BCM Community
Welcome,
Guest
. Please
login
or
register
.
1 Hour
1 Day
1 Week
1 Month
Forever
Login with username, password and session length
BCM Home
Forum
Help
Forum Rules
Search
Login
Register
BCM Community
»
Bus Discussion
»
Bus Topics ( click here for quick start! )
(Moderator:
Nick Badame Refrig/ACC
) »
stay or go tag axel
« previous
next »
Print
Pages: [
1
]
2
All
Go Down
Author
Topic: stay or go tag axel (Read 7034 times)
Lonnie time to go
Lonnie
Sr. Member
Posts: 301
Saginaw, Michgan
stay or go tag axel
«
on:
June 06, 2008, 02:53:22 PM »
1975 4905 I will be towing a car behind when I travel.
Can i get better mpg with or without the tag.
I can put tanks where the tags are or in the other storage bays I am not worried to much about
storage.
bottom line is it better to keep it for extra braking or let it go for less weight
Logged
1976 4905
JackConrad
Orange Blossom Special II
Hero Member
Posts: 4448
73' MC-8 8V71/HT740 Southwest Florida
Re: stay or go tag axel
«
Reply #1 on:
June 06, 2008, 03:12:57 PM »
Don't know abouit a GM, but on the MC-7,8,9s, the tag also makes the bus handle much better. Jack
Logged
Growing Older Is Mandatory, Growing Up Is Optional
Arcadia, Florida, When we are home
http://s682.photobucket.com/albums/vv186/OBS-JC/
roadrunnertex
Hero Member
Posts: 551
Re: stay or go tag axel
«
Reply #2 on:
June 06, 2008, 03:43:26 PM »
The retractable tag axle on a GMC 4905 Buffalo was a option.
My GM 4905 did not have the retractable tag axle from the factory.
You can remove the retractable tag axle assembly and use the 3rd baggage bin for you potable and waste water tanks
Also you will only have 2 axles on the GM coach not 3 like the other makes that have to pay toll charges for that extra axle.
The maintenance manual for the above GM coaches explain how to remove retractable the tag axle.
I would say that if it were me the retractable tag axle would be gone.
jlv
Logged
Ray D
Full Member
Posts: 203
Re: stay or go tag axel
«
Reply #3 on:
June 06, 2008, 05:53:11 PM »
But darned, they look so cool...
Ray D
Logged
Barn Owl
Roanoke, VA
Hero Member
Posts: 2082
PD4106-1063 "Wheezy Bus"
Re: stay or go tag axel
«
Reply #4 on:
June 06, 2008, 10:36:30 PM »
The short answer is to remove them, as they are not needed in a conversion.
Logged
L. Christley - W3EYE Amateur Extra
Blue Ridge Mountains, S.W. Virginia
It’s the education gained, and the ability to apply, and share, what we learn.
Have fun, be great, that way you have Great Fun!
Bob Gil
Bob Gilbreath bobgil@sbcglobal.net
Sr. Member
Posts: 400
Re: stay or go tag axel
«
Reply #5 on:
June 07, 2008, 05:59:39 AM »
Sounds like a win win deal to me.
You lose the extra weight and lose the extra cost of maintain the axle like tires and brakes and such.
Logged
Fort Worth, Texas where GOD is so close you don't even need a phone!
1968 GM Bus of unknown model 6V53 engine (aftermarket) converted with house hold items.
Had small engine fire and had no 12 volt system at time of purchase.
Coach is all 110 w 14KW diesel genrator
rv_safetyman
Hero Member
Posts: 2199
Jim Shepherd
Re: stay or go tag axel
«
Reply #6 on:
June 07, 2008, 03:12:30 PM »
Can't speak to the GMs, but I believe that most bus conversions are very close to the GVW. Many are over. While we don't have the passengers, and baggage, we have some very heavy equipment (generator, fridge, lots of water/gray/black, tons of "stuff" etc.
We had a fellow in the Eagle chapter that removed the tag and found that his axle weights were quite high compared to their ratings.
If you want to remove the tag, have the bus weighed first and see where you are and how the axles are loaded. It is a very easy to calculate how removing an axle will load the others (statically). That is a very important consideration. However, the dynamic loads are an even bigger consideration and almost impossible to calculate.
Not only do you have to be concerned about the tire and axle loadings of the remaining axles, you also need to be concerned about the impact on the structure loading.
Lastly, if you would ever be involved in an accident, you could be in deep dodo. You have removed a significant percentage of the brake capacity.
Just a few thoughts
Jim
Logged
Jim Shepherd
Evergreen, CO
’85 Eagle 10/Series 60/Eaton AutoShift 10 speed transmission
Somewhere between a tin tent and a finished product
Bus Project details:
http://beltguy.com/Bus_Project/busproject.htm
Blog:
http://rvsafetyman.blogspot.com/
pabusnut
Hero Member
Posts: 691
P8M4905A-333 former MK&O lines #731
Re: stay or go tag axel
«
Reply #7 on:
June 07, 2008, 03:34:35 PM »
I had a tag axle in my 1973 4905 when I bought it. After much consultation, I decided to remove it and build a bay floor back into that space. When you look at the gvw for the bus with the axle, it supposedly added 5K to the gvw, but weighed in at over 2200 lb, so the net gain was only 2800 lbs!
For me, it is more worthwhile to have that amount of cubic area back for my "utilities bay" than to have the extra weight capacity. I plan to do a light conversion, so I doubt I will even get close to the gvw.
As for removing the tag axle it is not difficult, but just remember that you either need to add pieces from a scrapped bus to build a floor for original design strength, or build your own. I built my own, and the only concern I have is that it might not "flex" as much as an original floor.
Steve Toomey
PAbusnut
Logged
Steve Toomey
PAbusnut
tekebird
Hero Member
Posts: 2264
Re: stay or go tag axel
«
Reply #8 on:
June 07, 2008, 05:49:51 PM »
see I would say that most conversion are much lower than gross, except for some professinal conversion which tend to get on the heavy side.
Logged
Len Silva
Hero Member
Posts: 4086
Angle Parked in a Parallel Universe
Re: stay or go tag axel
«
Reply #9 on:
June 07, 2008, 05:55:14 PM »
I think that if you are careful with the ceramic tile and granite, you will probably be OK. Wi8th today's concerns about fuel economy, weight control becomes more of a factor than it might have been in the past.
Logged
Hand Made Gifts
Ignorance is only bliss to the ignorant.
Barn Owl
Roanoke, VA
Hero Member
Posts: 2082
PD4106-1063 "Wheezy Bus"
Re: stay or go tag axel
«
Reply #10 on:
June 07, 2008, 06:20:45 PM »
One thing that needs to be mentioned again is that the tag on the 4905 was an option, and they were designed from the start to work fine without them. I believe it was more of a requirement of some state laws than an engineering issue.
Logged
L. Christley - W3EYE Amateur Extra
Blue Ridge Mountains, S.W. Virginia
It’s the education gained, and the ability to apply, and share, what we learn.
Have fun, be great, that way you have Great Fun!
4905 doc
Jr. Member
Posts: 90
Re: stay or go tag axel
«
Reply #11 on:
June 08, 2008, 04:27:57 AM »
Pull it out.
Logged
Kwajdiver
MCI-9 "Kwaj Diver"
Hero Member
Posts: 1155
Re: stay or go tag axel
«
Reply #12 on:
June 08, 2008, 10:27:53 AM »
Hummmmm, now you guys have me thinking,,,,
What is the GVW on a MCI-9 for passenger sevice? I know, my 9 weight in as some 33,700lbs.
Bill
Tampa Bay
Logged
Auburndale, Florida
MCI-9
V-6-92 Detroit, Allison 5 spd auto
Kwajalein Atoll, RMI
gus
Hero Member
Posts: 3632
Re: stay or go tag axel
«
Reply #13 on:
June 09, 2008, 11:17:19 AM »
I did the math long ago and the conversion weight is a fraction of the original with 41 passengers, luggage and freight plus the original AC equipment.
No contest.
Logged
PD4107-152
PD4104-1274
Ash Flat, AR
JackConrad
Orange Blossom Special II
Hero Member
Posts: 4448
73' MC-8 8V71/HT740 Southwest Florida
Re: stay or go tag axel
«
Reply #14 on:
June 09, 2008, 02:24:07 PM »
Bill,
The plate on our MC-8 says front axle 12,500, drive axle 22,000 and tag axle 6,000. Then list max GVW at 36,500 Jack
Logged
Growing Older Is Mandatory, Growing Up Is Optional
Arcadia, Florida, When we are home
http://s682.photobucket.com/albums/vv186/OBS-JC/
Print
Pages: [
1
]
2
All
Go Up
« previous
next »
BCM Community
»
Bus Discussion
»
Bus Topics ( click here for quick start! )
(Moderator:
Nick Badame Refrig/ACC
) »
stay or go tag axel
SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2024, SimplePortal