| Author | Message | ||
| Buddy Matthews (65.205.150.145)
Rating: |
I am looking at possably needing to move a bus minus engine etc. - From Nashville to Memphis. Anyone have any info on how - who - how much. Appreciate any info. Thanks Buddy | ||
| Johnny (63.159.197.17)
Rating: N/A |
The only way I can think of would be a semi wrecker--probably not cheap. | ||
| OAE Palmer (208.164.102.30) Rating: N/A |
My little brother pulled a 53 Flx out of a field in southern MN and low-boy flat bedded it back to So. Bend IN......it was more expensive that towing it with his dually crew cab Chev PU, but it was done in a day w/o any headaches! | ||
| Stephen Fessenden (Sffess) (63.27.88.220)
Rating: N/A |
I was with a wrecker driver who had to tow a Van Hool. It would have been too tall on the lowboy trailer. He said all that is necessary is to pull the axle spindle on one side (?) and tow it. The tow was going to to be 400 miles with the rear wheels down The bus was automatic. They tow a lot of buses for Allison. Check with someone who knows to verify this. | ||
| R. TERRY (205.188.200.138)
Rating: N/A |
Buddy, When I bought my GMC 3704, it needed to be towed from Wickenburg to Phoenix, 120 miles round trip. A friend of mine works at a paving company. He asked one of the drivers if he'd like to make some extra cash Saturday morning. I rode along in their lowboy, it took just under three hours and cost me $250 and a red chili burrito! What a deal! Before that, I had my 4104 towed in Michigan by a big rig towing service, hanging off the back of a Kenworth. He charged me $300 for a 30 mile one-way trip! I'd still be mad about it if it weren't for an inadvertent driving demonstration by the tow operator that had me in awe of his professional skills. The shop where he was taking the bus was fairly well hidden away in a residential area next to the freeway. At the time I had no idea where it was or how to get there, so I followed behind in the rental car. He turned off the main thoroughfare and drove for several blocks until he came to the freeway where he intended to make a right turn onto frontage road. But it was a narrow road and required a turn more than 90 degrees as it curved around with the freeway from east-bound to south-bound. NO WAY was that truck was going to make that turn, even without a tow!! He had turned on his right turn signal indicating he was turning onto that street (for my benefit, I presume). It didn't seem possible to me and I imagined seeing the side of my bus being ripped off. He stopped at the frontage road intersection, waited for some cars to pass, then turned on his flashers and slowly proceeded ahead over the bridge past frontage road. When the bus was clear of the intersection, he stopped the truck, put it in reverse and backed the bus in a left turn onto the other side of frontage road. I don't know if he was smiling or not, but he drove straight through that intersection without having to make that unnegotiable right turn. I was impressed. It still wasn't worth $300 in my book, but, damn, he was good! Try to find a guy who works for a company with a lowboy, such as a paving company, heavy rental outfit, and ask him if he'd consider a little side job for some quick cash. It worked for me. (Well, I knew somebody...but that was basically the deal.) In fact, ask the people who have the bus if they know anyone. With a little bit of footwork, you're sure to turn up someone who's hungry, or just a nice guy. (It wouldn't hurt to have a red chili burrito handy!) Good luck! RT | ||
| Peter Broadribb (Madbrit) (170.215.32.142)
Rating: N/A |
Pulling only one shaft will spin those differential gears pretty fast. I would want both axles pulled and dust covers installed and not some old bit of rag stuffed in there. Better to pull the driveshaft if possible. Keeps everything sealed up. Peter. | ||
| Steven Gibbs (12.148.43.7)
Rating: N/A |
R. Terry, That sounds like you made a trip to the Vehicle Clinic in Detroit. My wife followed me there once to take me home after I dropped off the bus. At one point she was tempted to turn around and high tail it back to the freeway. If it was the place, your term "residential area" was very generous. Steve G. | ||
| mel 4104 (208.181.100.100) Rating: N/A |
try finding a wrecker out fit that goes back and forth to these places and ask them for a back haul price, they will do it real cheap that way mainly if some big company is paying the first half. before you try towing the bus use a compressor and find all the air leaksand seal them off . or if you can cage the rear brakes that is the easy way as you must have some way of releasing the rear brakes if it is equiped with a system that applies them if no air is present. allso pull both axels and wrap the huds with duct tape and plastic garbage bag to keep out all the road dirt.then you can put a tow on it and go.. | ||
| Scott Whitney (24.205.238.126) Rating: N/A |
Just for my own curiosity, can you guys expound on what you mean by 'pull the axles'? I am picturing pulling an axle out and having the wheels flop around. But I guess you can pull an axle out, and put the wheel back on with no axle? Gee, talk about a good prank to play on your fellow busnut friend when he goes out to dinner . . . Makes the ol' hide the distributor rotor trick look like child's play. . . Scott | ||
| DaveD (216.18.113.69)
Rating: N/A |
The axles on a bus are what is know as full floating. The bearings are in the hubs, which are attached to the brake drums and are held on by a large locking nut which holds the bearings in place. The inner diameter of each bearing slides over the machined surface of each end of the axle housing (spindle). The axles are bolted to the hubs by a flange on the end of each axle and may be removed by unbolting them and pulling them out. the opposite end of each axle is splined to fit into the differential. Either a bolted-on cover or a plastic bag and tape to hold it in place is needed to keep dirt out and the oil in. (It would probably be worthwhile to find or make a metal cover to bolt in place on each hub if going any distance. | ||
| Stephen Fessenden (Sffess) (67.226.254.11)
Rating: N/A |
I retract the above post about pulling an axle. I was told by a busnut today that the towing company I cited does some unothodox things. It might work, but check with a mechanic with a bus company. He also had two buses at his business that had been damaged in towing and unloading off a lowboy. Both were poor technique by the tow driver. | ||
| DaveD (206.47.98.151)
Rating: N/A |
I saw a late model MCI being towed the other day by a large tow-truck. They must have disconnected the driveshaft; it looked like the axles were in place. The front end of the bus was lifted by a cradle which extended under the front of the bus and lifted it by the front tires. The tow truck had just pulled of Hwy 401 and when he turned to go to the truckstop near the exit, I noticed the front door wasn't latched and it swung open and closed as he made the turn. | ||
| R. TERRY (198.81.16.154)
Rating: N/A |
Steve Gibbs, As Ed McMahon used to say to Johnny Carson, "You are correct!" However, if someone were to ask me, I might not be so "generous" with a description of my one-year experience at Amos Slater's Vehicle Clinic. At the time, I thought Amos was a Bus God. He has enough diplomas on the office wall to convince most any blissfully ignorant bus novice (particularly me) of that possibility. But after three years of a steady osmosis of wisdom from this BNO bulletin board, and what knowledge I have gained from simultaneously owning 5 buses, soon to be 6, I have very little appreciation now for anything that happened while in his care. The magnitude of what a fool they took me for makes me cringe. Too bad that's what I was. RT | ||
| Buddy Matthews (65.205.150.145)
Rating: N/A |
Thanks for all the info! I have one more question regarding the axles....if there is no engine or transmission in the bus do the axles still need to be pulled? | ||
| Peter Broadribb (Madbrit) (216.67.218.41)
Rating: N/A |
No need at all. Pulling the axles just stops the transmission from being turned via the driveshaft and causing internal damage. Peter. | ||
| Bubba (162.39.206.70) Rating: N/A |
After reading all of the post above, I have a question. Instead of pulling the axles, why couldn't you just "pull the driveshaft"? To me it wouldn't be near as messy. Bubba | ||
| Peter Broadribb (Madbrit) (216.67.218.41)
Rating: N/A |
Bubba, I did suggest that a few posts back, but sometimes it can be difficult to get under the vehicle to remove it. Peter. | ||
| Buswarrior (Buswarrior) (64.229.213.243)
Rating: N/A |
Let's get a little list of issues to consider for towing. Which end of your bus can be picked up? Many of us can be picked up from either end by a modern wrecker, if done with the right truck in the right way, with the right attachments on the lift. Pick it up at the back, and no axles to worry about! Do you know where to pick it up from? The tow guy has the truck, you've got the bus, you'd better know, since they spend more time picking up trucks with full frames. Do you know where to attach in the back if you ever end up with the nose in the ditch? Especially important for the GM folks, but important for all us. Pull on the wrong thing, and the ditch will be the least of your worries! If the drives are staying down, we have to remember lubrication in everything that will stay moving once under way. Is there oil in the diff of that hangar queen you've proudly purchased, if there's no engine and tranny to worry about? Wheel bearings in oil or grease? The grease crowd can claim a win over the oil folks here, since a good quality coffee cup inserted in the axle end (usually one of the medium to large sizes) will take care of road dirt, and the grease will continue to take care of the bearing like nothing has changed. The oil crowd may have to worry about the mileage reliability of the coffee cup as it soaks up more oil... Proper axle cover plates would be nice, but as before, the tow guy has the truck, you have the open axle ends, do you have something suitable to deal with the open axle end? Duct tape doesn't like oil, and you'll have covered the axle end with oil when the axles came out. The popular method for removing the axles is to loosen off the fasteners (behind the nuts, there are washers and cones, most likely seized in there. Leave the nuts on out at the ends of the studs and don't lose anything in the gravel!) At this point, wail on the axle end with the biggest sledge hammer available, attempting to drive the axle clear through to other side. Yes, there are the fancy pullers, but tow guy won't have one. A little shocking the first time you see it done, especially if it's your own bus! The axle will bounce out under the beating, freeing up the siezed fasteners. Remove all the fasteners and then slide out the axle easily by hand. (well, it is a big chunk of heavy metal, but no tools or force will be needed, everything's relative, right?) Do you have a fresh axle seal on hand? A little more emphasis for the oil folks, than the grease folks. Old one may not seal up after the abuse of removal and re-install. Or a tube of suitable gasket goop to tide you over. Not the best, but better than leaking oil, or stocking yet more probably never to be used spare parts! Remove both axles. Tow guy may be lazy and doesn't care about your diff the way you do. Many of our tows are not planned events, so disconnecting the drive shaft at the side of the road is not easily or practically accomplished, however it is an option, if conditions allow, and you want to mess with the joints. If your tow is for DOT reasons, and not break down, don't fool around idling the coach and leaving it in neutral. This isn't your toad. Depending on your tranny and its vintage, manufacturer speaks strongly against free-wheeling. Pull the axles, it's no big deal, just keep the dirt out. Beware of the tow guy who services your large metropolitan transit fleet: He may be the consumate professional, or he may have taken on a flat rate contract price in which he makes no money, but prevents his competitors from entering the market. He picks up and drops the buses as fast as possible, and no one important in the large transit company ever hears that he's been damaging the buses with his "techniques". Tow guy's employees may only know how to wreck buses, and may not know how to treat them right. Plan ahead: If you call ahead, any responsible tow company should love for you to drop by so they can help you check your coach ahead of time so you know what can and can't be done in the way of towing, lifting and tugging. They may belong to an association that has a telephone list and areas and services offered. Cross reference with your ERS, and you're a good boy scout: Be prepared! happy coaching! buswarrior | ||
| RJ Long (Rjlong) (24.127.8.58)
Rating: N/A |
Excellent post, Buswarrior!! 8^) RJ | ||
| john wood (206.252.234.29)
Rating: N/A |
A drill and two small chunks of plywood make a great cover for the missing axle in a pinch. Cut up a plastic margerine tub for a gasket, altho the wood will probably suffice. Probably only need 3 or 4 bolts to hold in place. I like using my imagination in situations where you get stuck. It is amazing what you can do with what is on hand if imaginative. jw | ||
| George Webber (209.132.90.57) Rating: N/A |
Back in '68 I burned up the ring and pinion (hot enough to turn the old grease packed on the diff to a smoke bomb) on the second drive axle of my truck. I was half way down the Grapevine trying to drop an overweight load (with overweight permit!)in LA. I pulled the axles, cut a chunk off the mud flaps, pounded the rubber over the studs, put the nuts back on and delivered my load. I picked up a return load (light one) and headed the 600 miles north to home. It worked fine, the grease stayed in, wheel bearings were well lubed and no dirt got in. George Webber |
