Bus Height

[5B Steve]

   Hello,

    I was wondering, my 5B when aired up it seems to sit real high, I have looked at others buses (GM 4104 ) and it looks like it

    sets alot lower.  My question is, do I have something out of adjustment, and is there a way to lower the height?

   
    Steve 5B....
 

[Tom Y]

Steve, can you measure between the stops ( rubber to metal ). On my 5C the book calls for 3 9/16" on the rear and 3" on the front. Hope this helps.  Tom Y

[PP]

Steve, I'm not familiar with your bus model, but my Prevost sits up a lot higher than standard also. Reason being, the PO needed ground clearance to access his storage building on his property in Northern Nevada and adjusted all the height valves at the axles. I kinda like sitting up higher (throne) LOL so I've left them alone. Just me. Good luck, Will

[gus]

If you have rubber stops instead of plastic and they are old they are probably at least 1/4" shorter than when new.

[5B Steve]

   Hey guys,


   I have noticed when the bags are extended the wheel wells look like they are 8-9 inches above the tires, is this normal?

   Gus,

   I'm looking at a 1956 4104 "GREAT CONDITION" it sits so low it feels like driving a sports car, nice ride!  mine is so high it looks

  like a COE tractor.  What are you guys talking about stops?

[Ed Hackenbruch]

Also known as frame bumpers. They look like black tennis balls cut in half that stop the bus from slamming metal on metal when you hit a hard bump, and also  allow the bus to only sit so low when all of the air is out of the air bags. I just replaced all 4 on my 5A. Boy was that fun!    I don't think they had ever been replaced in the life of the bus, (42 years old) so they were a bear to get out. Broke off 2, so had to drill them out and retap the holes. You have to remove the wheels to get to them and there is not a lot of room to work on them. Had to buy a small 90 degree air drill to get in there and also had to cut some of my drill bits down to be able to fit.

[RJ]

Steve -

Ed described what the bump stops look like, but I don't know if you caught the fact they're mounted on the chassis, directly above the axles.

When the air is out of the suspension, the chassis settles onto the axles, and the bump stops take the load - which is why they flatten out over the years.

Setting the ride height (distance between the axle and the bump stop) correctly is important for a couple of reasons:

1. Proper ride characteristics and suspension travel over bumps, etc.

2. Proper driveshaft u-joint angles, for maximum driveshaft life.

FWIW & HTH. . .

[5B Steve]

    ED, RJ.

  THANKS FOR THE INFO, I'LL CHECK IT OUT AND POST WHAT I FIND!


    STEVE 5B....

[gus]

Steve,

Never measured the distance above the wheel wells on my 4104 but the distance from the tire to the body wheel cutout is about 6". This is properly measured at the rubber bumper on GMCs, don't know about MCI.

If your front and rear are both the same it is either correct or a PO has decided he wanted extra clearance.

I replaced my two front bumpers with plastic but GM bumper studs have nuts and weren't especially hard to take off.

The same guy who sold me plastic bumpers for the front sold me rubber original type for the rear?? Never did ask him why the difference but seems to me plastic would be better, they probably are nylon.