41',43' LXi Gross Axle Weight Ratings

[davidbrady]

In light of all the axle changes to the 41'-43' LXi Wanderlodges. I thought I'd start this thread to help folks become aware of the ratings on the LXi and to tabulate the axle ratings that are actually on our buses.

If you have a 41' or 43' LXi maybe you could tell us:

41 or 43?:
Side equipped?:
Manufacture Date:
Body Number:
Chassis Number:
GVWR:
GAWR Steer (from placard/from axle label):
GAWR Drive:
GAWR Tag:

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Here's mine:

43'
Single Slide
2002
Body Number: F132512
Chassis Number: F203022
GVWR: 52200
GAWR Steer 16000/16000
GAWR Drive: 23000
GAWR Tag: 13200

[cmillsap]

41 or 43?: 43'
Side equipped?: Yes S/S
Manufacture Date: 11/99
Body Number: F125610
Chassi Number: 89307
GVWR: 52,200
GAWR Steer (from placard/from axle label): 16,000/16,000
GAWR Drive: 23,000
GAWR Tag: 13,200

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[davidbrady]

Chuck, I didn't actually pull my numbers off my plate - my numbers are just from memory. What surprises me is the GVWR that you list. Is your GVWR actually greater than the sum of the axles?

[cmillsap]

(05-28-2013 20:52)davidmbrady Wrote:  Chuck, I didn't actually pull my numbers off my plate - my numbers are just from memory. What surprises me is the GVWR that you list. Is your GVWR actually greater than the sum of the axles?

Sorry David, that was a typo. GVWR on the data plate is 52,200.
I will go back and correct it.

[davidbrady]

Chuck, in addition to our drive axle's 25000 lb capacity, Bill Mattocks at Ridewell told me that our RADT246 tag axles are 20000 lb capacity. It's one tough beast!

[cmillsap]

(05-28-2013 22:19)davidmbrady Wrote:  Chuck, in addition to our drive axle's 25000 lb capacity, Bill Mattocks at Ridewell told me that our RADT246 tag axles are 20000 lb capacity. It's one tough beast!

Think about it! The GVWR could be(is) 61,000 lbs! That is absolutely one tough beast!!

[davidbrady]

You know Chuck, I think you're correct about the steer axle capacity upgrades on the 43'LXi. These were Blue Bird field service campaigns. There was no official NHTSA axle capacity recall.

It's interesting to note that throwing a higher capacity steer axle at an overweight problem is the cheap and easy way out. Much more difficult and much more expensive is putting the bus on a diet. But, putting the bus on a diet is without a doubt the preferred solution. Everything gets better from stopping distances to acceleration to handling to fuel mileage.

[cmillsap]

(05-29-2013 11:43)davidmbrady Wrote:  You know Chuck, I think you're correct about the steer axle capacity upgrades on the 43'LXi. These were Blue Bird field service campaigns. There was no official NHTSA axle capacity recall.

It's interesting to note that throwing a higher capacity steer axle at an overweight problem is the cheap and easy way out. Much more difficult and much more expensive is putting the bus on a diet. But, putting the bus on a diet is without a doubt the preferred solution. Everything gets better from stopping distances to acceleration to handling to fuel mileage.

Yeah, I doubt there was ever an official recall. BB probably also changed several of the steerable tag axles to a fixed tax axle. They did this to my present bus. It was built with a steerable tag and after the original owner (a Ford Dealership in FLA) had so much trouble with it not locking back into aligned position; BB replacedit it with a fixed axle.

[davidbrady]

Fascinating Chuck, more pieces to the puzzle...

Now, there were two recalls on the steerable tag, but that's all I've seen.

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It's interesting, I'm seeing more folks with a label on their Spicer/Dana steer beam axle that indicates a 14600 lb axle, but the placard above the windshield indicates a 15500 lb axle. Could be that BB uprated the capacity without changing the beam axle. Maybe they uprated the tie rod ends. Anyone have more info? Contributing to this theory is the fact that I can't find a 15500 lb axle in Spicer or Dana's current or old product lines.

There's more to rating an axle then just the I-beam, there's the hub and bearing capacity, the spindle capacity, and the tie rod capacity, and probably more.

[al perna]

David
I agree with your assessment on the axle rating, maybe we could take a measurement of the I Beam and compare these measurements to other LXI s . I do not think BB would change the sticker without first preforming the upgrade , do you ?