The International Cessna 170 Association

I flew down to Barnwell, SC (BNL) yesterday for fuel. When I took off for the return flight home to Twin Lakes, (S17). The plane took off, but the tail wheel had another agenda. Unknown to me at the time I didn't realize the lower half of the tail wheel assembly decided to stay in Barnwell. That was probably the loudest landing I've ever made.I thought oh no I blew a tailwheel tire. After I got stopped and looked back, I had no tire, wheel or anything...oh well there were tail skids before tail wheels. The machined bolt that holds the two halves of the assembly together broke right at the grease hole. I think this is not uncommon. This was probably the original bolt (1953).so if you have any age on your tailwheel at all, you might better pull it apart and check for cracks. Oh .....I did fly back down to Barnwell and found the wheel and fork lying about 10ft off the runway.

Kinda of amazing how that big megaphone behind you directs all that racket to your ears isn't it? Any rudder damage?

Happened to me about 2 years ago. Accept the same bolt broke above the threads, not at the grease hole. I was carrying an entire spar 3200 at the time and so I just swapped out the entire tailwheel. Got back to my home field and there was the wheel about 100 ft down the runway.

I saved all the parts in search of a bolt. Took about two years to get one from a fellow member who's aluminum bracket broke. Besides the small compression springs and a thrust washer that where also lost I have nearly a complete spar again.

This year a friend noticed that the aluminum bracket on my replacement wheel was cracked. So back on went my spar. I'm now looking for a goof aluminum bracket with a busted bolt. Looks just about like the one you have Ed.

What you going to be doing with that bracket?

PM me if you're looking for a new tailwheel. I have an extra sans wheel.

Ed, mine broke in the same place as yours. Luckily I had taken off (Wag-aero) and landed on grass so minimum damage. The hard part of the hole episode for me was working alone to lift the tail up onto the mower deck to wheel the airplane into its hangar. Like Bruce I slowly gathered the need parts to create a complete spare.

Bruce Fenstermacher wrote:Happened to me about 2 years ago. Accept the same bolt broke above the threads, not at the grease hole. I was carrying an entire spar 3200 at the time and so I just swapped out the entire tailwheel. Got back to my home field and there was the wheel about 100 ft down the runway.

I saved all the parts in search of a bolt. Took about two years to get one from a fellow member who's aluminum bracket broke. Besides the small compression springs and a thrust washer that where also lost I have nearly a complete spar again.

This year a friend noticed that the aluminum bracket on my replacement wheel was cracked. So back on went my spar. I'm now looking for a goof aluminum bracket with a busted bolt. Looks just about like the one you have Ed.

What you going to be doing with that bracket?

To answer questions, there was no damage to the rudder or any thing else, all the wheel assembly parts were significantly damaged. I think I am going to replace with a complete new Alaska bush wheel assembly rather than piece together a bunch of used parts. Bruce, the bracket the wheel is hooked to is kinda beat up from the fall it took.

Yikes! Glad you didn't sustain any damage to the airplane, Eddie. That could turn hairy quick.

I think 56D is due for new tailwheel leaf springs soon...looks like a new bolt is on the list as well.

Has anyone used the 3400 Tailwheel? Seems the pole instead of the leaf springs would be more secure.
2 bolts instead of 1 holding that one on.

You just can't change out the leaf springs for a "pole" type gear. And besides the bolt that broke in this case is not the one that holds the wheel to the spring but the pin that holds the tail wheel yoke to the bracket. Same pin 3200 as 3400.

edbooth wrote: Bruce, the bracket the wheel is hooked to is kinda beat up from the fall it took.

Plenty of good used parts there Ed. Bring that bracket to the Convention auction and I bet it sells.

Bruce Fenstermacher wrote:

edbooth wrote: Bruce, the bracket the wheel is hooked to is kinda beat up from the fall it took.

Plenty of good used parts there Ed. Bring that bracket to the Convention auction and I bet it sells.

Maybe Bruce, but the upper housing was ground down quite a bit and is unusable, the heavy duty actuating arm is ground down and broken, the thrust plate and dust shields are trashed, even the tire has a big gouge in it from the fall. About the only thing that remains unscathed is the axel, chains and springs and probably the wheel. The rough places on the working end of the bracket maybe could be dressed out

Ryan Smith wrote:Yikes! Glad you didn't sustain any damage to the airplane, Eddie. That could turn hairy quick.

I think 56D is due for new tailwheel leaf springs soon...looks like a new bolt is on the list as well.

Ryan,The bolt that broke is not readily available, I think it comes as part of the upper assembly that bolts to the spring. It is a machined part that is pressed into that upper housing and has the zerk grease fitting on it.

Aryana wrote:I'm always on the lookout for item #2 as a standalone piece since you can't buy the pressed bolt separately. Doesn't come up very often by itself.

image.jpeg

About 25 years ago someone offered to sell me a completed new tailwheel assembly for 200 bucks... I didn't take it. Talk about a dumb a$$.

Ok Ed, I see where you abused that bracket by dragging it on the asphalt all over tarnation. Maybe, just maybe you finished that part off.

edbooth wrote:

Aryana wrote:I'm always on the lookout for item #2 as a standalone piece since you can't buy the pressed bolt separately. Doesn't come up very often by itself.

image.jpeg

About 25 years ago someone offered to sell me a completed new tailwheel assembly for 200 bucks... I didn't take it. Talk about a dumb a$$.

Not as dumb as not buying every single set of wheel pants Tom Hull talked Cessna into making in the late 80's for $1200/set...