Carbon fiber wheel pants

How to keep the Cessna 170 flying and airworthy.

Moderators: GAHorn, Karl Towle, Bruce Fenstermacher

Cameggs
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu May 08, 2014 4:58 am

Carbon fiber wheel pants

Post by Cameggs »

has any one purchased the carbon fiber wheel pants? There was a guy selling them for the 120,140,170s. they appear to be exact copies of the original wheel pants. I'm considering buying a set as I don't need to have polished metal ones.
User avatar
johneeb
Posts: 1520
Joined: Thu Jun 26, 2003 2:44 am

Re: Carbon fiber wheel pants

Post by johneeb »

14 years and holding up just fine.
170 progress     2005-03-26 004.jpg
John E. Barrett
aka. Johneb

Sent from my "Cray Super Computer"
Cameggs
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu May 08, 2014 4:58 am

Re: Carbon fiber wheel pants

Post by Cameggs »

thanks!! those look great. Do you notice any difference between the stock OEM pants and the carbon fiber pants?
User avatar
johneeb
Posts: 1520
Joined: Thu Jun 26, 2003 2:44 am

Re: Carbon fiber wheel pants

Post by johneeb »

Cameggs wrote:thanks!! those look great. Do you notice any difference between the stock OEM pants and the carbon fiber pants?
I have never had a pair of oem pants so should not comment but will anyway. I can say the oem pants are a lot easier to polish :lol: , but these do not dent like oems. There is no mud scrapper on these like the oems, I suppose if you wanted one you could adopt a scraper. I think the edge in speed gained from pants would go to the lighter carbon fiber ones.
John E. Barrett
aka. Johneb

Sent from my "Cray Super Computer"
swixtt
Posts: 206
Joined: Wed Dec 10, 2014 6:49 pm

Re: Carbon fiber wheel pants

Post by swixtt »

what speeds are gained with 'pants on'? i'm curious about getting faster in mine and i get i could do a lot by getting a reduction in tire size first off ... yeah 8.50's :oops: but even with a 'normal' tire what will the pant give?
i had no idea CF pants were such a thing these days... kids :roll:
bagarre
Posts: 2615
Joined: Thu Sep 30, 2010 11:35 pm

Re: Carbon fiber wheel pants

Post by bagarre »

I normally saw 3 or 4 MPH difference when I took the wheel pants off vs on while using 600 tires.
I never ran any other tire size to know how much worse 8:50s or 8:00s are vs 6:00s

I don't know if anything is going to really affect the 120mph cruise number of a 170. If you installed every speed mod available you might get an extra 6 or 7 mph. but I digress


The carbon fiber ones look much better than the fiberglass ones but still not as nice as the aluminum ones.
But..
- You can stand on the CF ones
- They wont dent from rocks or other hazards
- They wont crack from use or vibration
- They are just as light as the aluminum ones.

The only thing you can't do is polish them, if you're into that.
User avatar
170C
Posts: 3182
Joined: Tue May 06, 2003 11:59 am

Re: Carbon fiber wheel pants

Post by 170C »

Just curious, what is the going price (US) for the carbon fiber pants and mounting hardware?
OLE POKEY
170C
Director:
2012-2018
Cameggs
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu May 08, 2014 4:58 am

Re: Carbon fiber wheel pants

Post by Cameggs »

thanks for the info, my 170 is painted, I'm have no interest in polishing them. I am running 800 tires now, I only go in and out of nice grass strips and paved runways so I have no need for the larger tire. my winter project will be the CF pants. I'm going to order them today. Thanks again
User avatar
GAHorn
Posts: 20967
Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2002 8:45 pm

Re: Carbon fiber wheel pants

Post by GAHorn »

Most wheelpants (and all the originals) will only accommodate 600X6 tires.
'53 B-model N146YS SN:25713
50th Anniversary of Flight Model. Winner-Best Original 170B, 100th Anniversary of Flight Convention.
An originality nut (mostly) for the right reasons. ;)
User avatar
flying dave
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Dec 24, 2017 8:29 pm

Re: Carbon fiber wheel pants

Post by flying dave »

Where does one find these CF wheel pants?
User avatar
n2582d
Posts: 2808
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2002 4:58 am

Re: Carbon fiber wheel pants

Post by n2582d »

Dave,
Matt Lahti’s website is down. Might try his email found here.
Gary
hilltop170
Posts: 3481
Joined: Sat May 06, 2006 6:05 pm

Re: Carbon fiber wheel pants

Post by hilltop170 »

I tried the email link and it came back undeliverable so it looks like we may have missed our chance on these.
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!
User avatar
Ryan Smith
Posts: 1210
Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2008 4:26 am

Re: Carbon fiber wheel pants

Post by Ryan Smith »

I have reached out to Matt on Facebook. I'll advise back here what I hear back.

These are on my short list of acquisitions. My original metal wheelpants are beaten to death and the mounting plates were lost to the sands of time somewhere around Freeway Airport or Hyde Field between 1979 and today.
hilltop170
Posts: 3481
Joined: Sat May 06, 2006 6:05 pm

Re: Carbon fiber wheel pants

Post by hilltop170 »

There is definitely a market for wheel pants and especially backing plates. I hope your contact works out and he is still making them.
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!
Kurt Aichele
Posts: 121
Joined: Sun Dec 03, 2006 3:44 am

Re: Carbon fiber wheel pants

Post by Kurt Aichele »

I just spoke to Matt. He is still making the CF wheel pants. He can be contacted on his cell at: 248-762-one-eight-three-six.
His e-mail is eight8november at gmail.com
Hope this helps.
Post Reply