| Author |
Message |
Ed Jewett (Kristinsgrandpa) (4.224.189.1)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, July 19, 2004 - 10:03 pm: | |
Has any one removed their tag axle?
If so, do you know how much weight you removed?
I can see no advantage to having a tag axle except maybe more stability in a strong cross wind.
I've heard people say that it helps while braking.
This may be true, but dropping about 4000 lbs also would help a lot while braking.
They are not needed for the load that a converted coach carries. Not mine anyway. (Neoplan AN 340)
I've been under my coach several times an looked at the axle and hardware and it looks quite massive.
Thanks for any info.
Ed |
James Maxwell (Jmaxwell) (66.81.56.45)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, July 19, 2004 - 10:58 pm: | |
Ed: It is not un-common to find the AN340 with the tags removed. Many transit authorities did just that. I'm not familiar with the weights and load distibution of your bus, but I would advise that u know it before u remove the tag and give carefull consideration to transferring all that weight back there to the drive axle, in addition to transferring back some of the front weight, since that overhang that u create is going to act counter to the front. |
BrianMCI96A3 (65.173.87.107)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, July 19, 2004 - 11:00 pm: | |
Not being familiar with Neoplan, I do know that when MCI built the two axle 96A2 in conjunction with the three axle 96A3 the lower rear sections of the two coaches are built completely different from the axle placement to the engine angle.
MCI itself warns against removing the tag axle because the rear section of the unibody is not designed to carry the weight of the unsuspended overhang.
Neoplan might be built differently but I can't imagine that the laws of physics are any different for them.
Removing the tag axle is asking for huge headaches down the road at the very least.
Brian |
two dogs (65.179.209.104)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, July 19, 2004 - 11:09 pm: | |
please don't do that..it will screw up everything..balance,weight,stress on frame,and,if you ever get in an accident & they find out you took a complete axel assembly out,....well.... |
Henry (216.58.209.160)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, July 20, 2004 - 12:13 am: | |
I have two buses not Neoplan one tag removed one not three axle rides much better dont even like to drive two axel on rough road |
Marc Bourget (209.142.38.81)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, July 20, 2004 - 4:00 am: | |
Dear Ed
Taking the above comments a bit further and recalling info given in posts made many years ago,
Jmaxwell's advice that "u know" could quickly be ascertained, objectively, if you did the equivalent of an aircraft weight and balance. If you know the weights and placement of the different components and figured for full tanks, etc. the calculation, although lengthly, would bring you to a conclusion as to whether (er, when) you would exceed the weight limits for a single rear axle.
This requires initial axle by axle weights and the serious time investment of adding up the components. If you set up a spread sheet you can stop when you exceed the max weight for a single rear axle. You'll be seriously into the project before you come to what I will predict will be an unfavorable result, ( I predict that the figures will suggest that you do major frame mods to relocate the rear axle (and maybe the front))but, you'll get alot of the essential planning out of the way.
I wasn't being sarcastic with this comment. James, Brian, two dogs and Henry all have opinions, which I agree with. The weight and balance calculation procedure will bring to you to a factual determination that can't be argued with. You'll be better prepared for the experience and it will save you some time and $$ in the long run if you keep it in mind, which are the benefits I wish to confer upon you in addition to the comments of the others.
Onward and Upward
Marc Bourget |
John that newguy (199.232.240.16)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, July 20, 2004 - 7:34 am: | |
And if you take them out, they'll come back to haunt you.
(that's why they're called bOOoogie wheels!) |
two dogs (65.179.200.180)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, July 20, 2004 - 7:21 pm: | |
is that anything like "IF you build it they will come".... |
DrivingMissLazy (66.168.175.51)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 21, 2004 - 9:26 am: | |
Bogie axle and tag axle are not the same. Bogie is in front of the drive and tag is behind the drive axle.
Richard |
John that newguy (199.232.244.52)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 21, 2004 - 9:44 am: | |
I dunno, but after the years of driving Eagles,
a bogie's a bogie. It's just "tagging along"
for the ride in either case. |