OK, now don't you guys go sending personal messages behind my back, saying how dumb I am....but I gotta ax you sumpen. The bus I'm going to be looking at has the usual manual air leveling system, with four gages and their knobs, mounted near the driver. The seller is handling the estate and knows little about the operation of the bus. I don't know how the levelers operate. I assume turning the knobs will put air in the individual bags to raise the corresponding corner. When I am ready to travel, will the system automatically level itself when I move the bus, or do I need to bleed the air from the bags manually? (I'm hoping when I fool with it, it will be so painfully simple that I will feel silly for asking, but I ain't takin' no chances.) Thanks
Dennis
Great question! It may not be painfully simple, and you may need to spend some time looking at it and figuring it out.
I guess it depends on how the person who installed it chose to set it up. They may have removed the automatic levelers, in which case for driving you should probably set them about midway up from the lowest to the highest setting. If there are no records from the seller, you may have to determine how much pressure the high level is and remember it. Its also important not to inflate the bags too much, so you may need to spend some time figuring that out as well.
If they left in the automatic levelers, there should be a switch that controls a solenoid to switch between the two systems.
I saw a 4106 with something like you described. The owner said he ran at 60(+/- depending on load) psi for traveling. All the automatic ride height stuff had been disabled/ removed.
He said it rode the same. I would imagine it so since the weights weren't changing like they would in passanger service.
Oh yeah, the bags don't like riding around too low either, so before taking her for a spin, let all air out & measure the hieght - then add enough air to raise her ~4". If you can, get the corect ride height from 'da-book'.
Good Luck!
Sounds like a manual leveling system. To find the right ride height, lower all the way down, then with full air pressure carefully keep increasing till it stops at the top. Measure both the all the way down and the all the way up (any part of the body is fine nearest the axle you are working with) and then set it at 5/8 the way up. For example, if it has 6" of total travel then you set it at 3.75" up, etc.
Unlike what most think, the higher the setting, with more air in the bags will give you a smoother ride since their is more air in the bags, it will react slower. But then you risk over extending the bags or the shock absorber. I run with my air suspension 1" from the top since I have a transit that is already low. Good Luck, TomC
Hey, thanks guys! I'm printing this out and I'll take it with me. Hoping to go about the end of this week.
Dennis
Dennis,
If this is the system Red Rideout used to sell (maybe still does?) there will be 4 knobs and a toggle switch. The 4 knobs are push-pull valves. Pull to add air and push to release air (or visa-versa). The toggle switch is a shuttle valve that switched between the OEM leveling valves and the 4 knobs on the panel. The toggle switch is a manual (not electric) valve. If this type of toggle switch is not present, please disregard this post. When you start checking this out, if you have any questions, give me a call. H 863-993-3683 or C 863-444-3400 Jack