Getting info off the Forum

[gmcbuffalo]

I paid for 6 hours @ 109/hr and they struggled with disconnecting the air lines. It was 1145 PM before they were done.
I was wonder if you could just cut the 90 deg fitting off the top of the bags since they replaced them anyway? Then use your extension idea.
Greg

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Greg,

This is something EVERY POG MEMBER needs to know and understand if they have a straight steer axle bus and need to get the air bags changed.

What ML charged is insane. They should know better and the tech needs training.

Here is the front air bag replacement procedure. Before starting get a 4.5" brass or copper nipple, 1/2" pipe size and a DOT 1/2" compression fitting to 1/2" female pipe thread. This is to modify how the air line is connected to the air bag fitting.

Remove the wheel. The bus needs to be fully raised on the suspension and supported, and the axle needs to be raised enough for the wheel to be removed.

As soon as the wheel is off, lower the axle and let it hang. Reach in and cut the air hose close to the fitting at the top of the air bag. Now you can stick a wrench on the elbow fitting on top of the air bag and remove it. That should take less than 5 minutes. Remove 3 nuts using a 3/4 inch wrench (open end on top, socket on the bottom 2. Remove the large nut from the remaining fitting (1 1/8 open end I think)

Now just compress the air bag and pull it out. By now you should have a total of 30 minutes involved, including removal of the wheel.

Place the new air bag in position. Secure it with the top nuts, and jack the axle up a little to be able to fasten the bottom nuts. Tighten all nuts.

Put thread dope on the elbow and install it in the top air bag fitting. Assemble the nipple to the DOT fitting using pipe dope, hand tight, put pipe dope on the other end of the nipple and thread it into the elbow. Tighten the nipple assembly by wrenching on the DOT fitting. When tight, swing the air hose into position, cut to the length needed and insert it into the compression end of the DOT fitting and tighten.

Replace the wheel and remove the jack.

Total time one hour. I called prevost engineering about this slight modification adding the nipple and they said it was OK and that they were doing that on later model coaches so they know how to cut the time down dramatically. As an owner, when you take your coach to Volvo they should be doing repairs in the most efficient manner instead of ripping you off.

Greg, if you want to print out what I described above, go ahead and use it to argue you should have only been charged for two hours of labor. I doubt if the Volvo folks will willingly return some of your money and undoubtedly think we are a bunch of whiners, but they need to get back to being Prevost, instead of Volvo.

[garyde]

When you go to Prevost, always ask up front what the man hours are going to be. They will have a labor book for R & R for many different parts on your bus. Now, if you want to dispute those labor hours up front based upon personal experience or informed information , you have a negotiating base line.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Their labor hours for tasks such as the steer axle air bags are bogus.

If I am correct they want at least $500 per air bag replacement and that includes the cost of the air bags which I think are less than $150. Michael knows the latest prices. So that leaves $350 for labor. I admit I have it easy to do work like changing air bags because I have a 1" impact wrench to quickly remove the wheel nuts, I have stands and all sorts of jacks. I have a good selection of tools and a good place to do the work, including a pit to work on things best accessed from the underside. But so does Volvo. And unlike me who does an occasional changeout of air bags their mechanics should be so experienced they should make me look like an amatuer.

But nobody at Volvo gives a damn about the customer or the customer's wallet. So as a result I am and have been encouraging POG members to avoid going to Volvo except as a last resort and instead use our sponsors for work such as this. I shouldn't let this get under my skin, but I remember when Prevost was one of two companies that I used as a benchmark about how a customer should be treated. Those days are clearly gone. I wish there was a way we could communicate with Volvo to make them understand their labor costs are unimportant if we get the efficiencies and knowledge that those costs should encompass. Greg got neither.

[michaeldterry]

Michael knows the latest prices.

The airbag prices for my model/vintage bus as of 10/26/2010 were:

P/N 630259 (Steer & Tag Axles) = $128.13 each - Need 4 - extension = $512.52
P/N 630104 (Drive Axle...........) = $131.14 each - Need 4 - extension = $525.76

Prices shown do not include labor.

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Their labor hours for tasks such as the steer axle air bags are bogus.

If I am correct they want at least $500 per air bag replacement and that includes the cost of the air bags which I think are less than $150. Michael knows the latest prices. So that leaves $350 for labor. I admit I have it easy to do work like changing air bags because I have a 1" impact wrench to quickly remove the wheel nuts, I have stands and all sorts of jacks. I have a good selection of tools and a good place to do the work, including a pit to work on things best accessed from the underside. But so does Volvo. And unlike me who does an occasional changeout of air bags their mechanics should be so experienced they should make me look like an amatuer.

But nobody at Volvo gives a damn about the customer or the customer's wallet. So as a result I am and have been encouraging POG members to avoid going to Volvo except as a last resort and instead use our sponsors for work such as this. I shouldn't let this get under my skin, but I remember when Prevost was one of two companies that I used as a benchmark about how a customer should be treated. Those days are clearly gone. I wish there was a way we could communicate with Volvo to make them understand their labor costs are unimportant if we get the efficiencies and knowledge that those costs should encompass. Greg got neither.

Well,...... I thought Prevost was one of our sponsors too.

JIM

[Jon Wehrenberg]

The name Prevost might be on our website as a sponsor, but the attitude is Volvo.

[gmcbuffalo]

I did buy the tag bags on the way to Indio and was going to do them at home. after winning the Level 3 service I was going to have them install them. Realizing I had 20 year old bags I was easily talked into replacing the front bags, figuring that if the rear bag blow on California's I-5 I could still move, something I knew I couldn't do with a front blowout. So I turned my back and let them have my wallet. I did buy four bags for the drive axle at 20% out for a home project. They have a special on bags this month at 20% off.

Jon is the nipple extension used on the drive and tag bags?

[Jon Wehrenberg]

The installation of the rear air bags does not require any changes since they are easy to access and replace. The key to replacing those is getting at them such as removing the fender liner.