Pietenpol-List: What kind of wheels?

[matronics]

Original Posted By:
Subject: Pietenpol-List: What kind of wheels?What kind of wheels? I had welded up the pipe V's and the axles, whichare 1.5 inch 4130 according to plans. Went to HarleyDavidson motorcycles and looked at wheels and afterlooking, found all the axles are 5/8's. Correspondence says some people using motorcyclewheels were knocking out the ball bearings to meet theshaft size on the plans and installing bushings. Butall stock wheels having bearings are 5/8's axle size. My axle according to plans is 1.5 inch. After a lot of store hopping in Miami area, NorthernTools seems to have the best selection of wheels andthe ones that fit the plans are 9" x 19" as the planssay. But they look awfully big? These are Go Kartwheels. Not sure; so I went to Sun & Fun on Saturdayto look at wheels on different airplanes. The tiresaleman was explaining about 600 x 6 tires which aremuch smaller at one of the sales booths. He says mostpeople use those even though they are only rated for300 lbs each. But I was concerned about the weight of1200 lbs or so hitting the ground on two tires, if Iinadvertantly dropped it in, from 6 feet or so whenstalling out. The tire size of 9" wide and 19"diameter seem the right size according to the plans,and from what I can gather to carry the weightaccording to the salesman of tires. But a look aroundthe show at two seater aircraft of similar weights,show they are all using smaller wheels on theirplanes. Usually about 6" wide. More like big lawnmower wheels. Those motorcycle wheels look too narrowat Sun & Fun and the tubes are squished from weighteven when planes are parked. Have to make a decision next week, whether to buy a6" wide tire wheel, or a 9" wide tire wheel fromNorthern Tools? The hubs have a big hole and fourbolt holes and I took an axle tube of 1.5 inches andguess a washer or flange of some kind welded ontoanother tube to slide on the axle would work in thosehubs? I picked up the next size up, in ordinary steeltubing for a $1, for 5 ft of tube for my axle hubs atthe local hardware store. I only need about sixinches each for each hub to weld up to flanges to boltonto the central hole and bolt holes of the wheel hub.But it's a bit slack the two tubes in standard sizes. So I'm trying to figure out how to stick a bushing inthere between the two pipes? Then heavy grease! Nobearings. Appreciate any comments on choice of wheels andparticularly sizes and the making of the hubs axletube using a greased bushing.Ray Auxillou, Miami Gardens, Florida. your friends today! Download Messenger Now http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com/download/ ... __________

[matronics]

Original Posted By: "grandpa Ray"
9" wide seems a bit too wide. Attached is a photo (280k file size) of19 X 3.5 motorcycle wheels. These look about right. In the old daysthese would be labeled 26 X 3.5Hubs are built to Pavliga / Henderson plans and usea 1 1/2 inch axle.Greg Cardinal----- Original Message -----

[matronics]

Original Posted By:
A 6 x 6 4ply rated airplane tire is good on a ship up to a gross weight ofabout 1800 lbs. A much heavier 6 ply rated 6 x 6 is good to about 3000 lbs.gross weight. We are not talking wieght per axle but wieght of the ship.The tire weight rating is printed right on the tire. The tire you areproposing that is 9 inches wide is a tire for a big twin like a Twin Beech.You will not be buying your tires from the airplane tire man unless you usethe 6 x 6 airplane wheels.Chris----- Original Message -----