Step Well Hardware

[Joe Cannarozzi]

I have begun to reconfigure our step well cover from under the seat coming out towards the dash to sliding towards the door.

The step has a air cylinder with a 24inch stroke and I can reuse it.

Currently the step extends on wood slides that are dovetailed together just like on the bottom of a old dining room table that has leafs.

I do not want to reuse this aspect.

I need to find the 2 pieces of c-channel and the white hard plastic rollers that attach to most current step well covers that they roll in and out on.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

If you cannot find it at McMaster Carr Supply Co. it does not exist.

They will have everything you need.

[dalej]

Joe, I have no doubt you'll find it or figure it out! :)

[Joe Cannarozzi]

There is more to this project that meets the eye.

2 Question, for the H crowd. I would like to know how far the step well cover travels from completely closed to all the way open Second, how much overhang does that first tread have from the first rise. I may be confusing. That bottom platform at the door is kind of boxed in by a larger than normal overhang on the first tread up. What is that overhang like 4 inches or something, I'm guessing.

I think the reason they may do that is to end up with that last rise closer or close enough to the door to allow the step to make it all the way to the door with x-amount of travel. Just a guess.

If I set that last rise where it will follow the stairs as they currently rise I come up about 2 or 3 inches short of that step getting all the way over to that door.

[Jeff Bayley]

Joe-

Do yourself a favor and chage the air cylinder anyway while you have it torn down. Around $100 I recall. I wasted 3 days and $4,000 at Prevost trying to let them track down an air leak. After changing out a bunch of unneeded parts ("Oh, it's still leaking but you needed those parts anyway Mr. Bayley") ......it wound up being the air cylinder you said you were going to reuse.

In my Royal, they tapped into the same air supply that allowed the bus to fall when the leaking cylinder let the air out. If yours isn't plumbed that way then your bus might not fall but it would still let air out of whatever aux tank it's tapped into.

[phorner]

Joe,

Our step well cover travels 24". At full travel, there is 6" between the edge of the cover and the inside surface of the door. The cover kind of just lines up with the far side of the passenger seat when fully deployed.

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Jeff I am going to both give it its own air and I will build it so it can be removed easier than many I have seen. Our cylinder is made of brass I bet if I tried to replace it I would end up with something cheaper. The air is regulated down to about 35 or 40 lbs if it leaks there it is pretty weak.

Paul, I talked with Chalopka yesterday and got those same measurements 24 throw and stopping short of the door by a little.

I just wanted to make sure I was not missing anything before design and wanted to try to get it to extend as close to the door as possible.

Jim also told me his Liberty does not use rollers but has a solid piece of plywood that simply slides back and fourth in an aluminum channel.

[Darrell McCarley]

JOE...........On my bus, the aluminum channel is coated with a clear plastic material for a smooth slide. You may want to check this out when you purchase the alum channel.

[dalej]

Joe, have you thought of a custom Corian piece? There are so many choices in this product. We are going to use this when we redo our front carpet area. I was just going to buy the Corian and cut, glue and finish it myself.

[Joe Cannarozzi]

There is a lot going on up there. I am also going to have to reconfigure our dash access panel and if you do not design the channel that mounts to the dash so that it can be removed you bury the blower and other things down low in there.

Originally the step control solenoid was hooked into the door air lock solenoid and so if the door was air locked the step out and visa-versa. Might leave it might give it its own power.

If I put the face of the step on a piano hinge when it opened it would flip out and give me the extra 4 inches to close the gap to the door.

Debbie is worried about the dog, who would have guessed:rolleyes:

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Dale, I have Corian and I like it!

JIM