Tailwheel king pin angle

[Gary Wallace]

I did remove all at once...after I did that is when I loaded up to gross weight and realized at that weight I needed the spacer out. It is an O360 so more weight on the tailwheel is making the situation worse as angle decreases at gross weight. The pin is a bit finicky to lock in....at times. Seems I need to go back and forth a couple times to get it to lock. It is early days still but this is really the only thing I am struggling with...frustrated with. I love everything else about this airplane so far! Getting more comfortable

[jaredyates]

I would take apart the tailwheel and study the pin and all of the parts it touches. It should be locking very easily and positively. It could be that the parts aren't quite worn in yet, a process you can help with some strategic filing.

[Gary Wallace]

I will jack up the rear and see how it locks. I think it locks fairly well jacked up...no load, and can spin it to the rear ...it just takes soooo much to get the wheel to spin around when I'm solo....it doesn't want to stay centered. But seems I need it at that angle (leafspring) to be good at max gross. Seems to me I have to find a happy medium

[Gary Wallace]

And I have touched the pin with a file and it has helped. I will do some more filing on the pin tip. I can see that helping the situation as well. Thanks Jared

[AZBearhawk272]

Gary,

There are a couple of Bearhawk’s running around with
tailwheel springs that were custom made by a spring shop. Heavy load on the TW can cause the stock springs to flatten and take a set. As I recall they are
2.0 wide with a bit higher arch. This mostly cured the shimmy. 1 leaf, the long one was 5/16 if thick If I recall correctly.

Kevin # 272
KCHD

[Utah-Jay]

I have yet to fly my BH, but I choose the BH round/straight (stinger?) TW spring. It just seems to me like any conventional spring or T-3 style shock spring is only really giving impact relief in a 180* plane (yep pun intended), whereas a round spring can flex in a 360* sphere which should protect the tail section of the fuselage better.

If you make every landing perfectly aligned, if you never hit a bump or rock and side load the conventional style of spring then you will be fine.

[robcaldwell]

If you make every landing perfectly aligned, if you never hit a bump or rock and side load the conventional style of spring then you will be fine.

Good luck with that!

[Utah-Jay]

Good luck with that!

LOL, my point exactly, hence my choice of the stinger spring