Finally gear is on and first flight completed....hmmm, start learning again... was just getting better at wheel to three point, now gotta learn the three point again... not sure what to think yet.. no speed drop for me with 31’s... 20” 22-2300 rpm 115mph...
And btw check your bolts... the rabbit hole was started because of a left wing low lean.. upper and lower bolts were both bent... And they were nas....

Where was the rabbit hole starting - main gear attach point, oleo top or bottom?

Even with the standard ABW HD gear legs, the sight picture for a 3-pointer changed radically for me with the 31" tundra tires. It took a while to get used to. Being short, I use a tapered seat cushion but it's still hard to see over the glare shield on landing in a 3-pointer so most of my landings are tail-low wheel landings. I find them much easier with the 31" tundra tires due to the lower inflation pressure and increased flexibility. I also believe that they take up a lot of the shock of landing and reduce the strain on the NAS bolts.

Sorry, upper and lower oleobolts

Curious How many hours before bolts bent?

They were on when i bought it….I will change them every annual, just because its easy insurance..l
Ap

Anyone know if a weight and balance is “required” after putting the extended gear on?

AC 43.13-1B defines "c. Negligible Weight Change is any change of one pound or less for aircraft whose weight empty is less than 5,000 pounds". If the change is any greater, then a weight and balance change needs to be done and filed in the aircraft flight manual. The Instructions for Continued Airworthiness and Installation Instructions document for HD Extended Maule Main Gear Assembly ABI-4022X states that operation is identical to the original Maule gear and that no additional airworthiness limitations are imposed.

I'm not an A&P but that sounds like you don't need a new weight and balance calculation when you switch from the original Maule gear to the ABI-4022X gear.

andy wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 11, 2021 4:45 am

AC 43.13-1B defines "c. Negligible Weight Change is any change of one pound or less for aircraft whose weight empty is less than 5,000 pounds". If the change is any greater, then a weight and balance change needs to be done and filed in the aircraft flight manual. The Instructions for Continued Airworthiness and Installation Instructions document for HD Extended Maule Main Gear Assembly ABI-4022X states that operation is identical to the original Maule gear and that no additional airworthiness limitations are imposed.

I'm not an A&P but that sounds like you don't need a new weight and balance calculation when you switch from the original Maule gear to the ABI-4022X gear.

It seems like your two statements contradict each other. The extended gear adds more than 1lb, so W&B is required.

Also, on extended gear it changes the location of the axle fwd requiring you to take all new measurements when doing your new weight and balance. Don’t use the old and do a paper calculation. Will not be accurate.

Wup you out there? Since you helped develop the gear what is correct? My 337 states the extended gear is 2lbs. heavier and the axle is at the same station as the standard gear.

Curious what Wup says as well. If you read the Airframes continued air worthiness paperwork it claims the 4” extended gear only gives 3” of additional clearance. My measurements were definitely different. Could be bad measurements from before on the old documents but, I know my knew ones were correct on my old M4. Probably not enough to make a difference but....

FARMAULE wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 11, 2021 12:57 pm

Also, on extended gear it changes the location of the axle fwd requiring you to take all new measurements when doing your new weight and balance. Don’t use the old and do a paper calculation. Will not be accurate.

Hmmm....are you sure about that? I’m pretty sure the front leg of the gear is perpendicular to the long axis of the aircraft when in the level flying attitude, which means the axle ends up in the same place relative to this axis regardless of gear length. Since the weighing and empty CG determination of the aircraft is done with it in the level flying attitude, the axle position would be the same between the two gear types.

FARMAULE wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 11, 2021 4:54 pm

Curious what Wup says as well. If you read the Airframes continued air worthiness paperwork it claims the 4” extended gear only gives 3” of additional clearance. My measurements were definitely different. Could be bad measurements from before on the old documents but, I know my knew ones were correct on my old M4. Probably not enough to make a difference but....

The 4” extended gear giving only 3” of additional clearance is due to the angle of the gear out to the side, not forward. Not sure if that’s where you were headed; apologies if I misunderstood.

No worries. I’m not sure about anything anymore lol. From Wup on BCP “ When we did the HD Ext gear for the Maule the geometry was kept the same to keep the loads on the fuse the same and not create any different pressure points and thus cause failures in places that would then have different stress loads than originally designed. The 2" forward axle was a benefit and not as much as the cub type with the 3" forward. As for the Pacer there is a couple Ideas we have that would make life a bit ez-er than the Trimmer STC with Cub gear conversion.... Time will tell.” I still could be wrong. All I know is my measurements changed and like I said it could have just been clerical issues on my w&b I had to work from.

Asa, the two statements are contradictory only if the ABI-4022X gear is more than 1 lb heavier or at a different station than the stock Maule gear. The ICA/Installation manual available online doesn't give a different weight or station, which is why I made the second statement.

According to the owners who actually have the extended gear, the documentation that comes with the ABI-4022X says something different than the ICA document online. If it's 2 lbs heavier than the stock Maule gear, then a new W&B is required.