Broken Tailwheel spring

[FoxDB]

My Tailwheel spring broke today. It is a 2 leaf steel spring. I am looking for advice. Kitfoxllc has a 3 leaf steel spring. I have seen Aluminum springs. Which is your prefered and where is the Aluminum Spring available? I store it with wings folded and on the tailwheel and do some rough field landings.
Thanks
Dave

[Av8r_Sed]

I have an aluminum spring on my model III. I bought it some years ago through SkyStar. Grove was the manufacturer. My bird isn't flying yet, but the spring provides good support even with the wings folded. I've even dropped the tail about one foot onto concrete and the spring absorbed the load admirably. The only negative I've heard is the aluminum spring gives a very stiff ride when taxiing.

-- Paul S

[Wheels]

I fly a KF IV with a rotax 912. I have been flying it for about 200 hours. My single leaf spring broke while taxiing in a rough field. I replaced it with the three leaf spring and it works perfectly. The fields I fly are usually crop duster fields and hay fields so the tougher spring is a requirement. Its not too stiff but stiff is a relative issue isn't it. You are flying a short coupled plane and anything you select is likley to seem stiff as well.
The three spring and maul tail wheel weighs X and the aluminum tail gear weighs Y. If your thinking clearly about the arm and moment of that gear, your change will also include considering the actual landing characteristics and your technique. Talk to some experts but I wouldn't fly a bush plane with a soft gear. I taxi slowly on rough fields and don't beat up my plane.

[catz631]

My plane originally had the aluminum spring when I bought it. BUT ,I have read some articles about it snapping off were it joins the fuselage so decided to replace it with the 3 spring steel that I bought from Kitfox about a year ago. It has worked out fine.
My 2 cents
Dick Maddux
Milton,Fl

[dholly]

FoxDB-

I had the Grove 1-pc aluminum spring on a M-III with a Matco T6 TW assembly, which seemed to work just fine and looked great with the Grove main gear. As I understand, that spring has been discontinued due to prohibitively high manufacturing costs.

I would note that the Grove spring angle was way different than the 'upgraded' 2-leaf steel spring I currently have on my 4-1200, and actually provided the proper geometry with the Matco TW. I have been thinking of replacing that spring with the KF 3-leaf spring, however, if it has the same crazy arc and angle as the 2-leaf I think I will look elsewhere to get the correct TW geometry.

Since there is no pic in the KF catalog, maybe someone can post a good, close pic showing the 3-leaf spring on 4-1200 for us. Extra points if it also shows the Maule 6" solid TW assembly geometry.

Thanks

[FoxDB]

Thank You all for the replies. I have ordered the current 3 Leaf offering from KitfoxLLC. I should have it in 2 or 3 days. The factory said some are just using 2 of the 3 leafs. I will post pics when I get it installed.
Dave

[FoxDB]

Well I got my replacement spring yesterday and installed it today. The angle is a little different but it seems to track OK.

[GDN]

Thank You all for the replies. I have ordered the current 3 Leaf offering from KitfoxLLC. I should have it in 2 or 3 days. The factory said some are just using 2 of the 3 leafs. I will post pics when I get it installed.
Dave

Same i have put the 3 parts, all ok but the best improvement for me was to put the compression spring for the rudder command wires and it became very smooth, next upgraded will be a tail wheel with a tire instead of the solid rubber original one. Will depend of my new angle of attack due to the new busch landing gear from Highwing LLC as it seems higher then the original.

But now complete recovering :o

[Jerrytex]

I have seen the threads such as this one, in which people have experienced broken tailwheel springs. It seems like it causes pretty significant damage to the ruuder so I would like to head off a repair if possible. I have the two leaf spring probably like the one that broke as described in this original post. I am planning on buying the 3 leaf replacement from Kitfox but I am wondering if the 2 leaf springs hit an age when the are likely to break or is it useage, etc. I only have 50 hours on my tailwheel spring and no hard landings so is this something I can put off for 100 hours or do these just break unpredictably for no reason and is something that I need to replace immediately?

[FoxDB]

Jerrytex,
On examination of the broken spring it was evident that it was cracked prior to the break. So I would certainly recommend periodic inspection for cracking.
Dave

[JimS]

Running the two spring set-up. Longer spring broke at about 500 hours. Luckily was at a pancake breakfast and helpful EAAers drilled the shorter spring to accept the tailwheel bracket. Flew it home that way. My advice to others is to drill a mounting hole in the short spring BEFORE you have the long spring break at a remote location that doesn't have a drill press available.

JimS