wheel pants w/ doors- decathlon?

[Jeanie]

OK, I have wheel pants on the decathlon but there are no doors which makes putting air in the tires a hastle.... I am considering just leaving them off for now except for when I'm going across country or just want to "look good".... do you other decathlon folks know if it's OK to use wheel pants w/ doors?
Also, I've been told to put 24 lbs of air in the mains which are 6.00 x 6 - that sound normal to you? I haven't looked in the POH yet - maybe when I get back over to the hangar I'll pull it out and check...

Thanks
J

 

[wabower]

24# sounds about right, I use a tad more in the 180. I don't know if you can customize the wheel pants with access doors, but they are standard on the Cessna panties. If nothing else, buy the leak-guard tubes. They really work, and after installing them I can typically go more than six months without needing air. Well, it was really a year, but you get the picture.

OK, I have wheel pants on the decathlon but there are no doors which makes putting air in the tires a hastle.... I am considering just leaving them off for now except for when I'm going across country or just want to "look good".... do you other decathlon folks know if it's OK to use wheel pants w/ doors?
Also, I've been told to put 24 lbs of air in the mains which are 6.00 x 6 - that sound normal to you? I haven't looked in the POH yet - maybe when I get back over to the hangar I'll pull it out and check...

Thanks
J

 

[zebra]

I can just barely air up the tires on the Super-d with the wheel pants on, and ours do not have doors. I know what you mean though; the Cessna has the doors, which are actually a big pain themselves.

We use nitrogen in our tires, btw, which is supposed to cut down on leakage. Also use the aviation valve stem caps with rubber seals.

 

[SCCutler]

I always thought wheel pants with little doors were reminiscent of pajamas with a poo-poo flap in the back.

Just thought I'd share.

 

[djpacro]

I took a hacksaw to my wheelpants and trimmed them so that I could reach the valve.
Tire pressures are in the Service Manual.

 

[Jeanie]

I took a hacksaw to my wheelpants and trimmed them so that I could reach the valve.
Tire pressures are in the Service Manual.

Well, that's a creative solution! Yeah, I looked it up 24# +/- 2...

Thanks everyone

 

[ebetancourt]

For what it's worth, and assuming the 8 wheel pants are the same as the 7, if I take the one bolt out on the outside of the pant I can flex the pants enough to air them up. Also, get one of the truck type chucks (longish tube with a push and a pull nozzle). They work a lot better.

Ernie (7GCBC)

 

[djpacro]

That works Ernie.
I have that bolt locked in with wire (I've seen the effect of vibration loosening that bolt and damaging the thing on landing) so not an easy job for the people I hire the aeroplane to.

 

[ebetancourt]

That works Ernie.
I have that bolt locked in with wire (I've seen the effect of vibration loosening that bolt and damaging the thing on landing) so not an easy job for the people I hire the aeroplane to.

I have learned the hard way that I need to retighten the left wheel pant after each flight. That bolt on my Citabria doesn't seem to get loose though, it is always the inside Phillips bolts. And at least on the Citabria if you fly with them loose, the wheel pant will crack. The right one hardly ever loosens, which I ascribe to the difference in prop "wash" :wink2: