Differential Left Main Tire Wear

[edwalker]

I was out at the hangar today and had a chance to check out my plane given several owners' observations that they were seeing increased outboard left main tire wear compared with the inboard surface of the left main and right tire, as well as increased tail wheel wear. I hope those who have posted to the email thread will copy their observations to this board since it's a great place to memorialize findings and solutions.

My phoenix has about 150 hours now, but a disproportionately high number of landings given the crummy Puget Sound weather that keeps me in the pattern a lot. I do see a little bit of difference in the inner and outer surfaces, but not all that much, and had you not said anything I never would have noticed since there is a very generous amount of tread left on both sides. As has been pointed out by others, it's likely a training effect, and as landings are perfected the skill level probably removes some of the variance. I got some of my initial training in Jim's plane since mine wasn't ready, and perhaps his ship took all the early beating (sorry, Jim).

I also should point out that I seem to have gotten into an unconscious habit of favoring wheel landings and rarely plant on all three unless there is a stiff crosswind. I do recall though, in my early landings, that in order to look down the left side of the runway I had a tendency to very subtly yaw to the right a bit on touchdown as I focused on the side of the runway. A savvy CFI on a BFR two years ago beat that out of me. With the wheel landings I tend to look over the nose more, so perhaps that explains the reduced wear differential.

I don't know what to say about my tail wheel. It has a fairly smooth surface. Is that the way it is, or have I worn it down so much that all the tread is gone?!! Yikes. Never noticed.

Edited April 9, 2015 by edwalker