bigger tires for Cessna 172

[Skipping Classes]

Hello!

I am looking for a relatively easy solution to make Cessna 172 more suitable for landing at rough grass fields.

I've seen many references on the web to a heavy duty fork allowing for a bigger front tire and bigger tires for the main wheels with cowlings removed but I could not find any place where I could order such a kit.

It is also not clear if it is possible to have bigger tires for 172 while keeping the same wheels?


Any references are highly appreciated!

Kind regards

SC

[RatherBeFlying]

I landed a C-172 on a gravel runway that had some pretty fair sized pebbles; dropped the passenger, fuelled up and took off. Have also taken off from sand with four aboard and full tanks. The tires seem up to the job.

The weak point is not the nose fork -- it's the firewall.

On soft rough ground, wheel all the way back on touchdown, taxi and initial takeoff is good for the firewall;)

Operating a nosewheel into such strips, it's a good idea to ensure the strut is inflated to correct pressure to keep the prop clear. There's not much room.

[Pilot DAR]

Rather be offers good advice.

Bigger tires on the 172 will not be a benifit. If you are somewhere you're needing them, you're somewhere that non-robust nose strut should not be taken! I hate to rain on your parade, but keep the 172 to the smooth runways. Even the more powerful tricycle Cessnas struggle in the rough ground, but with more power, STOL kit, some other impromptu mods, and skilled pilots, it willl work.

Perhaps this will inspire you to the "big iron". It's a Cessna 206 I saw parked in Alaska last fall. That's not a mud flap, it's a stone flap!

http://i381.photobucket.com/albums/oo252/PilotDAR/Aircraft/IMG_0242.jpg

[B2N2]

These guys have an STC for bigger tires on a C172:
Alaska Tundra Tires (http://www.alaskatundratires.com/press.html)

[BruceRhoades]

My information is about 10 years to late, however!

I have to say that the replies "RatherBeFlying" and "Pilot DAR" have both given on the enquiry by "Skipping Classes" are incorrect.
I am a professional pilot who lands 172s on beachs every day.

The Cessna 172 (modified) is one of the very best aircraft for the job (unless you go to a Taildragger).
I have changed our main tyres to 8.00x6.00.
With this tyre size and the aircraft empty the aircraft can taxi up onto the soft sand well above the high tide line.
I will be using 8.50x6.00 on my mains next time around.

The real beauty of the 172, as opposed to a 206, is that there is so little weight on the nose wheel, therefore unless you are a very stupid pilot and not holding the column back hard there is virtually no danger of pitching the aircraft over when you hit soft sand during landing or take off roll.

However you must have large main tyres to prevent the possibility of mains bogging/ploughing....if your mains start to bog in then there is a consequent pitching moment forward which then puts far more load down on the nose wheel causing it to bog and the aircraft to pitch over....you will be upside down and have a lot of time to consider what you did wrong.

I have been operating for years with standard nose wheel.
However I intend to get an STC and convert our nose wheels to 8.00x6.00 also.
Configured like this I will be able to take off and land on very soft sand surfaces such as above the high tide line.