Tag wheels

[NJT5047]

Thanks Russ,  wondered how the duals were done.   Reckon one of those "combo" coaches would be rather rare.
Be rather rare to repair following damage or failure of the drive train.
Sure looks nice. 
JR

[Stan]

NJT5047: I converted a MC7 Combo and I just used a spacer instead of the inside wheel on the tag.There doesn't seem to a problem with parts for the drive train. A standard 3.70 differential that can be bought from a truck wrecking yard, a 740D Allison like all other buses and a 8V71N engine. The only odd thing is the angle drive that the fan is bolted to. I put new bearings and seals in it and changed from a steel fan to a plastic fan. The 'combo' is a great conversion bus. With the shortened wheelbase it will turn shorter than a MC5 35' bus.

[kyle4501]

Stan, Is the rear axle on a MC7 Combo the tag like on a PD4501? If so, I want to know more about removing one of the duals.

How did you reduce the weight carried by that axle? I thought if you reduced weight in the tag, that also reduced weight on the front, did that happen on yours?

Sure wiuld be nice to save the cost of 2 tires on mine! 

Thanks!

[Stan]

kyle4501: The tag on the combo is the rear suspension assembly out of a 4501. The proper weight distribution on a single tag tire is 66-33% so it is simple to remove the existing pressure regulator and use a  regulator with a gauge to set the tag pressure at 33% of the pressure on the drive axle bags I mounted mine in the top corner of the rear bay so that it was easy to check..  Since I had air leveling system on the bus the drive axle pressure was always visible on the gauges on the dash. I never found it necessary to change the tag pressure after the initial setup and when I weighed the axles separately the distribution was correct. The air bag beams on the drive axle and tag axle are identical and completely separate.

One other thing you have to deal with is the tag brakes. If you only have one tire on the tag you will lock up that wheel unless you put smaller brake cans on the tag.

I think you can buy Budd spacers but it is simple to torch the center out of a scrap wheel and mount the spacer with the inner nuts just as if it were a wheel.