How big of tire can I put on a 6 inch wheel

[959 11]

I want to land on fields I was wondering how big a tire can I put on a 6 inch wheel.

 

[Av8r3400 1179]

What type of terrain are you looking to land on? Grass, sand, gravel, stone?

You can easily put 21, 26, 29, 31, or even 35" diameter tires on a 6" wheel. This can range from a couple hundred dollars to several thousand.

[IFMT 36]

Best value for your money is the aero classic 21 * 8*6 from desser. You will need tubes as well. They sit 2 inches higher than the ones you've got. Should help your angle of attack for take off as well. B

[akflyer 1427]

 

30" fit fine, but you have to put a couple of spacers in the matco wheels and make longer axles.  The new shaved "bushwheel" from Dresser looks like they may be perfect for our Avids and kitfox IF your not planning on landing big rocks, just sand, gravel and grass strips.

 

[SuberAvid 617]

I wanna see an Avid with 35's    Actually, those take a 10" wheel though.

[akflyer 1427]

Randy, you buy them I will put em on... for one flight anyway

 

[akflyer 1427]

http://www.desser.com/store/products/850%252d6-4-PLY-AERO-CLASSIC-SMOOTH-TUNDRA-*Pre-Order*.html

 

Dresser is saying they are coming out with several new sizes.  I think the 27" will be perfect.  I wish they were a tubeless "all in one" tire like the AK bushwheels are.  The dresser tire in 4 ply should be pretty soft and work perfect for you and they don;'t break the bank.  For 400 bucks you should be able to have the tires and tubes and be ready to ply in the grass, gravel and sand.

 

[EDMO 1078]

When I was in Alaska, the tires on the cubs were getting up to the 4 foot mark - Finally, the FAA ruled that 36" was the biggest that could be put on the cub, because the big tires were blanking out the elevators.

EDMO

[959 11]

Thx for all the reply's.

[Bandit 286]

Dam you Leni,you might have cost me $400 bucks telling us about those tires.

[akflyer 1427]

Just wait for the 27" to come out... that way you don't have to double damn me!

 

Truth be known, I will probly end up with a set one of these days soon as the 30" are just a little overkill for me right now with the 582.

 

 

[dynomike 91]

it sure looks great though .my wife says I have tire envy.the 27" are coming out for a 8" wheel .I would like to do a brake upgrade to at the same time.any one know what the best 8"wheel and brake combo is and where to get them?

[SuberAvid 617]

I built my 8" wheels on Douglas 8" wide wheels if you have teh KF hub already.  Jack and I talked to the Dresser dealer at teh trade show.  Those 27" tires for the 8" wheels should be a great tire for the money!  He said you will have to run them at about 11 or 12 psi since they are tubed, but will also make a tubeless one.  Still may have to use a rimlock of some kind if you want to run them down in the 4-5 psi range.

 

Thinking about it, you might have to check if these tires can be mounted on a rim that isn't two piece (the Douglas rims).

 

The are also coming out with a 30 or 31 to go on 10" rims.

[Bandit 286]

The 27" are for 8" wheels or 6"? Are the 22" for the 6" wheel.

[akflyer 1427]

Well looks like dresser is missing the boat.  By going to larger wheels, the side walls wont be so cushy.  They need to put these out for 6" wheels so everyone does not have to swap.  Why save 1000 bucks on tires when you now have to spend 3000 on wheels and brakes..  The math dont add up.  The target audience for these tires are going to be the back country crowd and most cubs and 180s etc are running 6" wheels.  I think Dresser has a marketing guy that needs his butt kicked.

 

The 850X6 "smooth tundra tire" that I liked are for 6" wheels so we should be able to run them on the Matcos.

 

[Av8r3400 1179]

Where did you see that the 27" tire is for a 8" wheel?

 

I know of no 8" real aircraft wheels on the market.  I would HIGHLY DOUBT that Desser would make a tire for an 8" wheel.

[EDMO 1078]

Why not?  They make tires for lawn tractors and wheelbarrows - that was the first "aircraft tires".

EDMO

[dynomike 91]

mcbean said it on the other site

[Av8r3400 1179]

Ed, look at their website.  They make aircraft tires, only.  You may be thinking of Carlisle Tire.   They make tires for everything, plus a ton of other stuff.

 

 

I don't understand the idea of an 8" tire marketed for airplanes.  I question his data.  The McBean post.   Here is the original press release again.  Link

 

The only 8" wheel on any airplane (that I know of) is the Kitfox-Douglas setup.  I know some of you guys like them, but I don't.  The brake setup sucks ass, the tire selection is minimal (Nancos or knobby atv), if you bend or break one - good luck finding a replacement, they aren't available to purchase as a new item, and on and on.

 

If I were tooling up a manufacturing operation to make AIRCRAFT tires, I surely wouldn't make them in 8" wheel size.  That's profit suicide.

[akflyer 1427]

Larry, I agree with you it would be profit suicide, but Randy spoke with the dresser guys at the trade show and they also told him that the 27" would be for 8" wheels.. and 31" for 10" wheels.. Hopefully the dresser guys are screwed up and giving out bad info.  I guess its possible that Jmac talked them into making the 27" for the 8" douglas but damn is that a limited market.  You can get replacement douglas wheels, but you have to drill 3 more holes in them and have the lugs welded in for the brake rotors.

 

[Av8r3400 1179]

That makes a couple of sources, now.  I stand corrected if it is so...

 

McBean would have no reason to "convince" them to do an 8" wheel.  He doesn't even sell 8" wheels.  Not on the new planes or even as a replacement part.  Even Kitfox is a very limited market for an 8" tire.  The 10" I can see, but 8"??

 

 

 

 

I don't get it.

[Bandit 286]

Ihave been wondering that myself. I asked guys that years ago. I told them to walk around Airventure and tell me how many 8" wheels you see. They looked at me like I was a dumbass.

[EDMO 1078]

Sorry,  I had the idea that Desser and Carlisle were the same, or in the same market - Thought desser only was sales of others tires.

Thanks for the info.

I agree that it sounds stupit to make tires for 8 inch wheels, for aircraft, when 99% of small planes use 6 inch wheels.

EdMO

[SuberAvid 617]

You guys are making me doubt what I heard now but I am pretty sure that was it.  Maybe Jack can confirm if I heard it correctly.  The reason given was the molding process.  The have to insert a bladder into the mold to form the inner surface of the tire and they cannot get it back out of the 6" rim.  The ABW use an old technology and hand layup process and I am not sure if he said they use a bladder that stays in the tire, but they seal it up like an innertube so it is different than a normal tire.  The GoodYear 26" blimp tires use another "old" technology with a very thin and flexible inner bladder that they can just barely get out of the 6" rim.  He said that when GoodYear wears it out, that will be the last of them.

[EDMO 1078]

Where do you get the Nanco 21" - What are they, 6" or 8" and how much weight and cost?  Tubeless, or not?

Are they good for on pavement or off, or both?

You can tell that I have never ventured past McCreary tires.  Better / Lighter than 8.50 x 6"?  But Leni says that he cant find  8.50 4ply anymore.

EDMO

Edited 14 May 2014 by Ed In Missouri