chassis weight

[gmcbuffalo]

Joe my rig is around the same weight, what I was wondering was what the weight of the coach that is being held up by the airbags.

Jon I have one of those jack looks like I need to go back and buy another one.

Thanks Peter I was wondering about that.

Dale How big a pad do you have on the bottom of your stands.

Greg

[garyde]

I believe 10 ton jacks should be the minimum to use because of weight unbalance as you lift. Also, I beieve hydraulic jacks should not be used for permanant or even temp support without a stationary block . I watched as a mechanic went under my coach with only the air bags llifted, he felt at ease doing this but I would not.

[dalej]

Greg, I don't have any pads on the bottom or the top, just the pipe. I'm sitting on a concrete floor. I use the air bags to jack up the bus and then set the four pipes in place and thats it.

[BrianE]

Okay Dale, how long are the pipes?

[dalej]

My back two pipe stands are 14 inches and the front two are 12 inches long

I used 3 and 1/2 inch dia. and 1/4 inch wall thickness.

[Ray Davis]

Dale,

Where exactly would you place the 4 tubes? I hope you don't mind, but I'm borrowing your signature style. I like the info you put in yours, and am trying it out.

Ray

[Jon Wehrenberg]

If there is enough interest, and we can get a set of dimensions that would be universal I can see if the factory can produce them and ship them here for pick up at the Sevierville rally.

Once I have the quantity and size info I'll get prices. They will be made of 4 X 4 X 3/16 thick steel, and I would add a larger base plate to distribut the load with gussets to the corners to add stability.

A set could have one height for the fronts and another for the rears, unless we can come up with an adjustable screw substantial enough for the weight.

Can we have an expression of interest?

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Gary, you would be amazed at how many folks will go under a bus that has been raised on its air bags. When I am under mine IN THE PIT I still put the jacks (jack down, adjusting screw fully extended) under the support point. At least that way I have a total mechanical support that cannot possibly have a hydraulic failure.

When I work on the suspension, or any part of the air system, I have two jacks under the support point, as we did when Roger and I changed air bags on our buses.

I have had my bus raised up by the Detroit/Allison dealer and like Prevost they used the four floor lifts that go under the tires with a pair of forks. Unlike Prevost the forks under the drive axle went under a single tire instead of the pair of tires. I would be scared to death that the tire would blow and the sudden shift would bring the whole thing down but they were totally unconcerned. The only thing I did although it probably didn't make a bit of difference was to dump the air from the air bags so the drive axle air bags were not totally collapsed with full air pressure like the tires were.