We were curious about the possible benefits of a Ball Bearing Tail Yoke as compared to the standard bushing type that come stock with tail the dragger RV’s. After building a few samples and doing some initial testing, the results are quite impressive.

We have determined the ball/needle bearings have made the tail wheel much easier to steer and completely eliminated the hysteresis or “stickiness” caused by the normal bushing friction. There also doesn’t seem to be any indication of “shimmy."

Currently we are testing the yoke to see how it performs in harsh conditions. Primarily, making certain the bearings can handle the loads and conditions. i.e. large cracks commonly found in taxi and runways, moisture and fine dirt/silt from unimproved surfaces. Additionally, some less than ideal landings are being performed to further abuse the complete assembly.

We would love to get some feedback from all you tail dragger drivers about this possible upgrade. If all goes well, we will have the yoke available for sale soon, in our online store. Be sure to visit JD Air Parts at JDair.com for more information and check out our other products.