hello again, and radius arm woes

[Buffalo SpaceShip]

Hey Bus Board brethren:

I've been gone from here for WAY too long.  I've stayed in touch with Craig, Russ, and a few others, but have had a LOT going on in life and had to make some changes in my online commitments. My wife and I bought a commercial building and business downtown in our town (Longmont, CO) last summer, and it's monopolized all of our time, energy, and $.  Likewise, we didn't take the bus out last year due to said commitments and outrageous diesel prices.

Anyways, we did go on one trip in the old Spaceship a month ago (a quick one to MN) and went up to Wyoming for a day last week. In preparing to leave on our annual trip to Iowa tomorrow, I noticed that the upper radius rod on the rear pax side is totally missing three nuts and two bolts. Its position is maybe six inches down and torqued way over to the side.  The entire axle is shifted crosswise to the pax side (actually sticking proud of the bus body) and the rear stabilizer bar is torqued.

Even worse, I had a local shop lined up to try to fix it tomorrow... but in my beginnings of repairs last night (drive up bus on rams, jack up each axle, mess with arm), I must have loosened the radius arm enough that the bus has severe driveline chatter driving down the road now (hmmmm...). I didn't even make it around the block, much less across town. I just can't risk burning up a diff or the tranny to have someone fix the radius arm.

Looks like I'm stuck either hiring a "roving" mechanic to fix it in my driveway or do the whole job myself.  Blocking the bus body is very doable (I've done it before), but moving the driveline in the right plane to make the repair leaves me scratching my head... come-along, chain and truck?

Anyone un-jacked up their axle, made the repair, and lived to tell about it?

Here's my lovely predicament.

Thanks folks!
Brian Brown
Longmont, CO USA

[gus]

Brian,

I'm not exactly sure of what I see in the photo but it appears you have two missing bolts and two missing nuts and one bolt is almost falling out. There may be more in the dark areas I can't see.

I just went throught this about a week ago with a front upper rod on my 4104. The bolts are 3/4" Grade 8, coarse thread as I remember for the rod end plates but the bracket bolts appear to be a bit smaller.

It appears to me that the rod end isn't moving in the bracket since the bolt holes seem to be very close to where they should be. I suspect that the other end of the rod is loose or a lower rod or bracket is also loose, otherwise it couldn't move as much as you say.

I think you can do this job. Roll the rear wheels up on some long 2x12"s so you can move the bus back or forward slightly with the engine if necessary to align bolt holes.. Be sure to block the suspension also. Sometimes this is a lot easier than trying to force it with a long bar. I did this with my rear rod bracket last year when two bolts fell out.

You may be able to jack up the bus body enough to move the driveline back into position but be very careful and jack only at bulkheads. Your manual will probably tell you where the safe body jacking points are.

To help getting the new bolts through the holes without destroying the threads you can grind an old bolt end to a semi-taper and hammer it into the hole just so it is even with the opposite side. then use the new bolt to drive the old one out and you won't harm the threads.vA big taper punch will help align the holes enough to drive the old bolt in first. The hardest part for me was getting the holes aligned.

[JackConrad]

We used a porta-power to align the axle when we replaced our radius rod bushings. The two rear top radius rods do more to prevent rear axle "wrap" than they do to maintain lateral alignment.  Wrap can cause a chatter but I don't think it would cause significant lateral mis-alignment. You might want to carefully check all the rerar axle suspension.  Jack

[Buffalo SpaceShip]

Thanks for the advice, folks. I'm going in! Let's see:

• block body @ engine support and front bulkhead
• jack up each side & remove wheels
• dump the airbags
• check out ALL connections
• knock out offending radius arm
• realign the axle
• reconnect arm & torque
• check torque on all other connections
• fire it up and let the hubs spin to check for chatter, etc.
• put it all back together and test drive

Sound like a plan?

Does anyone know about a Harbor Freight version of a Porta-Power?  Those thing look pretty handy to have around for doing some "heavy lifting".

Thanks all,
Brian

[Busted Knuckle]

Sound like a plan?

Does anyone know about a Harbor Freight version of a Porta-Power?  Those thing look pretty handy to have around for doing some "heavy lifting".

Thanks all,
Brian

Yes Brian it does sound like a plan!
And yes I have a "Harbor Freight version" of a porta power! It works great! It's way cool all the goofy things you can think of to use it on! :just because you can!" LOL!

By the way glad to have ya back we've missed ya!   BK 

[HighTechRedneck]

Welcome back Brian!  Glad to hear you are getting back to being able to use your bus (other than this problem).

I don't have the HF porta power, but I haven't been dissapointed by their tools yet for the limited duty cycle they will be used.  If I was using it everyday to earn a living that might be a different story.  But for occaisional use, they are cost effective and always seem to get the job done.

[Runcutter]

Brian, good to have you back.  You may also want to have a long alignment tool that may help you lever in the last fraction of an inch.

When you get a chance, you might want to post in the "should I block my bus" post, on page 1 or 2.  If I recall, you have a quality story to tell about an experience in Texas.

Arthur   

[John316]

Yup Brian. What is you blocking up the bus story?

Expiring minds want to know?

God bless,

John

[buswarrior]

That reminds me, the opposite of a porta-power pushing is a come-along pulling...

A few pieces of heavy re-bar should be set deep into the corners every busnut's new concrete pad/floor, same as the body shops do. Increases your attraction to the market looking for a shop like yours, when the time comes to sell. Without floor hooks, just another garage/driveway.

You chain up the body to one side, the axle to the other, and the come-along does the heavy work.

Running a chain from one floor hook to the other, and then chaining onto that, gives you great ability to adjust for exactly the direction of brace or pull you need.

Watching an experienced body man straighten out a bent Honda is a wonder to behold!

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[Buffalo SpaceShip]

Arghhh... I busted off an inner nut getting the last wheel off.  Any "quick and dirty" secrets to get it to budge off w/o the square head?? And I don't have a welder, unfortunately.

Thanks,
Brian

p.s. Oh, I'll look for my "trapped under the bus" saga when I get a spare moment. It's here on the BBS from like Nov. 2007.

[John316]

Thanks guy, I found it. Kinda interesting. I do know that if our bus came all of the way down (without blowing a tire ) I would still have room to finish up what I am doing, and get out .

I hope that you get her up and running soon. If you don't have a welder, why not call one out? Make sure to disconnect all of your computers on board, but then call a mobile welder. They usually aren't real expensive. Shoot, if I lived near you, I would just take my welding rig trailer, out to you place and fix you up.....Sorry but I live to far away


God bless,

John

http://www.busconversions.com/bbs/index.php?topic=2433.60

[roadrunnertex]

Brian,
To remove the 13/16" stud Blue Point Tool number BWS1316 13/16" stud remover for "Budd" wheels will do the trick every time.
jlv

[NJT 5573]

Brian,

If you twisted the head off an inner, I doubt that you could weld anything strong enough to twist the rest off. I would take a torch and start cutting right at the wheel and just take the side of the lug off for an inch or so, then twist it off with a pipe wrench. Its possible to cut the lug and not the stud because the heat won't immediately transfer to the inner, leaving the threads OK. I have had good results doing this in the past.

[Busted Knuckle]

Brian,

If you twisted the head off an inner, I doubt that you could weld anything strong enough to twist the rest off. I would take a torch and start cutting right at the wheel and just take the side of the lug off for an inch or so, then twist it off with a pipe wrench. Its possible to cut the lug and not the stud because the heat won't immediately transfer to the inner, leaving the threads OK. I have had good results doing this in the past.

Brian I agree with this method been there done that! And at worst you'll have to replace the stud!
  BK 

[Buffalo SpaceShip]

OK, I got lucky. I used some penetrating oil on the broken lug and cinched down the two inners beside it and then was able to get it off with a pipe wrench and hammer.  Whew!  Goes to show you that not over-torquing those lugs and taking the wheels off periodically is good medicine.  I have no idea why it broke to begin with. I think I must have had the angle wrong on my beast 1" impact.

OK, the bus is all blocked up and ready for some gentle axle massaging to the driver's side. Maybe 2" to move it...  Wish I had a set-up like Coachwarrior suggests with the implanted hooks/rebar.  There is a light pole on the street... wonder if anyone would see me using a come along with it?

Stay posted for pics...

Brian