http://s1298.photobucket.com/user/monta ... =3&o=0[img][/img]

For some reason I can't get the picture to post. The tailwheel would shimmy every so often. Now I know why. Anyone else had this happen?

That sucks, I've had the lower bracket break after taxiing through a gofer hole.

First one I have seen break away like that.
I have seen that bracket distort but not break.
The forces are upward and sideways, so it is an anomaly I think.

didn't work

The ABI tailspring and bracket that I installed with my 3224A tailwheel are a lot stronger looking and allow less sideways movement than the original Maule counterparts. Not much you can do about the upper bracket since that doesn't get replaced when you get the ABI (Alaskan Airframes) tailspring. I know a former Maule owner who had a 1984 M5-180 and had the original Maule bracket break like this but it's the only other one that I've heard about. He wound up ground looping and having to do some wing work.

The bracket on my M5 has seen some major repair work so I am planning to bend a new bracket out of something a few thou thicker - I have a drawing for it somewhere, maybe on my parts CD? I did find several references in the logs where the tailwheel was damaged or destroyed, but they beat the heck out that poor wheel in the Amazon jungle.

The break on that bracket is not nice an shiny. Was it cracked for a while and just gave way? Any corrosion in the area?

I broke the front bolt last spring and it bent the snot out of the rear bolts. Everything remained straight and the upper mounts don't show any signs of stress at all.

Yes had it happen on a 2000 M7-235C with the same setup you have.

Are those ABI Maule leaf springs worth considering? How are they different?
My leaf has seen better days and I'm considering a replacement.

Rezrider wrote:Are those ABI Maule leaf springs worth considering? How are they different?
My leaf has seen better days and I'm considering a replacement.

I replaced my 25 year old Maule spring and hardware last year with new from ABI. It's wider and looks stronger...

I got some shimmy after 100+ landings, caused by all of the new bolts working loose. Torqued them again and so far, no more loosening, though I check them periodically now.

Just food for thought... I'd consider replacing those bolts periodically as well. Anyone have the NAS equivalent numbers for those bolts?

crbnunit wrote:I'd consider replacing those bolts periodically as well.

Me too, but how often? Once a year? Every few hundred landings? Every few heavy-ish landings? Surely none of us does real heavy landings...

montana maule wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 03, 2015 7:41 pm

http://s1298.photobucket.com/user/monta ... =3&o=0[img][/img]

For some reason I can't get the picture to post. The tailwheel would shimmy every so often. Now I know why. Anyone else had this happen?

Did you fix this? I think I may have the same issue.

Here's my post about the issue I'm having.
http://www.maulepilots.org/Hangartalk/v ... f=2&t=6366

I check the tail spring bracket bolts by hand during every pre-flight but about every 4 months or after a particularly bumpy landing, I jack up the tail spring and check the tightness of the bolts holding the ABI tail spring to the frame with wrenches. They do loosen up occasionally. That could cause the tail spring and tail wheel to shift sideways on landing and put pressure on the bolt holes that might cause them to crack eventually. When I went to McCall ID in 2016 and landed on a bunch of bumpy back country "airstrips" (if you can call some of them that), the bolts loosened up and had to be re-tightened in the field. Take two ratchet wrenches with deep sockets and universal joints with you. It's hard to grab both sides of the bolt head and nut otherwise.

Working on another fuselage rebuild. I ordered a new tailwheel spring mounting bracket from Maule cause the one on this fuselage was tweaked. Price was fair from the factory. Welding is a little involved but someone with experience should have no problem. Replacing the bracket with a new one might be a good option rather that repairing the cracked one.