Got my bus moving again!

[belfert]

I finally went back up to the storage yard (with keys this time!) and got my Dina bus moving again.

I'm not sure the parking brakes really were stuck.  The bus had sunk into the gravel lot over the past five or six months.  When I put the bus into reverse to try to get the brakes to break loose I happened to notice the left drive wheels spinning in the mirror.  I couldn't see the right drive wheel in the mirror.  I tried going forward and got nowhere.  Finally, I was able to drive backwards out of the hole the bus was stuck in.  The bus was only sunk in six inches or so, but enough to cause me not to be able to move.

I had put four big chocks around the wheels when I first arrived.  I then started the engine, released the parking brake, and crawled under to look at the brakes.  (Torsion suspension, not air bags!)  To me, it looked like the pads were still contacting the drums tightly so I beat on the drum a couple times with a big hammer.  That didn't seem to help so I was just about to give up and call the mobile mechanic on Tuesday.  I decided to set the brakes, pull the chocks, and trying putting it in forward/reverse again a few more times.  That is when I got the bus to move.

The bus may have just sunk into the storage lot enough to get it stuck, or maybe it was a combination of stuck brakes and being stuck in that lot that kept it from moving.  I can't believe a bus would get stuck in a 6" depression in a gravel lot.

[mc8 tin tent]

Brian
Good to hear you got out,6 mo is a long time to go busless.
I had the same thing happen when a local state park put aprox. 1/2 driveway chat over mud!!!!!!! I sank like it was quick sand ,thanks to a very good friend with a dodge 4 X 4 with a cummins it  came rite out( would have made a good dodge commercial)
  hope all go good from here on out!
  Dwayne

[Don4107]

A few minutes with a shovel would make it a bunch easier on the drive train.   Having all wheels sunk is almost like having all wheels chocked.   Put some ramps in the gravel/soil so the bus does not have to climb all them at the same time.  They, shovels, never have fit my hand well but sometimes you just have to bite the bullet.

I had a pickup stuck once with 1/2" of ice.  Water had run in around all four wheels and froze.  It was like it was chained in place.

[belfert]

A few minutes with a shovel would make it a bunch easier on the drive train.   Having all wheels sunk is almost like having all wheels chocked.   Put some ramps in the gravel/soil so the bus does not have to climb all them at the same time.  They, shovels, never have fit my hand well but sometimes you just have to bite the bullet.

I had a pickup stuck once with 1/2" of ice.  Water had run in around all four wheels and froze.  It was like it was chained in place.

I didn't have a shovel.  I also didn't realize it at first that the bus was actually stuck in 6" deep depressions.

[Buffalo SpaceShip]

Brian, glad you got her unstuck! Maybe I'll get to see her on Friday.

Back when I used to have to store our bus at a yard, I put all wheels on treated 2x12 run-up blocks to help distribute the weight and keep the tires from contacting moist ground, snow, etc.. Here's some pics of how I built mine: http://www.thefamilybus.net/projects/blocks/

Cheers,
Brian B.

[belfert]

I plan on taking the bus out to meet you on Friday.  I am also planning to take Friday off and will spend part of the afternoon installing a replacement mirror so I can safely drive the bus.