Shock mount:

[David Brady]

I'm jealous, yours sounds better. Eagerly awaiting pics. While

your down there, see if you can spot a part number on the suspension

assembly. Mine has 2270026 written on it, in big handwritten

letters. Don't go overboard looking for a number.



David Brady

'02 LXi, NC



pgchd wrote:

David,

Thank you!!!! Well that explains some of it,I can see exactly what

you, Pete and Kurt are talking about. Thats why I love all these

forums!!!! Yes I can see the issue. Now for the update..... in

thinking about this after my post, I realized indeed it is a

"manufacturer subassembly " provider chassis suspension issue not a

front axle issue. Since these things share a common chassis with the

express bus line indeed all BB did was order the suspension assembly's

for all chassis and bolt them into the frame. I actually do not have

that suspension assembly in my early 95 42'. The 3 "attach point

plates" shown in the drawing you provided the link to is actually 1-

4 foot long steel plate, very thick, spanning both air bags and in a

word forms a sub frame for the suspension components within a frame

of the entire air bag assembly and you bolt it to the frame with about

15- 20 bolts, not 3 individual plates as shown in the URL. So my

hypothesis; FWIW , which probably isn't worth much, is that sometime

in 95 the suspension sub assembly manufacturer, not BB, made and

engineering change and went from a solid 4 foot long plate subframe

(mine) to a 3 plate setup, not subframe "guessing another financial

cost saving engineering change without changing the ordering part

number" technique on the part of subassembly manufacturer not BB since

all BB does is buy the sub assembly and install. Since 2 95's have an

issue and your later one looks like this one, I can only deduce 94-

early 95 back front ends should be OK as long as they have the 4 foot

plate / subframe. Yeah, I know, next request, pictures please.... :-)

YES, as soon as I get the bus to a concrete pad and practice "safe

techniques"(currently at a gravel COE lake park), I will submit as

well, this way forum members will have both sets and will know what to

watch out for, thanks again!!!!! again just my hypothesis..... for
all

I know mine is a different assembly and part number........who
knows

when things get this old!!!! as well as this owners eyes!!!! :-)

Pete, Donna, Luckybear Chin

95 42' greater Daytona beach area



--- In "WanderlodgeForum%40yahoogroups.com",
David Brady "dmb993@..." wrote:

>

> Here's what it's supposed to look like:

>

> http://www.ridewellcorp.com/rv-ras227-steer.shtml

>

> This is a view from the street side. Notice the wimpy

> upper shock mount. Also notice the severe angle of

> the shock. This is part of the problem. To get a decent

> vertical dampening rate, the shock has to be set quite

> stiff. The dampening force in the vertical direction is

> (shock stiffness)*sin(theta), or about 0.707*(shock

> stiffness). This is also the reason that Koni won't

> provide a steer axle FSD for our BB's; they don't

> have a valve strong enough to provide the needed

> pressures.

>

> The upper shock mount on the curb side is much

> more stout as it's part of the spring perch and panhard

> rod attachment.

>

> David Brady

> '02 LXi, NC

>

> pgchd wrote:

> >

> >

> > hummm,

> > Being a "dutiful" forum member and currently OTR for the next
5

> > months, I go out at lunch and "observing safe under the bus
practices"

> > (read did NOT crawl under, used a mirror and flashlight) I
looked at

> > both upper and lower shock mounts, street and road side.
While a

> > closer inspection is needed, I cannot find any "stress
cracks". As a

> > matter of fact the road side upper mount is part of the air
bag

> > assembly and the steel plate that has a "ribbed extrusion" to
mount

> > the shock is about 4 feet long spanning the front and rear
air bags.

> > It is also of considerable thickness. So I cannot see where a
7 inch

> > crack could form and me miss it. The "extrusion" shock mount
is only

> > about 3-4 inches long as part of this plate / air bag
assembly and

> > bolted in several places to the frame.

> > I have absolute confidence that Pete and Bumpers birds
experienced

> > what is so written. So I am left with theorizing maybe they
used

> > different axles and mounts on these things?????? I know no 2
are alike

> > and a prior post said BB used different mounts?? Or not being
a heavy

> > equipment front end mechanic, I do not know what I am looking
at!!

> > (probably so)

> > So any pictures of the issues would be extremely helpful at
some point

> > for us other owners as I for one, don't know what I am
looking at or

> > for. I did see the lower mounts as Dave described and the

> > attachments,Panrods?? etc.

> > What I will offer up is my 95 was one of the first off the
line,

> > built in 12/94 for a show to debut the s60. I bought the old
boy from

> > the 86 year old original owner back in 2005 and we had a very
good

> > conversation about its history. I will also offer up when I
recently

> > had an aliment done and changed out the tie rod ends a couple
of

> > months ago, I was informed by the front end specialist I had
a Dana

> > axle 14.6klbs. He showed my the factory sticker and it
matched what

> > was on the internet. He allowed me to participate in the
alignment

> > (greased palms before had usually works) and we had a lively
debate as

> > all my blue box manuals told me I had a Rockwell front axle,
and Dang

> > if he was correct!!!!! Glad he used the Dana specs!!!!!!!!

> > My reason for this post is to see if there are different
axles in the

> > front of these year things and if the "trend" is on all or
just one

> > particular "brand? installation type" ?????

> > Pete, Donna, Luckybear Chin

> > 95 42' greater Daytona beach area and permanent hurricane
evacuees

> > since 04 and 05 when we had to evacuate 8 times in 2 seasons,
now

> > pack and leave BEFORE, come back later, or see the insurance
company

> > and full time by default!!! Now you now why we bought the
bird!

> >

> > --- In "WanderlodgeForum%40yahoogroups.com"


> > <"Wanderlodge"Forum%40yahoogroups.com>,
Pete Masterson

> > wrote:

> > >

> > > Hey, it's probably better than the "beauty mark" I
acquired from a

> > > big rock in a stupid "round about" in the center of a
narrow street.

> > >

> > > Pete Masterson

> > > '95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42

> > > El Sobrante CA

> > > aeonix1@

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > On Jun 19, 2008, at 11:04 AM, bumpersbird wrote:

> > >

> > > > Maybe your coach air and leveling system function
that way due

to no

> > > > aux. air compressor. I dunno, just a thought. You
know not all

birds

> > > > are the same. I'm sure your coach being all
electric and mine

having

> > > > propane App's. could account for some of the system
diffrences. I

> > > > know propane doesn't apply to the systems were
talking about

but an

> > > > all electric coach is diffrent than mine.

> > > >

> > > > I will keep an eye on my shock fix also. At this
stage of my

life I

> > > > don't trust anybody's craftsmanship, been bitten
too many times.

> > > >

> > > > I was just in the middle of installing the mounting
brackets

for the

> > > > extra cooling fans on the right side engine
louvered door, and I

> > > > scratched the you know what out of the paint :{)
Mad at myself for

> > > > not keeping to protocall when drilling through thin
metal.

> > > >

> > > > Oh well another beauty mark.

> > > >

> > > > Kurt Horvath

> > > > 95 PT-42 WLWB

> > > > 10AC

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > --- In "WanderlodgeForum%40yahoogroups.com"


> > <"Wanderlodge"Forum%40yahoogroups.com>,
Pete Masterson

> > > > wrote:

> > > >>

> > > >> I guess the jacks toggle the dump relay when
they're activated to

> > > >> level the coach. I do note that if I forget to
dump the

suspension

> > > >> before lowering the jacks that the coach
doesn't settle down as

> > > > much

> > > >> as when I dump first, wait a few moments, then
deploy the jacks.

> > > >> (That usually ends up leaving me way up in the
air -- and that

> > > > often

> > > >> makes the first step from the ground a real
challenge. Wife just

> > > > says

> > > >> it's good exercise for us.)

> > > >>

> > > >> Since I live some 6 to 7 hours away from CCW's
facility -- and

> > > >> because it kept looking like we were _almost_
done, I was

suckered

> > > >> into hanging around. I did have my laptop and
Internet

connection,

> > > > so

> > > >> I was able to handle some of my business and
keep in touch. I was

> > > >> also able to search for parts when their
inexperienced service

> > > > writer

> > > >> was having problems finding some of the bits
and pieces.

> > > >>

> > > >> When I first described what I wanted done over
the phone (to

a now

> > > > no-

> > > >> longer-there employee), he first said, oh,
they'd need the coach

> > > > for

> > > >> 3 weeks or so...! When I said I planned to be
on board, the time

> > > >> estimate evaporated down to "2 or 3 days"...
When I got there, he

> > > > was

> > > >> long gone and the new service writer didn't
expect me. <sigh> I

> > > >> probably should have re-confirmed the
appointment a few days

before

> > > > I

> > > >> drove down. I'd made the initial appointment
about a month before

> > > > the

> > > >> planned date to be sure they'd be ready for the
service.

> > > > Everything

> > > >> took longer to a lot longer than I would have
guessed. Some of it

> > > > was

> > > >> due to the inexperience of some of the staff
and some of it was

> > > > due

> > > >> to unanticipated issues (such as taking 2 days
to get a computer

> > > > to

> > > >> read the DDEC codes -- with the IT guy trying
different things,

> > > >> getting different computers, wires, adaptors,
calling the

software

> > > >> support folks, etc. etc.).

> > > >>

> > > >> The length of the stress crack and the shape of
the torn metal

> > > > causes

> > > >> me to believe that this was damage that was
long in coming. Had I

> > > >> known that it was a "known issue", I certainly
would have been

> > > >> checking it frequently and I may have been able
to have it

> > > > attended

> > > >> to before it was so seriously compromised. I'm
unhappy with the

> > > >> repair performed at Henderson's in that it led
me to believe that

> > > > I

> > > >> didn't have to worry, since it was fixed. So my
inspections were

> > > >> misdirected when I first heard the popping
sounds. (It didn't

help

> > > >> that it sounded like it came from the opposite
side of the coach,

> > > > but

> > > >> I now realize that was an aural distortion
caused by the

> > > > furniture,

> > > >> etc. inside.)

> > > >>

> > > >> Yeah, it really hurt to have a $250 shock
ruined, too.

> > > >>

> > > >> Pete Masterson

> > > >> '95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42

> > > >> El Sobrante CA

> > > >> aeonix1@

> > > >>

> > > >>

> > > >>

> > > >> On Jun 19, 2008, at 9:12 AM, bumpersbird wrote:

> > > >>

> > > >>> Pete & PT-42 guys,

> > > >>>

> > > >>> My left front shock mount was also torn up.
My BB guru said

it's a

> > > >>> known problem???!!!&&#@$%^&*WHAT
THE !@#$%^9)_.

> > > >>>

> > > >>> The fix, just weld it back up! What the
F@#$!

> > > >>>

> > > >>> After installing new shocks a few months
latter I replaced

all the

> > > >>> airbags. When they lifted the front end up
with jacks and the

> > > > front

> > > >>> axle was hanging with all it's weight and
no air bags

attached the

> > > >>> shock must have just pulled everything
down, ripping the mount

> > > > off the

> > > >>> frame. Of course the new Koni was toast.

> > > >>>

> > > >>> The mechanic was under the coach and I
queried him, Hey DUDE, I

> > > > think

> > > >>> you missed something here. Well it got
fixed, he was a certified

> > > >>> welder, they did add some gussetts as I
recall. I'll try to get

> > > > some

> > > >>> photo's of mine as well just to compair
notes. The work on my

> > > > coach

> > > >>> was

> > > >>> done at Prevost Nashville.

> > > >>>

> > > >>> If this is known problem. I would say
anyone with a PT-42 95

to 97

> > > >>> might want to check for a potential problem.

> > > >>>

> > > >>> Dang Pete 10 days in the parking lot! I
think I might have

rented

> > > > a

> > > >>> car

> > > >>> and gone home. I've been there to and
sometimes you think well

> > > > their

> > > >>> almost done and bang, you find something
else to get fixed.

> > > >>>

> > > >>> My coach has an air compressor although
it's not really very

> > > > good,

> > > >>> well

> > > >>> it's just loud. I can air up the bags befor
hitting the

STOW/STORE

> > > >>> button. So I either air up from Aux.
compressor of from the

engine

> > > >>> compressor before I let her down. I never
had a problem doing it

> > > > that

> > > >>> way. In my coach it doesn't matter if the
jacks are up or down

> > > > the air

> > > >>> bags will inflate or deflate on command.

> > > >>>

> > > >>> Kurt Horvath

> > > >>> 95 PT-42 WLWB

> > > >>> 10AC

> > > >>>

> > > >>>

> > > >>> ------------------------------------

> > > >>>

> > > >>> Yahoo! Groups Links

> > > >>>

> > > >>>

> > > >>>

> > > >>

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > ------------------------------------

> > > >

> > > > Yahoo! Groups Links

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> > >

> >

> >

> >

----------------------------------------------------------

> >

> > No virus found in this incoming message.

> > Checked by AVG.

> > Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 270.4.0/1508 - Release
Date:

6/18/2008 9:08 PM

> >

>

No virus found in this incoming message.

Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 270.4.0/1508 - Release Date: 6/18/2008 9:08 PM