14-13 tail wheel advice

billledger

New member
Does anyone know where to get a Firestone Model CFA 160 6x2.00 solid tail wheel???? I can't seem to find; or is there another solid wheel that will mount up to my curent Forks? or do I have to change everything out to something more modern?
IF any can help or have advise I would greatly appreciate. DO I NEED TO BUY A PARTS PLANE!
Thanks
Bill
903 503 8505
 
Do you need a tire and wheel? I can't remember a wheel going bad. The tire is available from A/C Spruce, p/n 06-15800 @ $63.85. You can get the wheel and tire assy. p/n 06-14100 @ $379.95. If you have a little extra width in the fork, you might try the Maule SFS tailwheel. It's about 1/2" wider and is available with bearings for $96.25 - p/n TW-23A. ACS phone is 877 477 7823. Good luck. Dan
 
Bill,I am also going thru the tail wheel struggle right now. I went out and measured an old Maul tailwheel from my barn so you can determine if a Maul will fit your forks. Thickness at the center is 3 inches ,width at the outside is just under 2 inches,and of course the diameter is 6 inches. Many Cruisair forks have been modified ,so I dont even know if the maul will fit the stock one. My adventure in tailwheels started a week ago when I put my plane on jacks to work on the landing gear. I decided to fix the slow leak in my 8 inch inflatable tail ( my forks have been extended about an inch).when I took it off I discovered the rim was bent a little. I went home and dug into my boneyard and found a Maul,so I ordered new bearings from Aircraft Spruce and they sent me a wrong bearing.(an error in their catalog !) In disgust I went to plan B. I had also discovered a Firestone inflatable tailwheel in the boneyard which seemed to have good bearings and looked very sturdy,but the tire was rotten. I called 4 places before anyone recognized the numbers on the rim and tire and was quoted $325 for the tire and $125 for the tube. When I stopped gagging I went to plan C and put on an original Hocky Puck Scott while I try to get the correct bearing for the Maul. To top it off,When I took the wheel apart that had been on my plane it turned out to be from a go cart or wheelbarrow or some such thing. Another adventure in Aviation!_____Grant.
 
Grant, Last year you sold me a 14-13 tailwheel yoke/shaft to replace my worn out 14-12 unit. The shaft diameters are the same on the 12 and 13. However......the yoke spacing was different. 2 1/2" on the -12 and 2 3/4" on the unit you sent me. I simply made bushings to make up the space for my hard rubber Scott. Now, for another twist, I have a new Maule in the yoke of my 14-13-----an unmodified yoke that is 3" wide. Obviously, somehow, different units were available....................the mystery continues! Dan
 
I made an error in my measurement of the maul hub. It is 2.75 width at the center. I also went out and measured 5 Cruisair forks and found 2 at 2.75 2 more at 3in and 1 at 3.5in. None of these appear to be modified and they all came with Cruisair projects. They were all the same depth,(approx.4.25 from the center of the axle to the center of where the tire would rub).I was once told that to put an inflatable tailwheel on a Cruisair you had to extend the forks or put a 14-19 fork on, because they were deeper. Maybe someone with a Cruismaster could measure theirs and see what comes of it? I just walked back out to the barn and measured the Firestone hub that I mentioned yesterday and it is 3.5in at the center. That explains the 3.5in fork I found, but who knows what it came from? Does anyone know if a Firesone hub assy dwg no A0200F size 8.00 S.C. Test Load 3200 LB. Came on a Cruismaster? Im sure glad I didnt spend $450 on a tire and tube to find out it would not fit my plane. ____THE MORE I SEE THE LESS I KNOW----THE MORE I THINK, THE MORE CONFUSED I GET. _____Grant.
 
same here ... the more i research to more I am unsure of what to buy ... i have about 3.5" in width available and 4.5" from axle to top of fork in clearance. DO YOU THINK THE TW23A WILL work for this size
i would prefer to put a tire that I can put air in ... instead of a hard time ... but I will take what I can get ... to get this bird back in the sky. If you figure out what will work for me .. please let me know..
Thanks
Bill


btw I check on that ... and I chocked on the cost of changing it out ... the scott wheel and the 14 -19 cruisemaster forks. its crazy ...

BUT the cruisemaster has a deeper fork and at scott 2600 tail wheel will work.
 
Bill, I took a Maul solid tire and fit it in several forks, and it fit them all. I dont think you will have any trouble with the Maul.Since you have the wide fork,you will have to figure out some spacers. The solid Maul is a much softer rubber than the little Scott,and wont be as noisy as the Scott. I have given up on my inflatable and I am still waiting on the correct bearing for my Maul. ____ I hope this helps! ____Grant.
 
Thanks a bunch ... yall have been so helpful. (Dan Cullman, gjordan, cglucas, and others that have helped me in the past) If it wasnt for people like you .. I think I would have had to sell this airplane and buy a hair transplant!

~Bill
 
the maul tail wheel fit great .... I am getting a machine shop to add some spacers so as to get it perfect. I should be back in the air in a week. Then I will start working on the rest of my challenges ... thanks again for the help
 
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