Flat Tires?

One of our least favorite jobs (thanks to our "Fancy Pants" with their
stupid, under-sized access doors) is airing up the tires on our Pathfinder.

I pull the plane back and forth while Mary fishes around for the stupid
nipple. If you want to hear a woman cuss like a sailor, just stop by the
hangar on tire-filling day!

It seems like we're having to fill the tires way too often. At least every
3 - 4 weeks, we notice that the plane has become a real bear to pull out of
the hangar, and that our take-off roll has become noticeably longer. Sure
enough, the tires will be down around 25%, from 40 to 30 lbs on the mains,
and from 30 to 23 lbs (or so) in the nosewheel.

This seems ridiculous. Is it a product of tubed tires, or do I have slow
leaks that should be fixed? Can you use "Fix-a-Flat" in aircraft tires?
(I'll bet not.)

How often do you guys have to fill your tires?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck wrote:
It seems like we're having to fill the tires way too often. At least every
3 - 4 weeks, we notice that the plane has become a real bear to pull out of
the hangar, and that our take-off roll has become noticeably longer. Sure
enough, the tires will be down around 25%, from 40 to 30 lbs on the mains,
and from 30 to 23 lbs (or so) in the nosewheel.

This doesn't seem unreasonable for standard aviation tubes. I've read
several different things about them and what it boils down to is that the
rubber they've always used is somewhat porous (on a molecular
level). There are a few new types of tubes on the market, the most
popular being the Michelen "Air Stop" (I think) that use a better rubber
that doesn't leak. I've heard that they pretty much keep there tire
pressure indefinitely. I believe there have been posts on both r.a.owning
as well as the Cherokee Chat confirming this. I'm switching at the next
tire change.

--- Jay


--
__!__
Jay and Teresa Masino ___(_)___
http://www2.ari.net/jmasino ! ! !
http://www.OceanCityAirport.com
http://www.oc-Adolfos.com

We find we need to add a little air every few weeks, infact, I need to do it
tonight.

Couple things to check. How old are your tubes? You may need new tubes.
Tubes are usually natural rubber and will age and crack.

Do you have steel stem caps that you can tighten with a wrench? The steel
stem caps will have a rubber seal that seals against the rim of the valve
stem. Just don't over torque and rip the base of the stem.

Jim

add to this is check to make sure you valve cores are tight.
Michelle

Jim Burns wrote:

We find we need to add a little air every few weeks, infact, I need to do it
tonight.

Couple things to check. How old are your tubes? You may need new tubes.
Tubes are usually natural rubber and will age and crack.

Do you have steel stem caps that you can tighten with a wrench? The steel
stem caps will have a rubber seal that seals against the rim of the valve
stem. Just don't over torque and rip the base of the stem.

Jim

Hi Jay;

Aircraft inner tubes, due to historical inertia, lose air much more
rapidly than their automotive counterparts. However, at least one of the
major aircraft tire suppliers is now making innertubes of modern,
spaceage material that actually holds air. Try Desser.

Rip

Jay Honeck wrote:
One of our least favorite jobs (thanks to our "Fancy Pants" with their
stupid, under-sized access doors) is airing up the tires on our Pathfinder.

I pull the plane back and forth while Mary fishes around for the stupid
nipple. If you want to hear a woman cuss like a sailor, just stop by the
hangar on tire-filling day!

It seems like we're having to fill the tires way too often. At least every
3 - 4 weeks, we notice that the plane has become a real bear to pull out of
the hangar, and that our take-off roll has become noticeably longer. Sure
enough, the tires will be down around 25%, from 40 to 30 lbs on the mains,
and from 30 to 23 lbs (or so) in the nosewheel.

This seems ridiculous. Is it a product of tubed tires, or do I have slow
leaks that should be fixed? Can you use "Fix-a-Flat" in aircraft tires?
(I'll bet not.)

How often do you guys have to fill your tires?

On Wed, 24 Aug 2005 22:17:02 GMT, Rip
wrote:

Hi Jay;

Aircraft inner tubes, due to historical inertia, lose air much more
rapidly than their automotive counterparts. However, at least one of the
major aircraft tire suppliers is now making innertubes of modern,
spaceage material that actually holds air. Try Desser.

I just put new mains on the Deb. I went with the Flight Custom and
the new inner tubes. At 6 weeks the mains were only down 4# while the
nose gear tire had almost gone flat after a couple of weeks in the
hangar. Prior to changing I had to put air in the mains at least once
every two weeks. The change has me thinking of changing out the nose
gear tube. Seems like the tubes were around $12 (give or take a tad)

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

Hey, at least you had help!
I would have roll the cherokee up a couple inches then take a look at
each tire to see if I can see the nipple through the damn little door on
our 1986 Cherokee 180. Then you have to do finger acrobats trying to
get the air hose connected to the nipple.

Those wheel pants on the cherokee are a love/hate relationship. You get
a little extra speed and they look better than no pants. But then
airing up the tires are a pain. And how many people have landed in a
muddy grassy strip and have the pants get clogged up causing the tires
to lock up.

As for the air leak. I think it is through osmosis. We only have to air
up the tires maybe a couple of time a year.

Jay, how about solid rubber tire! Of course you have to grease every
landing.

Nick
PA28-180 'D'



Jay Honeck wrote:

One of our least favorite jobs (thanks to our "Fancy Pants" with their
stupid, under-sized access doors) is airing up the tires on our Pathfinder.

I pull the plane back and forth while Mary fishes around for the stupid
nipple. If you want to hear a woman cuss like a sailor, just stop by the
hangar on tire-filling day!

It seems like we're having to fill the tires way too often. At least every
3 - 4 weeks, we notice that the plane has become a real bear to pull out of
the hangar, and that our take-off roll has become noticeably longer. Sure
enough, the tires will be down around 25%, from 40 to 30 lbs on the mains,
and from 30 to 23 lbs (or so) in the nosewheel.

This seems ridiculous. Is it a product of tubed tires, or do I have slow
leaks that should be fixed? Can you use "Fix-a-Flat" in aircraft tires?
(I'll bet not.)

How often do you guys have to fill your tires?

On 8/24/2005 15:21, Nick Funk wrote:

Hey, at least you had help!
I would have roll the cherokee up a couple inches then take a look at
each tire to see if I can see the nipple through the damn little door on
our 1986 Cherokee 180. Then you have to do finger acrobats trying to
get the air hose connected to the nipple.

Isn't there any way to get a floor jack under the gear and jack the
tire/wheel up off the ground?

I'm not criticizing, just curious.


Those wheel pants on the cherokee are a love/hate relationship. You get
a little extra speed and they look better than no pants. But then
airing up the tires are a pain. And how many people have landed in a
muddy grassy strip and have the pants get clogged up causing the tires
to lock up.

As for the air leak. I think it is through osmosis. We only have to air
up the tires maybe a couple of time a year.

Jay, how about solid rubber tire! Of course you have to grease every
landing.

Nick
PA28-180 'D'



Jay Honeck wrote:

One of our least favorite jobs (thanks to our "Fancy Pants" with their
stupid, under-sized access doors) is airing up the tires on our Pathfinder.

I pull the plane back and forth while Mary fishes around for the stupid
nipple. If you want to hear a woman cuss like a sailor, just stop by the
hangar on tire-filling day!

It seems like we're having to fill the tires way too often. At least every
3 - 4 weeks, we notice that the plane has become a real bear to pull out of
the hangar, and that our take-off roll has become noticeably longer. Sure
enough, the tires will be down around 25%, from 40 to 30 lbs on the mains,
and from 30 to 23 lbs (or so) in the nosewheel.

This seems ridiculous. Is it a product of tubed tires, or do I have slow
leaks that should be fixed? Can you use "Fix-a-Flat" in aircraft tires?
(I'll bet not.)

How often do you guys have to fill your tires?


--
Mark Hansen, PP-ASEL, Instrument Student
Sacramento, CA

Be happy your wheel pants have doors - those on my plane have none. So
yes, inflating the tires is a
hands and knees affair, with a lot of feeling around where I can't see.
And it is unusual for there to be
any help available. At least I haven't grabbed hold of a black widow
spider yet (they have an affinity for
wheel pants). Getting my hands dirty is a certainty. I'll keep the Air
Stop tubes in mind for next time.

David Johnson

Those wheel pants on the cherokee are a love/hate relationship. You get
a little extra speed and they look better than no pants.
Hehe, imagine the guy in Blazing Saddles wheel pants? We don't need
no stinking wheel pants! Wheels go up and down, no pants required.
Then again, I do have to remove the hubcaps to air up the mains...but
that's beside the point :-)


--
Jack Allison
PP-ASEL-IA Student
Arrow N2104T

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth
with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there
you will always long to return"
- Leonardo Da Vinci

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