Willie van der Walt wrote: > Mount the wheels rims only and fix a straight edge on both wheels > horizontal. Make sure it is firm against the sides of each rim near the > center line. Now measure the distance between the tips of both sides of the > straight edges. With the difference in dimensions you can calculate the > angle for each side. If the undercarriage can not be adjusted manufacture an > aluminum taper wedge block.
While this method can be used to get the correct toe in (which should either be slightly inwards or zero), it doesn't account for the wheels being in line with the centerline of the airplane. Your wheels might be aligned, but not necessarily with the airplane. Using the laser as shown at http://home.hiwaay.net/~langford/kgear.html gets you the alignment with the airplane centerline, as well as multiplies the accuracy with which measurements can be made (by virtue of the extended distance at which measurements are made). I should add that all I eventually needed was two thin AN washers between the axle and bracket to get the alignment perfectly straight. A tapered shim would have been better, but a 3 cent washer works too. Mine have no toe in, just straight ahead, and I don't know how ground handling could be any better than it is now. I still haven't extended my gear leg brackets, but that'll come soon. Right now I'm in the middle of totally reorganizing my basement...your basic "Winter cleaning". I couldn't take it any more... Mark Langford, Huntsville, Alabama see KR2S project N56ML at http://home.hiwaay.net/~langford email to N56ML "at" hiwaay.net --------------------------------------------------------------
