john smith wrote in message .. .
Part of my preflight routine on my Champ is to lift the tail and grab
the tailsprings to assure the bolts are tight. A friend had a broken
leaf spring once from landing at an unimproved strip (a harvested
cornfield).
Tailwheel maintenance is something that must not be overlooked between
annuals.
In addition to the security of the tailwheel spring bolts, you can also
check the condition of the wheel bearings, hub and axle, and pivot, lock
mechanism and bearings. Don't forget to add grease to the fitting every
couple of months.

Amen to that. Add to it: There's a small steering lock inside the
tailwheel, and if it breaks, things can get interesting. Normally, the
pilot will usually notice the lack of directional control to one side
during taxi.
This pilot's problem likely came from a sticky tailwheel steering
pivot. The Scott needs lots of care. We run two of them on Citabrias,
and they're apart every 200 hours or so, sometimes more often. There's
a steering brake within the unit that's supposed to prevent shimmy
(which it doesn't), and if dirt or water gets into it, things get
sticky. The pilot will often complain of having to hold left rudder in
cruise, a sure sign of a sticky pivot. Using right rudder on takeoff
and climb puts the wheel to the right a bit, after which the steering
springs pull the rudder to the right and necessitating left pedal in
cruise.
Too much grease thru that fitting will foul the steering lock and
make it hard to unlock to caster the wheel.

Dan