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03-12-2016, 11:08 AM
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#1
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 253
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18" roof raise
If i want to raise my roof 18" how long do my steel supports need to be? i plan on using one eighth inch steel to do so, a box c shape. Would 6' long pieces maintain the integrity of the body? Also how many welds or rivets need to be used above the cut and below the cut? right now i am thinking of inserting below the window line.
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03-12-2016, 12:04 PM
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#2
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: The Valley - Arizona
Posts: 644
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freight-shaker (Freightliner)
Engine: Cat 3126b 250 HP
Rated Cap: Only 1 seat
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I'm not an engineer, but I think 6' pieces may raise your roof a bit more than 18"...
I would suggest for every 2 inches you raise it, add 1 inch of overlap on top and 1 inch overlap on bottom. As far as fasteners are concerned, I'd guess 1 every 3 inches in each side top and bottom.
C channel may not be the best way to go, a lot of folks on here prefer to have a fabricator make the original "hat" channel only wide enough to fit over the cut pieces.
Disclaimer - I am not a professional, so what I say is not a guide, but more of a food for thought response. I am only responsible for my own shenanigans!
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03-12-2016, 12:46 PM
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#3
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 253
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Yes that would be 4.5 feet of overlap. i have no idea what is too little or too much. because i will be cutting the sides a foot from the floor of the bus, it will have a lot more weight to support than if i cut above the windows. Also i will be replacing two of the original windows with a single window in some places , maybe even 3. Are rivets as effective as welds?
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03-12-2016, 04:45 PM
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#4
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: The Valley - Arizona
Posts: 644
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freight-shaker (Freightliner)
Engine: Cat 3126b 250 HP
Rated Cap: Only 1 seat
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IMO welds are the best way of fastening any metal, especially structural parts. There are some adhesives out there that they use on these new high rise buildings that are supposed to hold longer than the metal will last, but I am sure it is a pretty pricey item to get a hold of.
Rivets are good for the sheeting after. #1 it would match the rest of the original build, #2 if you needed to remove a sheet, grind the rivets and it comes off, welded has to be ground or cut, and those adhesives.....well your just "stuck"!
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03-12-2016, 04:56 PM
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#5
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 253
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Thanks. i dont think my welding skills are up to doing this kind of work. i was thinking of using adhesives or rivets to put things in place and then hiring someone for a day to do the welding.
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03-12-2016, 05:25 PM
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#6
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 8,462
Year: 1946
Coachwork: Chevrolet/Wayne
Chassis: 1- 1/2 ton
Engine: Cummins 4BT
Rated Cap: 15
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If the ribs are galvanized, remember to prep them by grinding off the zinc before you clamp, screw,glue, rivet everything down. If not, when you get ready to weld you likely won't be able to get to it.
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03-12-2016, 05:38 PM
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#7
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: The Valley - Arizona
Posts: 644
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freight-shaker (Freightliner)
Engine: Cat 3126b 250 HP
Rated Cap: Only 1 seat
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Good call Tango. Most people don't realize the importance of surface prep before the task.
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03-12-2016, 06:07 PM
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#8
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Virginia
Posts: 548
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pengyou
Thanks. i dont think my welding skills are up to doing this kind of work. i was thinking of using adhesives or rivets to put things in place and then hiring someone for a day to do the welding.
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Be careful not to get the adhesive in the areas to be welded either. Your best bet would be the find a welder and talk your plans over with them, then make your cuts and do your raise and clamp it securely where you want it. Have the welder come that day or as soon as possible to weld everything together. All the riveting and adhesive as a temporary fastener is wasted time and money IMHO.
Just curious, why are you cutting it down so low? Why not just cut through the window channels like most do and use the farm jack lift method shown in multiple builds here.
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03-12-2016, 08:17 PM
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#9
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Willamina, Oregon
Posts: 6,409
Coachwork: 97 Bluebird TC1000 5.9
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I think pengyou wants to be able to see out the windows without bending over. They are pretty low when you're standing inside the bus.
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03-12-2016, 08:50 PM
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#10
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 253
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Robin97396
I think pengyou wants to be able to see out the windows without bending over. They are pretty low when you're standing inside the bus.
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Yes, that was my original idea, but as I think it through, I realize how much more weight will be on the joint by going lower, how much more stress will be on the welds, etc. Time to think it through again.
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03-12-2016, 09:29 PM
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#11
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Willamina, Oregon
Posts: 6,409
Coachwork: 97 Bluebird TC1000 5.9
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Yeah, you have to take your best guess and try to keep it safe. I don't personally think it's good to change the structural integrity of the shell, although I still want some spray insulation. If I was going to raise the roof I would also do it from below the windows to get those suckers higher. If you're going to change your windows to something with more of an RV look later, you're going to take a lot of weight off the top section if you eventually remove the old windows. I think there's about 5 tons of them in most buses.
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03-12-2016, 10:32 PM
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#12
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Vacaville, Ca
Posts: 1,634
Year: 1988
Coachwork: Crown / Pusher
Engine: 8.3 Cummins
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Robin97396
Yeah, you have to take your best guess and try to keep it safe. I don't personally think it's good to change the structural integrity of the shell, although I still want some spray insulation. If I was going to raise the roof I would also do it from below the windows to get those suckers higher. If you're going to change your windows to something with more of an RV look later, you're going to take a lot of weight off the top section if you eventually remove the old windows. I think there's about 5 tons of them in most buses.
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My Windows wieghed in at 14lbs each
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03-13-2016, 12:01 AM
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#13
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Willamina, Oregon
Posts: 6,409
Coachwork: 97 Bluebird TC1000 5.9
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Ok, 5 tons might have been an exaggeration.
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