Help with a stupid question!

[Yooper Rocketman]

I wouldn't trust that plastic thing. If you land with a nose tire that goes flat you close the runway and the prop is only an inch or so from the pavement. 

I have had two nose gear flats in the last three years, happening on landing with my Rocket, and one on the Bonanza on taxi.  The first on the Mooney about a year after new tire and tube, the second on the same tire with 2 year old tube.  I put 3 sets of eyes on the tire/tube combination (2 IA's and an A&P), did retract tests, checked the inside of the tire, never did discover the problem.  Found holes in the tubes that didn't match to anything on the tire, with no fold marks on the tube either.  Both small holes looked like tube failures.  They found nothing on the Bonanza either.

Point I am making though is with the heavy Rocket conversion, I had the yoke pulled to my lap, concerned about shortening my prop.  I had several inches of room, so suspect on a standard Mooney you would have plenty of prop clearance (if you are not pitching from the flat tire).  I also read some where that the certification standards require prop clearance with a flat nose tire.

PTK, I have full stainless covers with no holes.  I am waiting for your resolution before addressing mine, on all three tires.  I will need to drill holes in the stainless, which won't be fun.  But it's a real pain pulling the covers to check and/or add air.  Maybe one of us should design a real nice polished aluminum cover with decent access holes for small extensions, and sell them as a kit.

Tom

 

[Awful_Charlie]

Hope you're going to be doing a full series of retract tests after fitting it! Do you remember the one about the chap who put a quick-drain adapter on his engine, went flying to find retracting the gear dumped the oil? Small changes can have a big effect

[PTK]

Byron, I ordered the valve stem extension (Dill 6541) and ordered one for you. PM me your address and I'll send it out to you as soon as it arrives. I should have it by Thursday.

[thinwing]

Hi there....I think your problem is that you have the wrong tube installed on your nose wheel...I believe on my bravo the inflator tube is longer and extends outside the wheel cover without the need to put an automobile style extension on...

[PTK]

Here is the Dill 6541extension. It's perfect! Solid, all metal construction and no interference.

Thanks for the tip Byron!

Edited November 4, 2015 by PTK
spellng

[PTK]

Well, it sure couldn't have been Aspen now could it?!!  

But...funny that you ask! You're the only one who noticed!

Edited November 5, 2015 by PTK

[Marauder]

that looks great Peter!!! Did GARMIN make those? Haha!!!!

If Garmin did make them, they would cost 100X more than anyone else's and you would have to pay $1000 a year to use them.

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[Guest]

Here is the Dill 6541extension. It's perfect! Solid, all metal construction and no interference.

Thanks for the tip Byron!

Time for a new tire to go with that valve stem extension.

Clarence

[jetdriven]

Nah that inner tube has plenty of tread left !

 

but seriously my Godyear FC-II looks like that after a year. 

[PTK]

Time for a new tire to go with that valve stem extension.

Clarence

I thought so too. But my A&P said it's fine. He explained it to me but I don't recall details.

Edited November 5, 2015 by PTK

[helitim]

PTK,

i would be very interested in hearing your A&P's logic that it's ok to use a tire that appears to have cracks between the treads.  Maybe it's an optical illusion but it would appear there is some dry rot going on there.

tim

[Shadrach]

I thought so too. But my A&P said it's fine. He explained it to me but I don't recall details.

Odd. My last set of Wilkerson retreads lasted 6 years and never did that. It looks like the rubber is physically breaking down. If they're just a year old, I would send them back.

Edited November 5, 2015 by Shadrach

[Guest]

I thought so too. But my A&P said it's fine. He explained it to me but I don't recall details.

I'm not trying to be critical, a tire is worth $100.00 to fix at home, much more when away from home.  While it meets the requirements for airworthiness, I'd be willing to bet that his family car has better tires than the one on your plane.

Clarence

[jetdriven]

My my airport beater has better tires on it that are 3 years old than my airplane has and they're a year old and cost a hell of a lot more.. I think the Goodyear tire and mx manual says that weather checking is Ok long as cords are not showing. 

[PTK]

I assure you guys my tires are fine! Thank you very much for all your concern and advice. I mean that sincerely.

We are planning to replace tires and gear biscuits after winter is over come spring. 

 

Edited November 6, 2015 by PTK

[Yetti]

According to my father who used to run a fleet of 200 mixer trucks...   A Schrader valve (car, truck and airplane) type valve was not designed to hold air and the cap is supposed to do that function.  Not sure, but I would not have a valve sticking beyond the tire width.  There are some shiny places on my oily wheel well.   You could use a Greely Hole punch to put a hole in a wheel cover.   I need to do that and put my covers back on......  

[PTK]

PTK,

i would be very interested in hearing your A&P's logic that it's ok to use a tire that appears to have cracks between the treads.  Maybe it's an optical illusion but it would appear there is some dry rot going on there.

tim

Allowed to have a crack in the tread or on sidewall but not both. This is how it was explained to me by my A&P. 

The pic is misleading. There's no crack through to the tube.

Edited November 7, 2015 by PTK

[Marauder]

According to my father who used to run a fleet of 200 mixer trucks...   A Schrader valve (car, truck and airplane) type valve was not designed to hold air and the cap is supposed to do that function.  Not sure, but I would not have a valve sticking beyond the tire width.  There are some shiny places on my oily wheel well.   You could use a Greely Hole punch to put a hole in a wheel cover.   I need to do that and put my covers back on......  

As a long time cyclist, I have noticed that if I buy tubes with long stem Presta valves, I saw more tube failures at the point where the valve stem went through the rim hole. When I switched to shorter valve stems, the problem went away. Always attributed it to the longer valve stem being subjected to greater centrifugal forces during braking.

Not sure the same holds true for airplane tubes.

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[Marauder]

Allowed to have a crack in the tread or on sidewall but not both. This is how it was explained to me by my A&P. 

For years my mechanic insisted that a certain amount of sidewalk checkering due to ozone was okay, but no nicks on the side walls or anything in between the treads. He would okay nicks on the tread as long as it didn't go to the base of the groove.

Peter, I personally wouldn't fly with a tire that is cracked like that, but I'm not a tire expert.

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[ArtVandelay]

Tires are a lot cheaper than a prop strike, if you were buying a plane with those tires, would you accept it?

[Marauder]

Tires are a lot cheaper than a prop strike, if you were buying a plane with those tires, would you accept it?

The reason Peter is okay with this is simple. He is saving up for his GDL-88.

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[Guest]

I believe that the tire meets the definition of Airworthy according to the AC41-13.  You may not like it, or would not fly with it, but we are all looking at a picture not the tire in real life.

Clarence

[Hank]

 

 

As a long time cyclist, I have noticed that if I buy tubes with long stem Presta valves, I saw more tube failures at the point where the valve stem went through the rim hole. When I switched to shorter valve stems, the problem went away. Always attributed it to the longer valve stem being subjected to greater centrifugal forces during braking.

 

Not sure the same holds true for airplane tubes.

 

 I hd a similr problem with some Presta tubes once--went through two in just 6 miles. Took them back to the bike shop and got some replacements. Now I just don't tighten the nut very much and they do much better.

I've not managed to keep an airplane tire long enough to crack. Bought my Mooney 6/07, replaced the nose tire twice (most recently 12/12, they last ~5 years for me) and both mains once (12/13). It will be interesting to see how things go, I may track hours and landings on this set. But mains seem to last longer. Is there really that much wear from taxi turns on the nose? If I was side loading the nose at touchdown, you'd think I'd be side loading the mains, too.

[Cyril Gibb]

1 hour ago, Hank said:

 I hd a similr problem with some Presta tubes once--went through two in just 6 miles. Took them back to the bike shop and got some replacements. Now I just don't tighten the nut very much and they do much better.

The failure of the stem at the tube is usually due to the tire/tube combo rotating as a result of too low pressure.  Bikes (or planes) don't have the benefit of rim locks as found on motorcycles.

I don't use the valve stem nuts on my bikes.  If the tube is rotating, I can see the stem cocked slightly before it gets to the point of tearing.

[Yetti]

This is one of the airworthy tubes that came on my plane.   I could probably figure out the date codes on the tires, but just happy to have new shoes on the plane.   Still was holding air.... not sure how..