OK, this may be a stupid question but I'm just curious enough to ask. Given that tag axles do have a few downsides and the main upside is increased load capacity, and given that a conversion is never going to be carrying around 10,000lbs of passengers, and that I've frequently heard you can chain up a tag if you need to:
Has anybody removed the tag axle?
May be an odd question to ask. But why wouldn't you consider it? It goes along for the ride. It requires tires and brakes plus moving joints and suspension. If it was gone there'd be more storage space. Bus might even turn a little tighter.
Whadaya think?
Jim
A tag does not only carry more load it stabilizes the ride and drive, a bus with a chained up tag is a handful to drive,the wheel base is setup for a tag because of the overhang at the rear also,if you want a bus without a tag it's best you buy one
The only one that you can safely do it to is a GMC 4905 as they were designed to carry less of the load than the others. In some states, they were needed. Most of them are two axle jobs.You could find a factory two axle MCI.
Tags assist heavily with crosswinds as well, I wouldn't recommend it.
OK, I was just curious. Not that I'd do something like that you understand, sort of strikes me as more of a "Big Job". But I know people do a bunch of crazy stuff and I just wondered. The feedback about driving a chained tag being a handful was probably as relevant as anything.
Jim
Quote from: chessie4905 on June 03, 2018, 09:05:57 AM
The only one that you can safely do it to is a GMC 4905 as they were designed to carry less of the load than the others. In some states, they were needed. Most of them are two axle jobs.You could find a factory two axle MCI.
The 4905 didn't have a tag it was a boogie axle in front of the drive axle in the 3rd bay lol a Eagle thing but Eagle didn't lose a bay with theirs
Tags also have brakes to slow the bus down...
JC
I used to work for a company that had a snooper truck that had a tag axle. When the truck was working you would pin the tag axle up so that you could go in reverse with out damaging anything. Once you were done using the snapper application you would just unpin the tag and allow it to come back down. But leave it to the drivers to forget to pin the axle and still damage something in the system time and time again.
The work required to take a tag or bogie axle out and make it look presentable would not be worth the small amount of space you gain. I recommend not trying to re-invent a bus you don't even have yet. ::)
With all the bay space in 4905's, probably wasn't much of a bay loss. I don't think that there were many built that way Did the MCI mc-6 have a bogie? I saw one yesterday and that tire was a couple of sizes smaller.
The MCI 6 had a tag and the tires were smaller,new they covered on most of the 6's
I know I've seen a few trucks on the highway that don't lower the extra axle unless they are heavily loaded. (and then there are concrete trucks...)
Jim
Looked it over inside also, I sure wouldn't ever considering converting one with that floor setup. those roof astro lites were only angled about 15°. They were painted over. You wouldn't benefit from them as a passenger, other than glare in the eyes or to look at the sky.
Quote from: Jim Blackwood on June 03, 2018, 12:13:33 PM
I know I've seen a few trucks on the highway that don't lower the extra axle unless they are heavily loaded. (and then there are concrete trucks...)
Jim
If you look close those axles steer too on concrete trucks
My 4905 had a bogie when I bought it. Per the book, it added 5000 lbs of capacity, but weighed 2200 itself. Since I don't need the weight carrying capacity, I tore it out and built a floor. All my utilities are now in that one bay, leaving the two bigger ones free to haul essentials(or junk).
Removing a bogie isn't a bad idea. Removing a tag is a bad idea for all the reasons mentioned. I've chained my tags btw before...and the bus couldn't hardly drive straight. Never did that again.
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I'm guessing it feels like a pickup with too much of a load?
FWiW, when the 102 A2 came out, the regional transit guys didn't like 'em, they stopped long, compared to the 102 A3.
Brake wear was also higher.
The tags on the older stuff may be small weight numbers, but they are there, leaning on the road and contributing both stability and braking.
The new stuff, the tag is rated just as heavy as the steers.
Happy coaching!
Buswarrior
Chess, it's darty. Wandery
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