PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE CORNER: Chuck Warren

November’s Preventive Maintenance Topic is about Tire Inspection, Servicing and Replacement of
landing gear tires.

Before You Start and, as a reminder, there are limitations on what is considered Preventive Maintenance
by Pilot Owners of US registered, certificated light aircraft operated under Part 91 rules, and what
maintenance procedures require a certificated mechanic. See FAR 43.39-Appendix A. The various
Homebuilt and Light Sport categories also have their own set of requirements and limitations.

The focus of this article is on tire service and maintenance for small, relatively simple, general aviation
airplanes with fixed landing gear. It does not cover fairing removal, jacking procedures or brake service
in detail. To do this safely, you will need instructions, jacks and support equipment, for your airplane.
This article discusses tire servicing on either unbraked wheels such as the nose gear or tailwheel tire, or
perhaps tires on braked main landing gear wheels, which require only minor disassembly operations.

More complex, heavier and retractable gear airplanes may involve more specialized equipment that
require more complicated disassembly, and the ability to detect and correct potential troubles, such tire
fit, rubbing, and gear retraction. To ensure the gear will not become wedged in the wheel well during
retraction and extension after tire changes, a thorough inspection of the landing gear cavities, and a gear
retraction test with the airplane on suitable jack stands and other operational checks should be
performed before flight. Therefore, this article does not fully address airplanes with retractable gear or
sophisticated systems like anti-skid, etc.

When replacing tires, and inspection, servicing and some disassembly of the landing gear, wheel and
wheel bearings may need to be performed during tire replacement to ensure safety and reliability. Many
(but not all) brakes such as caliper disc brakes on the main landing gear also may require at least a partial
disassembly in order to dismount wheel from the plane or disassemble the wheel.

Always review the manufacturer’s information and Approved Procedures for the brand and model
number of your airplane, tire, and wheels and (if necessary) brakes. FAA Approved service instructions
are often easily obtained from manufacturers online service information. If information cannot be
found for your aircraft, tires, wheels, and brakes, then use FAA information, particularly Advisory Circular
AC 43.13-1B for Approved Procedures and alternate instructions and acceptable procedures. A few
names of the more common tires and brakes and FAA information are listed at the end of the article.

Safety First: Some (but not all) “Golden Rules” when working on aircraft tires:

 Personnel injury or airplane damage can occur if proper procedures are not followed on wheels
and tires, so use extra care.
 The jacked airplane must be secure and safe to approach and work under without danger of
falling.
 Tires and wheels contain compressed air, which is energy that can cause serious damage and
injury while servicing. Deflate and de-energize them before dismounting or disassembling
wheels.
 Never overinflate an airplane tire and wear protective eye gear to reduce the risk of eye injury
during inflation and deflation of tires.
 When tire is inflated, do not probe cuts or embedded foreign objects on a tire.
Tire Service and Replacement: When to service a tire/wheel or replace the tire?

You should externally inspect tires frequently and, if possible, before every flight to spot issues before
they progress and degrade the tire. An external inspection of a tire can be performed with wheels on
the airplane, with fairings removed, and preferably, jacked off the ground. At all times remember
cautions about inflated tires.

You need to service your tires and wheels when uneven wear, damage, or unusual vibration or
shimmying of the landing gear occurs. Some wheel and tire issues listed below can be addressed and
repaired before tire replacement becomes necessary. The appropriate tire and wheel preventive
maintenance may address issues, because tires and wheels are most frequent root causes of such
problems.

Once addressed, tire life may be extended by minimizing further tire wear and failures. Also, a lightly
damaged or worn tire may often be repaired or retreaded by a qualified shop. However, the tire must
be replaced if the issues reach a point of severe wear beyond repair, as outlined below:

External Surface Tire Issues and Criteria for Tire Servicing vs. Replacement:

1. If more wear occurs on the center of the tread, inflation pressures should be reduced. On the
other hand, a tire worn on the edges, but not in the center, indicates underinflation. Nitrogen is
recommended to inflate tires, however light airplane tires using air give long service. Frequently
check and maintain proper inflation pressures of your tires.
2. Tread wear - Tires should be removed if tread has worn to the base of any groove at any spot, or
to a minimum depth as specified by the tire or aircraft manufacturer. Tires worn down to fabric
in any tread area should be removed.
3. Uneven wear - If tread wear is more severe on one side, the tire can often be dismounted and
turned around, providing there is no excessive wear as mentioned above. The condition is
normal in GA airplanes like Cessnas, vintage Pipers, etc., because the camber of the main wheels
are negative (inwards) when the airplane is touching down and the main gear tires scuff against
runway.
4. Tread or sidewall cuts. - Inspect tread for cuts and other foreign object damage, and mark with
crayon or chalk. Remove tires that have the following:
a. Any cuts into the carcass plies.
b. Cuts extending more than half of the width of a rib and deeper than 50 percent of the
remaining groove depth.
c. Snags extending down to the carcass ply in the sidewall and bead areas.
d. Bulges in any part of tire tread, sidewall, or bead areas that indicate a ply separation or
internal damage.
e. Cracking in a groove that exposes fabric or if cracking undercuts tread ribs.
5. Flat Spots - Generally, tires do not need to be removed for minor flat spots on the tread surface.
If wheel is severely unbalanced, you should remove it and investigate further.
6. Wheel and tire shimmying, thumping or vibrating - Correction and elimination of imbalance and
“heavy spots” on a wheel assembly is critical.
a. A heavy spot will tend to always scuff this spot when landing, possibly causing wear
and/or early failure at that part of the tire.
 b. Imbalance may cause excessive vibration and/or damage during takeoff and landing,
especially at high speed.
7. Tire Clearance - Look for telltale marks on tires, the gear, and in the wheel fairings (if so
equipped) that might indicate rubbing due to inadequate clearance or fairing damage.

Now, we can Start The Procedure, if removal and dismounting the tire and wheel is necessary.

With airplane jacked up, deflate the tire. Remove the valve core after completely deflated.

Reminder: Only attempt to remove or disassemble wheel with a completely deflated tire. otherwise,
serious injury or damage to equipment can occur from an explosive separation of wheel components!

Remove wheel cover if equipped, and/or grease cover over the bearing and retaining nut and

DISMOUNT THE WHEEL in accordance with aircraft manufacturer’s instructions.

DISASSEMBLE THE WHEEL in accordance with wheel manufacturer’s instructions. During all disassembly
procedures, exercise caution to ensure wheel sealing surfaces are not damaged.

 Remove wheel bolts and break the tire beads loose. Do not pry between wheel flanges and tire
beads, as this can damage the wheel and tire. Use caution when removing wheel bolts or nuts.
A wheel demounting fixture can facilitate the disassembly of the wheel.
 Undamaged valve stems for tubeless tires typically do not require removal if the disassembly is
only for tire dismounting. Decide after reading manufacturer procedure.
 Bearing cups should not be removed from the wheel unless bearing replacement is necessary, if
paint is to be stripped, or if a thorough inspection of the wheel is to be made. (Also, in my
opinion, this is BEYOND scope of “Preventive Maintenance…call airframe mechanic.)

Inspection for Internal Tire and Wheel Issues.

1. Beads - Inspect bead areas next to wheel flanges for damage due to excessive heat, especially if
experiencing brake drag or severe braking during taxi, takeoff, or landing.
2. Check wheels for damage. Wheels that are cracked or damaged must be taken out of service for
repair or replacement in accordance with the manufacturer’s instruction manual. Also, probably
a job for an Airframe mechanic.

3. Inspect the wheels for cracks, corrosion, dents, distortion, and faulty bearings in accordance
with the manufacturer’s service information.
4. In split-type wheels, if the bolt holes have become elongated due to play in the through-bolts.
Pay particular attention to the condition of the through-bolts and nuts. Carefully inspect the
wheels for damage to the wheel flange and for proper sealing of the valve. The sealing ring used
between the wheel halves for tubeless tires should be free of damage. Fixing the above issues
should be done by a mechanic, who can probably send the wheel out to an FAA approved shop
for reconditioning.
5. Corrosion of wheels. Remove all light corrosion from the wheel halves and inspect, to ensure
that the wheel halves are serviceable. Prime with a zinc phosphate primer and apply at least two
finish coats.
 6. Dented or distorted wheels. Light surface scratches or dents usually do not affect serviceability
of a wheel. Wheels which wobble due to deformation resulting from a severe side-load impact
require replacement. In questionable cases, consult with an Airframe mechanic concerning the
airworthiness of the wheels.
7. Wheel bearings. When inspecting wheel bearings for condition, replace damaged or excessively
worn parts. Maintain bearings and races as matched sets. Pack bearings only with the grease
type called for in the manufacturer’s maintenance manual prior to their installation. Avoid
preloading the wheel bearing when installing it on the aircraft by tightening the axle nut just
enough to prevent wheel drag or side play.

REASSEMBLING THE WHEEL. The correct assembly of the wheels and tires is important to assure an
assembly that is in balance.

For tires requiring inner tubes,

a. Put a little tire talc on the tube and insert it in the tire. Align the heavy spot of the tube (usually
marked with a yellow line) with the light spot of the tire (usually marked with a red dot). If the tube does
not have a balance mark, align the valve of the tube with the light spot of the tire. Inflate the tube
momentarily to “seat” the tube and let the air run out.

b. Put one wheel half in the tire and align the wheel half with the valve hole up with the valve on the
tube. Insert the other wheel half in the tire and align the bolt holes.

For tubeless tires, as above, and ensure the light spot of the tire is aligned with the valve stem on the
wheel half.

Insert the wheel bolts and torque to the manufacturer’s recommended value, with clean and dry screw
threads.

INFLATION OF TIRES. It is best practice to place the tire in a cage to protect you from injury if the wheel
fails.

 The aircraft manual should be consulted before inflating tires.

 Initially (without valve core in stem) inflate the tires to 5-10 psi as sufficient to seat the tire
beads
 Deflate tire to allow the tube to assume its position.
 Inflate to the full recommended pressure
 Deflate tire again, and inflate the tube with 5 or 10 pounds per square inch (psi) and deflate to
reseat the tube.
 Install the valve core and fill the tire to the full recommended pressure.

SLIPPAGE.
To reduce the possibility of tire and tube failure due to slippage, and to provide a means of detecting
tire slippage, tires should be marked against the wheel rim:

 Paint a mark across the tire side wall and wheel rim. Use a permanent type paint in a contrasting
color, such as white, red, or orange.
 Include a check of these slippage marks for alignment during each preflight. If significant
slippage occurs in service, a more detailed inspection must be made to find the reason.
 If findings warrant it, the condition should be corrected before the next flight.

WHEEL INSTALLATION. Typical procedures used for installing wheel assemblies on an aircraft.

 The axle should first be cleaned and inspected for surface damage, damage to the axle threads,
and the general condition and security of bolts holding the axle onto the landing-gear leg.
 The wheel bearings and seals should be cleaned and packed with approved grease.
 Assemble the tire/wheel, and bearings and seals according to manufacturer directions, and
mount on the gear axle.
 Many aircraft have specific torque requirements for the wheel-retaining nuts. These torque
requirements may have two values specified. The retaining nut is first tightened to the higher
value to seat the bearing. It is then backed off and tightened to the lower value specified.
 Great care should be exercised to see that the wheel-retaining nuts are not overtightened. In
absence of specific instructions, the wheel-retaining nut is tightened until bearing drag is felt.
The nut is then backed off about one serration (castellation) or one-sixth turn before bending up
the tab on the tab-lock washer or installing the cotter pin.
 Check that the cotter pin or lock washer is installed correctly and will not shake loose!
 Install grease cover and (if used) wheel cover. During this installation any required brake, and
other components should be installed and connected, as appropriate, for the specific aircraft.

FINISHING UP:

1. CHECK YOUR WORK. SPIN EACH WHEEL TO CONFIRM WHEEL IS SECURE AND FREE TO SPIN
WITH GOOD BALANCE.
2. LOWER AIRCRAFT FROM JACKSTANDS TO THE GROUND.
3. DO OPERATIONAL CHECKOUT TESTS (In this case, a brake operation and taxi test)
4. DOCUMENT YOUR WORK IN YOUR AIRCRAFT LOGBOOK.
a. ENTRIES SHOULD INCLUDE:
1. Date
2. Total Aircraft Time (Hours)
3. Work performed, listing the FAA Approved Procedure(s) you followed. List any small
parts replaced, and their specifics.
4. Note that an operational check was performed following the work.
5. If check was OK, state that the airplane is returned to service.
6. Sign your Name and include Airman Certificate number.

Sources of Information:
A few websites for common tires wheels and brakes are listed, below:

For FAA information, particularly Advisory Circular AC 43.13-1B for Approved Procedures and alternate
instructions and acceptable procedures, links are listed below:

1. Goodyear Aviation Tires: Most other wheel and tire manufacturers (too numerous to mention here)
also have published online information:

[Link]

2. Cleveland Wheels and Brakes has all current Approved servicing instructions for most of the
Cleveland wheel and brake applications. It has a finder tab where the user can provide the type and
model of the aircraft and it will find the correct wheel and brake type and use this to locate correct
instructions:

[Link]

3. Advisory Circular 43.13-1B: Aircraft Inspections and Alterations (Available online at FAA Document
Library.) Paragraph 9-7e provides information and Approved Procedures on wheel inspection and
Paragraph 9-14 through 9-18 provides many Approved Procedures on Tire Repair and Maintenance:

[Link]

4. Aviation Maintenance Technician’s Handbook, Volume 2 Airframe, FAA-H-8083-31-ATB (Available

online at FAA Document Library.) Contains reference information that is basically a textbook, and not
the source of Approved data and procedures, but rather alternate procedures that are, “Acceptable”
to the FAA. Wheels and brakes are found near end of Chapter 13.

[Link]
31B_Aviation_Maintenance_Technician_Handbook.pdf

Technical Article for Chapter 857 January Newsletter by Chuck Warren

The technical topic for the November Chapter 857 Newsletter, and Chapter meeting was
preventive maintenance tire changes by pilot/owners. Afterwards, I was asked by a few people
for more information about materials and tools to accomplish the work:

Here is a new Addendum to the November newsletter article that may help:

I. PREPARATION AND INFORMATION TO OBTAIN BEFOREHAND:

a. Aircraft Logbook and Airplane Flight Manual – Look through it and note any pertinent
changes, or upgrades, to the tires/wheels/brakes/landing gear on the plane.
b. Aircraft manufacturer’s instructions on recommended tire inflation pressures, and
jacking, and wheel maintenance instructions.
c. Aircraft tire manufacturer information for the tires you use.
d. Aircraft wheel manufacturer information for wheels installed on the airplane.
e. Aircraft brake manufacturer information for brakes installed on the airplane.
f. Job Procedures and checklists from the above, or if unavailable, from FAA publications
AC 43.13-1B and Aviation Maintenance Technician’s Handbook, Volume 2 Airframe, FAA-
H-8083-31-ATB.

II. DESCRIPTION OF TOOL AND PARTS LISTING FOR SERVICING/CHANGING TIRES:

Following is a list of items you need to properly service an aircraft tire/wheel or changing a tire:

1. Aircraft Jack Stand (This is just a placeholder – you should obtain suitable stands for your
aircraft).
2. Small Tire Changing Fixture (Harbor Freight # 15920, or equivalent).
3. Soft Mallet and Wooden Rod.
4. 4-Way Tire Valve Core Removal Tool, or Thin Needle Nose Pliers to remove valve core.
5. Diagonal Cutting Pliers (For removal of Cotter Pins or Retainers).
6. Work gloves, and Nitrile or Latex disposable rubber gloves for cleaning/packing bearings.
7. Tire Gauge.
8. Solvents (91% Iso. Alcohol and Mineral Spirits should be sufficient).
9. Silicon spray (could use instead of Tire Tube Talc).
10. Stiff Nylon cleaning brushes for cleaning parts (esp. bearings…a firm toothbrush can work).
11. Rags and Paper Towels.
12. Parts Bags, Labeled, (Ziplock Sandwich/Snack Bags, for keeping parts for each wheel).
13. Flashlight.
14. Compressed, Dry Air, or Nitrogen source, and hose…air compressor or dry nitrogen tank not
shown.
15. Blow Gun and Tire Inflation chuck.
16. Torque Wrench:
a. Size of torque wrench would typically be small, as most light plane wheel bolts
require torque in the range of 90-150 inch-pounds of torque.
 b. Wrench should be calibrated (or at least checked, to be sure the applied torque
agrees with the wrench setting.
c. Set of sockets for wrench (the size wrench typically used would have ¼ inch square
sockets, some may use 3/8 inch).
17. Assortment of Appropriately Sized Screwdrivers, Wrenches and Drift Pins.
18. Yellow (or other bright color) Enamel Paint and Disposable Brushes (for making slippage
marks on new tire and on wheel rim).

III. NOT SHOWN IN PHOTO (But also needed for a tire change):

1. New Aircraft Tire and Tube.

2. Jacks for lifting aircraft.
3. Wheel Bearing Grease, in either Bulk Tub, or bearing greasing tool connected to gun
a. RECOMMEND YOU USE LITHIUM COMPLEX, MOISTURE-REPELLENT GREASE.
b. Some examples of this type are Aeroshell Grease 33, or Aeroshell Grease 58, Mobil
Aviation Grease SHC 100, or NYCO grease GN 3058.
4. Parts Cleaning Tub:
a. Don’t forget to clean the wheel bolts and nuts prior to assembly, for proper torque
and resulting bolt tensioning. Threads should be thoroughly cleaned and dried.
b. Make sure to thoroughly clean out all old grease, if your wheel bearings had used
“standard” clay thickened grease before, or if you are uncertain.
5. Replacement Wheel Bearing Seals.
6. Extra wheel retaining nuts, lock washers, cotter pins and/or flat washers.
7. Miscellaneous Tire, Wheel, Brake and Landing Gear small parts, if required.
a. Inner tubes may need a new inflation valve core.
b. Tubeless Tires may require new O-ring to seal wheel halves, or replacement inflation
stem and valve core. Also, tire bead sealant recommended by tire or wheel
manufacturer.