air ride height - drop?

[Tikvah]

I'd like to pull into a garage for a month or so, and the door is 11' - 6".  I'm not sure yet of my bus height, but is there an easy practical way to relieve the airbags and gain a few inches?

I don't have rooftop AC units, the only thing on my roof are some Fantastic Vents.

One chart I found online says the 102a3 is 11'-2" high, but I don't know if that is with or without air.

[eagle19952]

tires too....? may not be necessary...

http://mci102.com/mci_specifications.htm

MCI 102A3 COACH                                                                      
MCI 102A3 1985 - 1991


DIMENSIONS

Overall Length:40 ft

Overall Width:102 in

Overall Height:Approximately 11 ft  (11' 2")

Wheelbase:285 in

Approximate Vehicle Weight:27,250 lb

[Darkspeed]

Remove bump stops? as long a it did not allow the bags to be damaged...

[Tikvah]

tires too....? may not be necessary...

MCI 102A3 COACH                                                                       
MCI 102A3 1985 - 1991


DIMENSIONS

Overall Length:40 ft

Overall Width:102 in

Overall Height:Approximately 11 ft  (11' 2")

Wheelbase:285 in

Approximate Vehicle Weight:27,250 lb

Is that measured with or without air in the system?

Remove bump stops? as long a it did not allow the bags to be damaged...

I don't know what bump stops are.

[eagle19952]

don't know assume yes...http://mci102.com/mci_specifications.htm

[Darkspeed]

I don't know what bump stops are.

Bump stops are a rubber pad that is bolted to your frame just above your suspension, if the air bags are deflated your frame is sitting on your bump stops, on most vehicles they are a couple of inches tall. If airing down your airbags and airing down your tires ( within the limits of safety ) is not enough, potentially removing your bump stops would give you a few more inches as long as you were not putting your air bags in a pinch.

[Tikvah]

I'd be happy if I could air down to the bump stops.  Not remove them, but let the bus set on them.
How can I air down the bags?

[Oonrahnjay]

I'd be happy if I could air down to the bump stops.  Not remove them, but let the bus set on them.    How can I air down the bags?   

     I'm not familiar with your system, but with mine, it would only require that I remove the screw fitting for the suspension air supply into the accessory tank and put a 1/4" pipe plug into it.  The air in the bags and the rest of the system would escape and the other air components (especially brakes, compressor, etc.) would still perform as normal.
     The usual warnings about safely blocking up your coach (or doing this over a pit, etc.) apply -- if you do this, your bus body will suddenly drop.

     I'd add that you carefully measure the garage door height and consider any ramp or approach angles to the door.  If the drive up to the door and the floor inside are not perfectly level (and most driveways slope downwards a bit for rain drainage), you may find that there would be a mismatch.  Also, measure the exact clearance to the bottom edge of the door -- sometimes, some bright spark will install a door so that in the "full open" position, it still hangs down a couple of inches and blocks the full height of the door portal opening (don't ask me how I know ...)   If I were doing something like this again, I'd ask a helper to be up on a ladder or a high point at the back of the garage (or right at the side of the top of the garage door) so that they could look right along the clearance space and if something went wrong, then they could stop you before you actually hit anything.  Naturally, taking it slow and easy while you're doing this is a must.

      You do have to consider the vents on your roof.  If you snag one of them, you could do a lot of damage.  Some of us have absolutely smooth rooflines and a little oopsie would only result in a little paint scratch before

     With a nominal 4" of clearance, you'd probably be OK -- assuming that the approach and garage floor areas are reasonably flat.  I think I'd try it (slowly and carefully) before I started defeating my airbag system.  But I think that it's smart to take things slow and be really careful!

[Boomer]

We put kneeling systems on all our MC-9's due to drivers running over or leaving behind our boarding steps.  Easy to do; 2 way air switch on the dash plumbed through a QR valve to the front leveling valve.  You could install on the rear also to dump the whole bus.  If you want it to jump back up fast you need a recovery tank but it's not necessary, system air pressure raises it a little slower.

[kyle4501]

I would not advise letting air out of the tires to lower the coach - you will very likely damage the structure of the tire by flexing the side wall that much.

If the sidewall flexes too much, some of the steel cords will shear away from the rubber - then you will have a time bomb on your coach rim.

Good Luck!

[Lin]

If you remove one of the bolts holding the linkage from the height control valve to the body, the air bags will not fill or release air.  However, if you have done this and want to remove the remaining air from the bags, you could just push the valve down with a stick from the side of the bus without endangering yourself. 

A long poll positioned across the top of the bus or your roof vents will allow you to get your actual height with or without air in the bags. 

[eagle19952]

A long poll positioned across the top of the bus or your roof vents will allow you to get your actual height with or without air in the bags. 

i would add that using a 6+ foot level to your pole to facilitate measurement accuracy...ymmv etc.

[IMABUSBOY]

Another way may be to use a water level. Get a length 1/4 or 3/8" clear plastic hose and fill it with 50/50 antifreeze. Be sure to remove all air bubbles. Now you can stretch the hose across the bus. Hold one end of the hose a couple feet above the roof on one side and the fluid will equal out on the other side and show a perfect level.
If the frame or belt line is the same height around the bus, you can use this line instead of the bus roof.
Also, use the water level inside the bus.
When you're done, plug both ends of the clear hose and keep it for the next job. Remember to remove the plugs the next time you use your water level.

Works for me. Danny

[Brian Diehl]

My 96A3 is 11' 2" with air in the air bags.  With my MaxxFan closed my critical vehicle height is 11' 5".

[jackhanow]

air it up and measure it by putting a board up on the roof make sure its level and measure to the ground. allow a couple inches for safety and make sure door is all the way open. Its easier to measure on the side than the end. You may get away with using a drywall square since the body is really 96 inches wide so it would sit right in the middle and the end may be close the the arch height to the rain gutter. just an idea i got while typing this.