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Old 05-31-2019, 09:12 PM   #61
Bus Nut
 
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Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Rapid City, SD
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Year: 2001
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Chassis: CS RE
Engine: ISC 8.3 L 260 hp
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Use the air bags to lift the bus and block at that height. Dump the air out of the bags then jack up the axle and put boards under the wheels...repeat.

A jack should easily lift the weight of the tires and axle back up to the frame. It will work best if you can access your ride height valving or bypass it with a manual valve. That way your air tanks can stay pressurized when you dump the air out of the bags.

Ted

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Old 05-31-2019, 10:29 PM   #62
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Join Date: May 2016
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MarkyDee View Post
Well, good news and bad news today. I can use a bottle jack to jack from the rear of the bus enough to get another bottle jack under the jack point. Then I used the bottle jack under the jack point to get the bus up farther to put a jack stand under the rear of the bus.

That's good to hear.


Quote:
Bad news is: first, my ride-levelling valves open up and depressurize the system.

As the weight comes off the air bags, this is normal. I am assuming your air tanks still maintain pressure.
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Old 06-01-2019, 09:45 AM   #63
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Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Greenwood, Indiana
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Year: 1999
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brad_SwiftFur View Post
I am assuming your air tanks still maintain pressure.

Not according to my pressure gauges. I went from 100psi to under 50psi in a few hours while the jacks were underneath. The measurements were at the muffler tank. I didn't go to the dash to see what my main pressure gauges were reading (they measure the main aft and fore tanks).
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Old 06-01-2019, 09:55 AM   #64
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Location: Greenwood, Indiana
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Year: 1999
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JoeNesquik View Post
Maybe I’m dumb, but what about getting a different jack?

Oh, trust me, you are NOT dumb. I on the other hand....



Anyway, these are the shortest jacks I can find that have the weight lifting capacity they do. I can use the bags, but I don't have the confidence that I'd use them properly, or that I could find a flat surface (plank of wood?) that I could sandwich the bags between that could properly transfer that much weight. My jack points are barely 3"x3", and I'm looking at about 20k-30k lbs. I might be able to jack under the suspension, but I don't have the reach or the temerity to get past the suspension arms that are hanging down.
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Old 06-01-2019, 09:58 AM   #65
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Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Greenwood, Indiana
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Year: 1999
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Chassis: D45HF "Viking"
Engine: 11.1L Detroit Diesel S60
Rated Cap: 51,600
Quote:
Originally Posted by TJones View Post
Use the air bags to lift the bus and block at that height. Dump the air out of the bags then jack up the axle and put boards under the wheels...repeat.

A jack should easily lift the weight of the tires and axle back up to the frame. It will work best if you can access your ride height valving or bypass it with a manual valve. That way your air tanks can stay pressurized when you dump the air out of the bags.

Ted

That's pretty close to what I was hoping to do, but the wet ground has really complicated the matter as my bottle jacks sink. My jack stands seem to have a wide enough foot not to, but I can't get them and the bottle jacks under the same point at the same time.
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Old 06-01-2019, 03:36 PM   #66
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Join Date: May 2016
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brad_SwiftFur View Post
As the weight comes off the air bags, this is normal. I am assuming your air tanks still maintain pressure.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MarkyDee View Post
Not according to my pressure gauges. I went from 100psi to under 50psi in a few hours while the jacks were underneath. The measurements were at the muffler tank. I didn't go to the dash to see what my main pressure gauges were reading (they measure the main aft and fore tanks).

This tells me a lot. The air-ride control usually doesn't get air until the system reaches 60-80 PSI. Weight comes off the air bags, system depressurizes to "level" the system (as it is supposed to). When the air tanks leak down over a few hours (also relatively normal), the air ride valve stops getting air below that 60-80 PSI threshold and the system can (and usually does) go flat.


What you need is enough lift (either with air bags, jack, or whatever) to get some sturdy support under the bus. Since your jack is sinking in soft ground, I personally wouldn't feel comfortable under it with jackstands either unless they had some *VERY* solid ground, or plenty or boards/cribbing to make sure they don't sink as well. (Concrete is better, but at this point it is what it is.)


If you can get the tires in the air, put some 4" or 6" thick boards under them to let the tires sit on (using multiple boards to get the same thickness is fine). Try to find some boards the same width as your tires, or as close as you can.
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Old 09-10-2019, 05:40 PM   #67
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Join Date: Feb 2018
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MarkyDee View Post
I can't get anything under the wheels - at least not the way I'm doing it. What am I missing?



I did not read the whole thread, so I might be off track here.


If...
you are on dirt and the jack is too tall to fit , dig a hole and put it in it. If the jack is sinking into the ground put a bigger base under it (you should do this anyway for safety), doesn't have to be 2x12 lumber, can be 1/2" steel plate or any thing strong enough to handle the load and will fit (increasing the size of the base enough, decreases the load psi on the soil so it will not sink...10,000 lb load on a 5"x5" base = 10,000/ 25 sq in = 400 psi......10,000 lb load on a 10"x10" base = 10,000/ 100 sq in = 100 psi......distributes the load over a larger area



Technically, on dirt, it is possible to put the jack under the tire (not recommended) or any suitable part of the suspension and jack it up .... If you are going to dig under the tire, block up the vehicle first, then... dig out enough under the suspension to get in the base plate and jack plus room to operate the jack handle. Raise, block, repeat until you have the desired height. Make sure it is blocked at all times for safety.... more is better. Blocks also need large bases and don't forget to set the brakes and chock the tires. Many people die every year from vehicles falling on them. I've known 2 personally.


I saw a guy get all 4 wheels stole with out using a jack. The thief put concrete blocks under the suspension, removed the lugs, removed the cores from the air valves, loaded up and hauled ass. Probable stole the blocks he used/left too.
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