
I do not find my Sight picture over the nose deteriorated that much. I know it is lessened, however compared to the Carbon Cub I flew on 29 " bush wheels it is still phenomenal. Even after taking the bush wheels off the CARBON Cub the 170 is still better. But with 210 HP on take off essentially the tail comes up the airplane rolls about 400 Ft and the airplane is climbing at VY. Pull a little harder and you are flying at VX. And at that point anything down the Runway is no longer a factor. The Carbon cub make this seem anemic. From aplication of power in the Carbon Cub you count 1000-1 1000-2 and you pitch for about 50 and the airplane is off the runway. 45 is VX, 50-55 is VY
Jim
A&P, IA, New owner C170A N1208D, Have rebuilt some 50 aircraft. So many airplanes, So little time!
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Ryan Smith
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Re: Installed 180 Landing Gear

Post by Ryan Smith »

The village idiot strikes again!

Things were moving just a little too smoothly. I had a buyer lined up for my gear legs and in working out the final details (whether or not they were -1/-2 or -3/-4), Tom Andersen identified them as being soft 170 gear right way. Horrified, I get out my dial calipers and realize that I, again, am a stupid jackass.

Apologies to those whose hopes I got up. While the gear legs I have sitting around are marginally better than the ones that were bolted on my airplane from the factory, they are no different in design. I was told they were 180 legs, and the serial numbers appeared to be in the same style as the early 180 gear legs. I spent a few minutes with a friend's 1953 180 and my 1952 170 to determine the difference. While my friend's 180 has had the gear wiped out a couple times when she was a teenager in Mexico, those legs appear to be the same early 180 legs by measurement. I can say with pretty good authority that my gear legs have never been unbolted from the airframe and can say with total authority that they have not been in the last 30 years.

Sorry again! My post above was redacted to remove reference to the gear legs.

Lesson learned - know what you have before you advertise. While I feel that my recent performance would prime me for a rewarding career as a used car salesman, I do not have it in my heart, so I will have to take the high road and withdraw my offer of "super special" 170 gear legs for sale.
hilltop170
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Joined: Sat May 06, 2006 6:05 pm

Re: Installed 180 Landing Gear

Post by hilltop170 »

Ryan-
If you are saying you have a set of 170 "lady legs" there is still a market for them and they would probably sell quickly.
Richard Pulley
2014-2016 TIC170A Past President
1951 170A, N1715D, s/n 20158, O-300D
Owned from 1973 to 1984.
Bought again in 2006 after 22 years.
It's not for sale!
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