We're considering buying 2nd hand TB20 main wheels (standard 40-80 or 40-84b Cleveland) as spares. Has anyone such for sale? Or advice on such?
I have some info here.
The wheels are I believe totally off the shelf. In that list I even have the Timken bearing part numbers which were supplied by another TB20 pilot on EuroGA some months ago.
What isn't off the shelf is the central round "fairing" for the main wheels - a bad name because it is just a round piece of ally, 1mm thick, 184mm diameter and with a 40mm hole to access the tyre valve. That is a custom Socata part, but is trivial to DIY-make. It is held by 3 screws which are tapped into the wheel, and I don't know if the standard wheels have these 3 holes. Probably not... I have a spare, slightly damaged, fairing here which I would be happy to lend you if you want to use it as a template. I know a TB owner who got some of them made, laser-cut by a local firm. But for a spare wheel you won't need this part...
The bigger problem is that you can't change the wheel without a jack, and I doubt a normal car jack can be used in a stable manner. Maybe it can - I've never seen it done other than using the 3 proper jacks.
You also definitely need the Socata jacking adapters, for the two underwing jacking points. These are little bits of machined steel. I bought mine for something like a hundred quid from Air Touring just before they went bust. I carry these in the boot, in a toolkit.
Thanks Peter. Your point about the jacks etc probably clinches it .. probably not worth going any further. BW, B
