Minium rating for Replacement Wheels/Tires

[Thruster87]

Hi, Just a question on replacing the standard 5"rims 1/2" axle with the following package Kings Tire 15x6.00-6 4ply, 5/8"axle ,split hub alloy rims with brakes as supplied by Steve Vette. Any ideas or views on this mod?

 

 

[Guest TOSGcentral]

A couple of points:

 

1. Watch drilling out your legs that they are not heat treated by the drilling - you cannot afford to lose a wheel on a Thruster! Suggest you spend the bucks on getting it done hot and the legs re-tempered.

 

2. The wheel set is fine but I have had several reports back of indifferent casting. Check each component carefully and carefully dress any rough spots with a fine file or emery paper.

 

3. There may also be a some set-up challenges according to your layout. Check your bushes and spacers carefully that they are doing what they are intended to do.

 

Tony

 

 

[Thruster87]

Hi Tony, What ply/speed rating and weight [of the tires] would comply with the factory spec's so as to maintain its legal trainer rego.[TST] Thank you Alan

 

 

[Guest TOSGcentral]

Hmmm! Sorry, but I have to give it you bell, book and candle as I understand the situation.

 

 

To my knowledge there is no laid down sizes, ply, types of tyres or even size or construction of wheels. They have changed so much over the years in the constant struggle to ensure that the Thruster types had the best under them that was going. You CANNOT afford to stuff a wheel on a Thruster in either take-off or landing!

 

 

You ask about compliance. Well once again to the best of my knowledge it does not exist for the Thrusters! It once did – but AUF/RAAus do not have copies of it and neither does CASA!

 

 

So you are really down to a couple of choices on information – TOSG and myself and our research on what the factories actually produced, to try and keep things kosher, or somebody’s opinion!

 

 

The wheel hubs evolved from reasonable plastic efforts that were quite good at the time but have not stood the test of (UV) time and are now lethal!

 

 

Depending upon the model the hub sizes varied greatly but were mainly sourced from the Go Kart industry. Tyres also came from that area or from the ‘ride on lawnmower’ industry. 4 ply tyres were the usual go.

 

 

My best advice to you is stick with the last wheel combination the factory produced. This was a hub with a deeply dished outside face and a flat inner face (that lends itself to taking wheel brakes) and is a go-cart hub. They are used standard on Thrusters, Drifters, a lot of the Trikes and gyrocraft. They are easily obtainable but usually have to be drilled out and dressed to take the inner tube (that most tyre outlets can source without drama).

 

 

The tyres that go on them are also (I believe) from a go-kart supply source and have broad flat treads and so give a lot of traction and ground stability. They go equally well on single and two seat Thruster models.

 

 

Personally (for training) I favoured American low pressure ride on mower tyres of much greater diameter, that take a lot out of the ‘sting’ on indifferent landings for the student and are excellent for beach work.

 

 

Aye

 

 

Tony

 

 

[Thruster87]

Thank you again for the information Tony. My concern was bought about if using a sealed strip rather then grass and how the tires would handle that, hitting the deck at around 40-50 knots as these mower/ATV tires are not speed rated. Cheers Alan

 

 

[facthunter]

HI Speed landings in thruster.

 

I would not think you would have a problem with this aspect of the tyres capability, but they race lawnmowers these days, so it shouldn't be hard to find out what is used there N..

 

 

[Guest TOSGcentral]

To my knowledge the tyres fitted to the Thruster by the factory handle bitumen quite safely.

 

But operate any tyre on bitumen and you are going to have far faster wear than on grass and you may find that you are also up for a lot of tailwheel shimmy (and consequent vibration) unless you 'tune' the geometry for the circumstance.

 

Tony.