Tow bar

[0TreeLemur]

Who makes/sells the standard "L" shaped Mooney tow bar with a T-handle that slips into the lateral nose gear tube?  Extendable up to about 4-ft with a locking pin?  About 1" dia.  You know, the kind you collapse and put in the baggage compartment.  Anyone know?

Thanks.

[Fly Boomer]

43 minutes ago, 0TreeLemur said:

Who makes/sells the standard "L" shaped Mooney tow bar with a T-handle that slips into the lateral nose gear tube?  Extendable up to about 4-ft with a locking pin?  About 1" dia.  You know, the kind you collapse and put in the baggage compartment.  Anyone know?

Thanks.

This one on Spruce looks similar to mine, except mine is stainless.  Not sure who made it.

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/pspages/deluxe_towbars2.php

Also, there is apparently one with a Mooney part number:

https://www.mooney.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/SIM20-137.pdf

[Hank]

Mine had a sticker from Chief Aircraft, before I powder coated it burgundy to almost match the plane. (It had been blue.)

[Pinecone]

Redline makes several different styles.  Standard T handle, L shaped,. 43" long - https://redlineaviation.com/ul-hand-tow-bar/

 

Others - https://redlineaviation.com/by-aircraft/mooney/

 

[A64Pilot]

For those kind of prices have a local welder build you one. One came with my airplane doesn’t fold or collapse and fits find in the baggage compt.

I tow with my golf cart, a few pieces of 3/4” plumbing pipe works perfect, maybe $20 tops?

If I were to build one I’d make the part that goes in the nose gear long enough to go all the way through and have a quick release pin keep it in, I’ve had mine pop out when pulling hard and put me on my back, twice. 

It’s chromed, and that’s low friction, maybe wrap it with electrical tape?

[0TreeLemur]

2 hours ago, Hank said:

Mine had a sticker from Chief Aircraft, before I powder coated it burgundy to almost match the plane. (It had been blue.)

Hank wins this round.  That's exactly what I'm looking for.   Thanks!

[MikeOH]

1 hour ago, A64Pilot said:

If I were to build one I’d make the part that goes in the nose gear long enough to go all the way through and have a quick release pin keep it in, I’ve had mine pop out when pulling hard and put me on my back, twice. 

It’s chromed, and that’s low friction, maybe wrap it with electrical tape?

LOL!  Me, too.  After the second time on my arse, I figured out the issue: Because of the L-shape the force is not being applied to the centerline of the nose wheel.  I just bent the long section of the tow bar until the center of the T handle is aligned with the nose wheel rather than offset.  Now zero tendency to 'pop-out'

[DonMuncy]

2 hours ago, A64Pilot said:

 

If I were to build one I’d make the part that goes in the nose gear long enough to go all the way through and have a quick release pin keep it in, I’ve had mine pop out when pulling hard and put me on my back, twice. 

 

Take a look at my album for my solution.

[Hank]

2 hours ago, A64Pilot said:

I tow with my golf cart, a few pieces of 3/4” plumbing pipe works perfect, maybe $20 tops?

So what do you do when you're away from home? Surely the cart won't fit in your baggage area . . . . .

[Will.iam]

5 hours ago, A64Pilot said:

For those kind of prices have a local welder build you one. One came with my airplane doesn’t fold or collapse and fits find in the baggage compt.

I tow with my golf cart, a few pieces of 3/4” plumbing pipe works perfect, maybe $20 tops?

If I were to build one I’d make the part that goes in the nose gear long enough to go all the way through and have a quick release pin keep it in, I’ve had mine pop out when pulling hard and put me on my back, twice. 

It’s chromed, and that’s low friction, maybe wrap it with electrical tape?

Mine is chromed but the part that goes into the front gear has antislip tape on it and it hasn’t slipped out yet. 

[larryb]

I wrap mine with duct tape. It works well to prevent slipping.

[A64Pilot]

9 hours ago, Hank said:

So what do you do when you're away from home? Surely the cart won't fit in your baggage area . . . . .

That’s when I use the chrome one rarely, I can almost always find a spot I can pull into, but last night I went out and wrapped the part that goes in the nose gear with self vulcanizing tape, it still fits.

Mine is made so that the angle of the part that fits in the nose is greater than 90, so that the pulling T is centered on the nose wheel, but it’s only as wide as my hand, maybe 5”? I think if it was longer it would be less likely to pull out.

[ArtVandelay]

That’s when I use the chrome one rarely, I can almost always find a spot I can pull into, but last night I went out and wrapped the part that goes in the nose gear with self vulcanizing tape, it still fits.
Mine is made so that the angle of the part that fits in the nose is greater than 90, so that the pulling T is centered on the nose wheel, but it’s only as wide as my hand, maybe 5”? I think if it was longer it would be less likely to pull out.

We probably have the same one, I got a short piece (1/2” x 4”?) of threaded pipe, threaded into part and use a threaded cap to keep it in place.

[A64Pilot]

I don’t use it enough to justify modifying it, last time I used it was before I made the one to fit the golf cart, washing the airplane and fell flat on my back, could have easily been a real injury, but got lucky.

I now look at the thing as if were a Rattlesnake, once could have been a fluke, but twice is not a fluke.

I think the self amalgamating rubber tape will keep it form slipping if I ever use it again

[Hank]

To keep it from slipping out, the angle between the handle and the axle should be less than 90°. After years od use, they bend just enough . . . . I just bent mine back, will report back if it's any better.

[Ned Gravel]

8 hours ago, larryb said:

I wrap mine with duct tape. It works well to prevent slipping.

I have a nail through the end of mine.  Acts like a cotter pin and prevents it from coming out.  Pain in the behind to use sometimes though.  Pin is tied to the bar with a bungie cord.  

[ArtVandelay]

I have a nail through the end of mine.  Acts like a cotter pin and prevents it from coming out.  Pain in the behind to use sometimes though.  Pin is tied to the bar with a bungie cord.  

The one you see that comes apart into 2 parts, the pipe isn’t long enough to do that, it’s only 5-6” , hence the reason I added a section of pipe.

[EricJ]

2 hours ago, Hank said:

To keep it from slipping out, the angle between the handle and the axle should be less than 90°. After years od use, they bend just enough . . . . I just bent mine back, will report back if it's any better.

Exactly.   When I first got my airplane the tow bar put me on my butt a couple times, so I put it in the bench vice and just tweaked it just enough to get the angle <90.  It's never come out since.

[MikeOH]

8 hours ago, A64Pilot said:

I don’t use it enough to justify modifying it, last time I used it was before I made the one to fit the golf cart, washing the airplane and fell flat on my back, could have easily been a real injury, but got lucky.

I now look at the thing as if were a Rattlesnake, once could have been a fluke, but twice is not a fluke.

I think the self amalgamating rubber tape will keep it form slipping if I ever use it again

How long will it take to find, buy, and put on the tape?

It took me between 5 and 10 seconds to “modify” mine with a bend.

Just sayin’ “if you ever use it again”

[A64Pilot]

I have the tape, and 30 sec to install.

So far as the bend I see no reason as mine is not bent, but built with a greater than 90 degree angle on the piece that sticks into the gear, achieving the same thing.

I believe the piece that inserts into the gear is too short and too small allowing it to slip out. longer takes up more room and size wise you have to go with what’s available.

Oh and chrome is very hard, and slick as in low friction making it even easier to slip out.

I don’t see the need in having one slip inside of itself like a Cessna’s, it’s plently long without that and fits diagonally in the baggage compt.