Wheel alignment...a photo tutorial

[jiott]

I don't understand why you would bother checking caster; there is nothing you can do to adjust it on the main gear. On a nosewheel or tailwheel it is important.

Also I believe the line around the tire method as in the tutorial is just as accurate and maybe more so than your method. The tire line is put on (and I would use something like a ballpoint pen rather than a fat chalk line) by rotating the tire 360 degrees against a fixed marker pen, which gives you a true circle of rotation with respect to the AXLE. This is what you want rather than the hub rims which could themselves be out of true.

[PapuaPilot]

My bad in saying caster, I meant tow. I edited them all to say "tow".

[kitfoxnick]

My alignment story. A friend bought a model 4 sight unseen and him not having a tailwheel endorsement asked if I would help him bring it home. After checking out the plane real good, everything looked good. I told my buddy somethings wrong with this plane because no one owns a plane for 4 years and only flys it 7 hrs. On take off as soon as I lifted the tailwheel off the ground I immediately knew why this guy didn't fly this plane much. It was everything I could do to keep it on the runway, and this was on takeoff. When I got to our destination I full stalled it on a piece of grass next to the runway. I instructed the new owner to not even bother taxing this plane until we could get it aligned. Well he let a mechanic friend take to give it a tune up. This guy is a competent tailwheel pilot with a lot of pitts time and he managed to run it off the runway at his destination airport. When he brought it back he ran it off the runway again and slow looped it in the grass. When I helped align it, using greese plates and line lasers we found it was 5deg towed out on the right side and 2 deg to in on the left side. Using shims we were able to get the Grove gear aligned correctly. The plane has no bad habits now, and the fellow was able to get his tailwheel endorsement, and fly happily ever after.

All that said, this is the only Grove gear I have seen with an alignment issue. If your getting ready to do your first flight. It is certainly worth it to check the alignment first, and stack the deck in your favor.

[Av8r3400]

I wonder if the gear was misaligned that badly to begin with or by the "test" flying and multiple ground loops?

Checking the alignment is a great idea. However, IMO, if a new set of Grove gear is out that far, it should be sent back to Robby Grove for reworking on his dime.

[kitfoxnick]

This friend was the fourth owner so hard to know what happened. I've never had to adjust a new set of grove gear.

[Esser]

Just did my gear alignment. It’s bang on straight. Is this ok or do I need to add some toe in or out?

[PapuaPilot]

Mine was the same as yours and I didn't do anything. I have been happy with how it handles.

[jrevens]

Did you guys check yours in the 3-point attitude, or level? Level, mine was straight also. Rotating down to the 3-point I had 1 deg. of toe-in due to the camber in the Grove gear. Toe-in with a taildragger is de-stabilizing, and causes more tire wear than neutral alignment of course. I figured that 99% of the ground miles would be in the 3-point attitude, so I shimmed neutral for that, and now when rotating to level it's close to 1 deg. toe-out (which is actually stabilizing with a taildragger). The airplane is just a little better handling now... it's a subtle perception, but a fact in my case. I used a 1/2 deg. shim on each wheel. FWIW.

[jrevens]

The 2 basic Grove landing gears for Kitfox Models 3 & 4 and Series 5,6 & 7 have a type 1 axle bolt hole pattern, which is the square pattern (opposed to the type 2 pattern, which is rectangular).

[efwd]

Click on the Grove banner above ( sponsors ). Find the Axel tab and click. You will find a pic of the shim. Look below that and you will find the link to the shim bolt pattern document. Sorry, if I were more savy than I am, I could have attached it.....