Ok, why won't my tailwheel bracket go on?

[54170b]

It fits with 3 springs, but not 4.

[GAHorn]

Is your mainspring the same thickness as your top 3? (I'm wondering if you have a L-19 mainspring.)

[minton]

This is a shot in the dark.
Did you try tightening the "U" bolt down as a group then installing (bolting in) the side bolts in the top plate? Be sure to install it ( U bolt ) in the correct orientation (Ref: the IPC). That could work as the stack sometimes has slightly differing bends that causes gaps until sandwiched tight.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

I think Minton and Gahorn are probably right. The main spring is probably the thicker L-19 spring which makes the spring pack very tight and regardless the pack of springs won't go in unless they are tightly pressed together.

[DaveF]

As Bruce said, you have to clamp the spring pack together before sliding it into the bracket. Like this:

[54170b]

I will try that, thanks!
The man I bought the project from purchased the springs, but the smallest one was too thick, and so I used 3 because I was in the project stage and was just wheeling it around.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Just to be clear. All 4 springs should be the same thickness if they are original style 170 springs. The l-19 spring is thicker than the other 3 springs. It is a snug fit with the correct thickness springs, it is a very tight fit with the thicker L-19 main spring.

And lots of 170s are being flown with this thicker spring. Most owners don't know the difference.

There is, or should be, a shim that is fluch riveted to the tail wheel spring bracket itself in the U channel. I seem to remember hearing or reading a comment from someone that this shim was not used with the thicker L-19 spring on the L-19 but I have not substantiated this. It certianly would make sense as the shim is about the thickness of the difference in thickness between the thin and thick springs.