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Re: Tail dragger disease...
The single leaf spring breaking is well known, and has happened to most who had the single leaf. Upgrade to the dual leaf spring and 98% of the problem goes away. If you are operating off rough strips, I would suggest going to a pneumatic tail wheel to help smooth it out with the dual leaf spring.
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Re: Tail dragger disease...
I've broken the tail spring on my B model Avid, and the Avid is probably identical to your Kitfox in that part of the plane. I took off the aluminum cover under the horizontal stabilizer and was able to get to the bolt with a 1/2" socket pluss several long extentions. When I put a longer bolt in, I got my wife who has much smaller arms and hands then mine reach in and pick out the old bolt. That way I didn't have to cut the fabric to get access to the bolt. Just a though that may help you out. When I was covering my Mk IV Avid and recently the Kitfox 4, I epoxied in another short aluminum tube and then was able to make an aluminum access panel so I can get at the bolt in the future. Take care, Jim Chuk
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Re: Tail dragger disease...
Doubled mine will try to install it tomorrow morning.
Will sweat a lot to change for a longer bolt...
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Re: Tail dragger disease...
I put an inspection hole in the back right above the bolts so I can easily reach in and get to the bolts. Its only a few bucks and you can have one in and up to silver in about an hour.
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Re: Tail dragger disease...
When I needed a longer bolt in my Avid, I took a piece of safty wire and wrapped it around the socket extention and tied it off tight there. The other end of the wire I wrapped around the bolt which keep it in the socket. I fished around with the long extention until I hit the hole in the tail for the bolt. Started the nut on the bolt and then pulled up on the extention and the wire pulled off the bolt. Took the wire off the extention, got back on the bolt and tightened it up. If you drop the bolt and have one of those telescoping magnets, you can pull the bolt out with that and try again. Take care, Jim Chuk
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Re: Tail dragger disease...
Agree. Can the double leaf be obtained seperately or do you have to buy the entire Matco pneumatic setup?
Chris Carlisle
Model 2, 582, 'C' box
Sioux Falls, SD
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Re: Tail dragger disease...
Thanks. I see now that Kitfox has the 3-leaf springs for $95.
Noticed today while landing in grass with some tire ruts in it that single leaf spring on present Maule tailwheel flexes enough so that bearing cap strikes under side of rudder and bent it a little. I figure spring failure is next so will be ordering new spring tomorrow.
Chris
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