Main gear gets most of the attention, and understandably so, but the tail wheel does genuine work on every flight and deserves more attention than it usually gets.
It’s your primary ground steering on most taildraggers. A worn or loose tail wheel linkage doesn’t just cause a wobbly taxi — it directly affects take-off tracking and landing rollout control, which matters more on a crosswind day than most flyers give it credit for.
It takes real load on landing, particularly on a slightly tail-low touchdown or a three-point landing style — the tail wheel spring or mounting bracket is doing genuine shock-absorbing work, not just providing ground clearance.
Common failure points are small and easy to miss: a worn steering arm pivot, a spring that’s lost tension, or a mounting bracket that’s slowly working loose from vibration are all things that develop gradually and rarely announce themselves clearly until ground handling noticeably deteriorates.
A quick functional check is genuinely quick. With the model on the ground, gently push the rudder stick fully each way and watch the tail wheel respond — it should move smoothly, promptly, and return cleanly to centre with no noticeable play or delay. Any looseness, binding, or delayed response is worth investigating before it causes a ground-handling surprise.
Replacement is usually simple and inexpensive compared to most other gear-related items, which makes it one of the easiest maintenance wins available — there’s rarely a good reason to keep flying on a tail wheel assembly you already suspect is past its best.
Our Carbon Tailwheel bracket for 120 / 20cc models is a good illustration of the kind of fit and finish to look for.