BIG Bus Days Saturday 5/7/2011 and 5/14/2011

ChrisSuich · **Posted:** Mon May 16, 2011 7:43 am

JamesShort wrote:

Thanks to everyone who came out to help with bus setup.

We have external T&S plugs so the box just needs to be plugged into the pig tails and the timing heads plug into the junction box in the rear driver side of the bus including the wired display.

The old display now has the same XLR connector outside as the timing heads, so the display can use the same extension cables. This means the display can go as far away from the bus as needed or electrically possible; perhaps as far away as the finish area. :lol:

Like James said, the timing heads plug into the outside junction box, so use the convention Start on top recepticle and Finish on bottom; do the same inside the bus. RallyX folks can swap the cables outside to reverse their course.

No wires have to go through open windows and the rear A/C works! T&S team will be thrilled. The RallyX team should take advantage of this on dusty days to keep the inside clean. :wink:

Thanks again to

for your help yesterday to get the bus finished.

The new bus and trailer came together at 5pm on May 15, 2011. Enjoy!

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Mon May 16, 2011 8:07 am

Many, Many thanks to everyone that came out and helped on getting the bus stuff transferred over from the old bus. I drove it up to the tire shop where the bus will receive some new front tires. In that little short trip I noticed plenty of power, quiet ride and great steering as compared to the other bus.

As pointed out, the new bus is about a foot wider on the inside, so T&S is the job to have this year :wink:

There are still a few follow up issues to address and those can be picked up during a weekday. I would like to give extra kudos to both Chris Suich for being keeper of the bus and organizing this 2 weekend event and to Keith Strassel for the wiring genius that he is and making the bus more or less plug and play now.

I think we are now at a place where we can advertize and sell the old bus. Chris was going to take a few pics and post up on craigs list. Anyone need a rocking bus to pull your car w/?

Les Davis · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 2:04 pm **Posts:** 2059

ColinOConnell wrote:

JamesShort wrote:

Please be awarethat the floor is higher, but the roof is comparable to the old bus. This means that the rear door is even SHORTER. So please watch your head (hint hint Rodney).

If it's just for Rodney and I, the brain damage is already done. I wouldn't waste the $5 on a pool noodle.

I too have whacked my head on the door more times than I care to admit, and I'm not even all that tall, just stupid.

RichardNuss · **Posted:** Mon May 16, 2011 12:54 pm

Awesome work!

Post the craigslist ad on the forum when you get it created, so we can spread the word on other forums.

Les Davis · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 2:04 pm **Posts:** 2059

ChrisSuich wrote:

The old display now has the same XLR connector outside as the timing heads, so the display can use the same extension cables. This means the display can go as far away from the bus as needed or electrically possible; perhaps as far away as the finish area. :lol:

Now you say that my credit card is already hurting. It seems that the current Race America cabled timing displays have a distance limitation of about 100' without using a converter box to convert the data signal from RS232 to RS422 and vice versa again at the display. Using these PODs you can run up to 4000' feet, but the converter boxes and cabling start to get very pricey. I assume we would run into the same issue if we tried to run a longer cable run, the timer display is communicating a good bit more data than the timer heads are.

JamesShort · **Posted:** Mon May 16, 2011 1:34 pm

By the way, who was the last one to remove/install the rear wheels on the old bus!?!!?

No joke, I PB blastered the hell out of them and it still took a breaker bar with a, get this, 10' long cheater pipe to even get them loose enough to use the impact gun.

ChrisSuich · **Posted:** Mon May 16, 2011 2:14 pm

JamesShort wrote:

By the way, who was the last one to remove/install the rear wheels on the old bus!?!!?

No joke, I PB blastered the hell out of them and it still took a breaker bar with a, get this, 10' long cheater pipe to even get them loose enough to use the impact gun.

Most likely was Triangle Auto/Truck Repair

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Mon May 16, 2011 3:47 pm

ChrisSuich wrote:

JamesShort wrote:

By the way, who was the last one to remove/install the rear wheels on the old bus!?!!?

No joke, I PB blastered the hell out of them and it still took a breaker bar with a, get this, 10' long cheater pipe to even get them loose enough to use the impact gun.

Most likely was Triangle Auto/Truck Repair

So, we need to retorque the front wheels after the bus gets back from its new front shoes install. It was a little silly to have to literally use a 8ft breaker bar.

JamesShort · **Posted:** Mon May 16, 2011 4:29 pm

You know I spent a few minutes researching the torque value for the lug nuts and found anywhere from 100 ftlb (which we did) to 165 ftlb to 210 ftlb! Not sure which is correct.

Does anyone have a service manual for the old bus?

But regardless, the lugs on the old bus were well over 200 ftlbs

.

ChrisSuich · **Posted:** Mon May 16, 2011 9:19 pm

I drove the bus for the first time today. It still rides like a bus, but it does have better power and the a/c is great. I think we need to have the alignment checked. If you let go of the wheel, it seems like it wants to drift left. I'll let Rodney give a long trip report after NCCAR.

More to-do's
Make power connection to trailer hot all the time so solar panel can back feed and charge the bus.

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

ChrisSuich wrote:

I drove the bus for the first time today. It still rides like a bus, but it does have better power and the a/c is great. I think we need to have the alignment checked. If you let go of the wheel, it seems like it wants to drift left. I'll let Rodney give a long trip report after NCCAR.

Did you get it over 60MPH? That's where it really shines compared to the old one.

Dustin Fredrickson · **Posted:** Wed May 18, 2011 11:52 pm

ChrisSuich wrote:

I drove the bus for the first time today. It still rides like a bus, but it does have better power and the a/c is great. I think we need to have the alignment checked. If you let go of the wheel, it seems like it wants to drift left. I'll let Rodney give a long trip report after NCCAR.

More to-do's
Make power connection to trailer hot all the time so solar panel can back feed and charge the bus.

Chris, alignment was done at Cap. Ford - they even installed some sort of shims proactively. I think it has a LOT to do with the fundamental design of the steering - very very light, and WILL track with the road surface if you let go. As I've mentioned before, the bus will go where the steering wheel points - and if you let go and it tracks even the smallest amount, it will go there. I've tried to nail down a pull to one side or the other, but if you drive it long enough, I think you'll find it will go to either side depending on the surface.

All I know, the bus was fine when I turned it over to you :wink:

ColinOConnell · **Posted:** Thu May 19, 2011 1:42 am

JamesShort wrote:

the lugs on the old bus were well over 200 ftlbs

.

I don't recall a post where the old bus wheels came off.... they must have been properly torqued. :thumbsup:

ChrisSuich · **Posted:** Thu May 19, 2011 8:24 am

ColinOConnell wrote:

JamesShort wrote:

the lugs on the old bus were well over 200 ftlbs

.

I don't recall a post where the old bus wheels came off.... they must have been properly torqued. :thumbsup:

I wish I could confirm that.
I called Triangle Auto/Truck Repair to find out what they torque the lugs to.
I was disappointed (because they treat us well and seem to do good work) to hear:

Triangle Guy wrote:

"Torque?? We just go by feel with the impact wrench."

They must have one hell of a impact driver

JamesShort · **Posted:** Thu May 19, 2011 9:00 am

I say we torque them to 150 ftlbs then (most 1/2" drive go that high). I found 2-3 references to 140-165 ftlb.

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BIG Bus Days Saturday 5/7/2011 and 5/14/2011

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