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Mark III C landing gear replacement

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Steve Simmons

Joined: 29 Dec 2009
Posts: 30
Location: Talbott TN

Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2010 4:07 pm Post subject: Mark III C landing gear replacement

I finally got the Kolb Mark III ready to fly. Before I did the taxi test I noticed the wheels were slightly canted in at the top. As I had never flown a Mark IIIC before, I thought this was normal. I taxied around for about 15 to 20 minutes and got the tail flying 4 times; main wheels never left the ground. When I got back to the hanger I did a post flight inspection on the aircraft and the first thing I noticed was the wheels were very noticeably canted in at the top about 15 degrees. It is obvious that the previous owner dropped the aircraft in for a hard landing and attempted to straighten the axles. Anyway, I have ordered a new set of landing gears from Travis at the Kolb Company.  My plans do not have instructions for replacing the landing gear. Does anyone have any advice or instruction on how to replace the landing gear on the Mark III C?  

I know it has one bolt that goes through the main  tube in the bottom of the cage and the new legs do not have  the holes drilled. M y problem is how to index the gear and drill the holes properly.  

Thanks:  

Steve Simmons    

       [quote][b]

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slyck(at)frontiernet.net
Guest

Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2010 5:36 pm Post subject: Mark III C landing gear replacement

Steve, aluminum legs or steel?



Fly it with what's on it first.  Then the new ones will stay straight longer 

If the "bent" legs are aluminum and you are replacing them with the same, all the final alignment is done at the axle socket.

You will need a string line (or chalk) to determine straight ahead then two parallel lines at the wheel width splitting the difference

to the front.  Tail boom for guide.

Most builders, myself included, put in a little toe-in.  Perfectly parallel is ok.  This is not a race car.

The stock aluminum legs get the alignment adjusted by rotating the axle socket.  Doesn't take much to change a lot.

BB



On 15, Jul 2010, at 8:06 PM, Steve Simmons wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		  I finally got the Kolb Mark III ready to fly. Before I did the taxi test I noticed the wheels were slightly canted in at the top. As I had never flown a Mark IIIC before, I thought this was normal. I taxied around for about 15 to 20 minutes and got the tail flying 4 times; main wheels never left the ground. When I got back to the hanger I did a post flight inspection on the aircraft and the first thing I noticed was the wheels were very noticeably canted in at the top about 15 degrees. It is obvious that the previous owner dropped the aircraft in for a hard landing and attempted to straighten the axles. Anyway, I have ordered a new set of landing gears from Travis at the Kolb Company.  My plans do not have instructions for replacing the landing gear. Does anyone have any advice or instruction on how to replace the landing gear on the Mark III C?

I know it has one bolt that goes through the main  tube in the bottom of the cage and the new legs do not have  the holes drilled. M y problem is how to index the gear and drill the holes properly.

Thanks:

Steve Simmons  



 	  Quote: 	
		  



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 [quote][b]

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Richard Pike

Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Posts: 1669
Location: Blountville, Tennessee

Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2010 7:39 pm Post subject: Re: Mark III C landing gear replacement

It is easier than you can imagine. Go to Lowes, and buy a long bronze grounding rod, it is the same diameter as your axles. Jack up the fuselage so that the landing gear is off the ground, do it by placing something under the fuselage, not under the gear. Remove the old gear, insert the new landing gear legs with the lower gear leg fittings already attached to the new legs, minus the axles and wheels, etc. Force the bronze rod through the axle tubes. It will take quite a bit of bending into a curve, and will require lubricant and a rubber hammer, but it will go. The axles will now be perfectly aligned. Mark the holes on the legs. Take the legs to a friends house who has a drill press. Drill the holes, put it all back together. That's how I did it back in '95, and it still tracks as straight as a string.



Now take the bronze rod back to Lowes, tell them (something) and get a refund. Or you can do what I did, I still have my bronze rod hanging on the garage wall, with the Lowe's receipt rubber banded to it. Some day my kids can deal with it...

Richard Pike

MKIII N420P (420ldPoops)

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Steve Simmons

Joined: 29 Dec 2009
Posts: 30
Location: Talbott TN

Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 5:00 am Post subject: Mark III C landing gear replacement

Thanks you are right, it does sound simple. However I do have one last

question, what is the proper way to jack up the aircraft without damaging

the fabric on the bottom of the cage?



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by0ung(at)brigham.net
Guest

Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 5:24 am Post subject: Mark III C landing gear replacement

Force the bronze rod through the axle tubes. It will take quite a bit of  bending into a curve, and will require lubricant and a rubber hammer, but it  will go. The axles will now be perfectly aligned. Mark the holes on the legs.  Take the legs to a friends house who has a drill press. Drill the holes, put it  all back together. That's how I did it back in '95, and it still tracks as  straight as a string.

 	  Quote: 	
		  >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

  
	


 or a piece of 1/2 inch copper  pipe (5/8  od)   and instead of bowing the pipe,  i cut it in half  and yd used some duct tape to hold the ends together while marking the  hole.   slid in easy.

 boyd mkiii

  

   [quote][b]

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mdnanwelch7(at)hotmail.co
Guest

Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 5:39 am Post subject: Mark III C landing gear replacement

Steve,

  

   I've attached a couple of pictures of me adjusting my axles.  I made little wooden jackstands, with cushioning on top.  There is a tube that runs between the axle sockets, and you want to catch just enough of it on each side for a secure mount......no fabric damage.

  

   I had some chromoly tubing left over from my frame modification.  I think it was 5/8", but I can't recall exactly, in it worked great.

   After you center the tubes (by measuring how much is slid in each axle tube), you can see whether the axles are toe-in, toe-out, or straight.

   Once you get everything lined up where you want it, drill through the upper part of the axle and the axle tube.

  

 Mike Welch

 MkIII

  

   

 

 

 	  Quote: 	
		   Thanks you are right, it does sound simple. However I do have one last

 question, what is the proper way to jack up the aircraft without damaging

 the fabric on the bottom of the cage?

 		 	   		  The New Busy is not the too busy. Combine all your e-mail accounts with Hotmail. Get busy.

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jbhart(at)onlyinternet.ne
Guest

Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 7:51 am Post subject: Mark III C landing gear replacement

One other thing my may want to consider after following Richard's advice.  

That is to load the plane with the average amount of fuel you will be 

carrying and pilot and passenger load too.  Then roll the plane backwards 

and forwards on a hard level surface to seat the gear.  Then check to see if 

you have the desired camber and toe-in,  If not, you may need to do a little 

bending.



Jack B. Hart FF004

Winchester, IN

At 08:39 PM 7/15/10 -0700, you wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		  



It is easier than you can imagine. Go to Lowes, and buy a long bronze 

grounding rod, it is the same diameter as your axles. Jack up the fuselage 
	


so that the landing gear is off the ground, do it by placing something under 

the fuselage, not under the gear. Remove the old gear, insert the new 

landing gear legs with the lower gear leg fittings already attached to the 

new legs, minus the axles and wheels, etc. Force the bronze rod through the 

axle tubes. It will take quite a bit of bending into a curve, and will 

require lubricant and a rubber hammer, but it will go. The axles will now be 

perfectly aligned. Mark the holes on the legs. Take the legs to a friends 

house who has a drill press. Drill the holes, put it all back together. 

That's how I did it back in '95, and it still tracks as straight as a 

string.

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