I don't need no stinkin' TW steering!

alaskan99669 · Post by **alaskan99669** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 10:42 pm

Here's a picture of my TW springs:

And of a 170B on the other side of the strip:

I looked at several around the airport today and they are all very similar to the above photo's. I did have a CFI who has a bazillion hours in a 170 tell me I should tie a string to my TW springs or else one day I will find myself in a remote place and notice that one or both of the springs are gone.

N2865C · Post by **N2865C** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 10:59 pm

Thomas,
It looks to me like you found the right ones. Part #3239.
I posted the drawings on my site for now. I have not figured out how to post pic's on this site yet. It would be nice if they could be permanently kept in the library. http://cessna1200.tripod.com/id40.htm
Spruce has them hidden in the middle of the page.... http://www.aircraftspruce.com/pdf/catalog/Cat06240.pdf

N419A · Post by **N419A** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 6:31 am

I would be a little concerned about using that tear drop clip the way it set up on that red tailed plane or the way it looks like it was set up on tshort's pics. My concern would be that those clips donâ€™t always lay nice and flat together after slipping your chain or eye though it. I think you want that clip doubled acute angle end through a tight hole i.e. the chain link or the hole in the arm. The problem with having the spring on doubled acute end of the clip it could hook and pull under the doubled end while bouncing around as the chain goes from slack to tension, or the clip bounce sideways and be pulled apart.

Thatâ€™s my thought if it makes sense. I'll try to take some picture for examples.

Later, Paul

Post by **GAHorn** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 11:51 am

Corey, ... the thing I noticed was that your leaf spring assembly does not appear complete. See the B model IPC, Fig. 29, items 15, 16, 17, 18. PN's 0542108 shackle, 0442125 guard, AN4-21A bolt, and AN365-428 nut.
The guard is the item previously mentioned which, if missing, can allow a slack chain to slip under the shackle and hang up. (Another method of preventing this is to slip a short piece of rubber hose over the shank of the AN4-21A bolt.)
Let me know via email or PM if you need these parts.

(Notice also, the red airplane's rudder skins were damaged at one time, probably by a flailing tailwheel when the main leaf spring broke. Keep those main leafsprings replaced. I recommend a 500 hour/cycle replacement schedule.)

tshort · Post by **tshort** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 11:56 am

Would that be the bracket that is present on the red tailed airplane?

Thomas

Post by **GAHorn** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 12:39 pm

Yes, the red one has the bracket. Just can't tell if it has the guard.

tshort · Post by **tshort** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 7:17 pm

So I've read the threads on the relative merits of the two types of springs and think I'm gonna switch.

Here's my question ... I see all the good reasons to go to tension springs; is there any real benefit to compression springs in this installation?
Most of the comments I saw re: compression springs were to the tune of "I've had them for years and had no problems".

Thanks
Thomas

lowNslow · Post by **lowNslow** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 7:33 pm

N2865C wrote:I have not figured out how to post pic's on this site yet.

Maybe more then you really want to know, but:
http://www.phpbb.com/phpBB/faq.php?mode=bbcode

I don't know how the permissions are set for our forum, so some of this might not work.

N2865C · Post by **N2865C** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 5:24 pm

tshort wrote:So I've read the threads on the relative merits of the two types of springs and think I'm gonna switch.

Here's my question ... I see all the good reasons to go to tension springs; is there any real benefit to compression springs in this installation?
Most of the comments I saw re: compression springs were to the tune of "I've had them for years and had no problems".

Thanks
Thomas

If you had been landing in a gusty crosswind and lost it when the chains detached, your insurance company would probably not be obligated to pay out if they or the NTSB determined you were using unapproved springs. That's good enough reason for me. Of course we are all superior pilots and that would never happen to us

.

steve grewing · Post by **steve grewing** » Sat Apr 29, 2006 3:01 am

The main problem with compression springs to me is their inherent lack on travel in the event of a foul as described earlier. Once they bottom out something is going to bend. Whereas a tension spring will extend pass it elasticity and hopefully be the weak link in the mechanism.

Steve