Tall roof raise.... Why?

[FuzzWantsABus]

Just curious if any of you with a tall raise who have experienced challenging driving afterwards have replaced your front/rear shocks? It was recommended to me in conjunction with my raise, and I'm wondering if that may at least somewhat mitigate some of the things you all are talking about. ECCB? Marc?

[CaseyBrown]

Originally Posted by FuzzWantsABus

Just curious if any of you with a tall raise who have experienced challenging driving afterwards have replaced your front/rear shocks? It was recommended to me in conjunction with my raise, and I'm wondering if that may at least somewhat mitigate some of the things you all are talking about. ECCB? Marc?

Which shocks were recommended? I fully anticipate the additional challenges of raising the center of gravity and fighting cross winds, but definitely want to minimize them. Proper shocks seems like a good place to start.

Casey

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Sounds like it would be pretty tippy.

any 'tippy-er' than a Coach which has its weight well above the axle center?


-Christopher

[cadillackid]

im also inmterested in shocks just from a driveability standard even on a stock bus.. everything ive tried upfront thus far still yields me a quite Bouncey front end.. the shocks recommended by the parts houses all seem like they dont stiffen up the ride up front much..
-Christopher

[FuzzWantsABus]

Originally Posted by CaseyBrown

Which shocks were recommended?

Originally Posted by cadillackid

im also inmterested in shocks just from a driveability standard even on a stock bus.. everything ive tried upfront thus far still yields me a quite Bouncey front end.. the shocks recommended by the parts houses all seem like they dont stiffen up the ride up front much..
-Christopher

They recommended just replacing the current shocks. Based on some of this conversation, however, I am thinking about looking into a stiffer replacement possibly. I may replace the stock ones and see how it does, I can always replace them with something different in the future. The rear ones are simple (but not easy) to replace. My intended use is full-time living, but applying more of a "base camp" type approach where I move to an area and stay there for a month or two or three before moving on to the next one. Who knows. Everybody has a plan right up until they get punched in the face-what I think is the plan now may not be the plan in the future. I'd rather do SOMETHING now, even if it turns out to be not ideal later, than do NOTHING out of analysis paralysis.

CK, I just had my whole front end redone last fall (king pins, steering linkages, steering shaft, shocks, tire rods, draglink, etc), and I don't know that it's any less "bouncy" than it was before, but mine's a FE and I didn't find it much of a problem to begin with.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by FuzzWantsABus

Just curious if any of you with a tall raise who have experienced challenging driving afterwards have replaced your front/rear shocks? It was recommended to me in conjunction with my raise, and I'm wondering if that may at least somewhat mitigate some of the things you all are talking about. ECCB? Marc?

Marc hasn't done a raise yet.
Mine was only a ten inch raise and the bus drove great. Couldn't even notice a difference.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

any 'tippy-er' than a Coach which has its weight well above the axle center?


-Christopher

yeah, coaches have wider axles and lower CG.
Part of why insurance doesn't like school buses is their axle width. They're tippy.

[Wickerness]

I’m new to this and don’t have a bus yet but I don’t think I’m raising the roof on my first one or right away. I think I should get used to driving a bus before I try driving a tall one.

[cycle61]

Originally Posted by CaseyBrown

Hi Steve,

I am 25 miles west of Yakima, around 25 miles from the summit of Chinook pass on hwy 410. Be happy to have you if your out this way.

Casey

My wife and I would definitely be interested in checking that out, we're on the other side of Chinook in Orting. Much shorter drive now, before the snows come back...

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Marc hasn't done a raise yet.
Mine was only a ten inch raise and the bus drove great. Couldn't even notice a difference.

Didn't you sell your bus right after the roof raise as an empty shell? So you really can't give the OP an accurate assessment of what the bus might drive like with the added weight of a build out. I doubt you would notice any difference in the shocks while empty, obviously that changes when you add 1000's of pounds of weight. I'm sure the taller you go the more difference it makes.

[Tango]

Biggest difference seems to be side loading from winds. Made a BIG difference in the BBAA I raised 19".

[FuzzWantsABus]

Originally Posted by Tango

Biggest difference seems to be side loading from winds. Made a BIG difference in the BBAA I raised 19".

Did you replace your shocks, Tango?

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by o1marc

Didn't you sell your bus right after the roof raise as an empty shell? So you really can't give the OP an accurate assessment of what the bus might drive like with the added weight of a build out. I doubt you would notice any difference in the shocks while empty, obviously that changes when you add 1000's of pounds of weight. I'm sure the taller you go the more difference it makes.

I know with a mild, SENSIBLE amount of roof raise the bus doesn't drive any differently.
How/where weight is added is going to matter as with ANY conversion whether or not the roof is raised.

[Tango]

As I recall (it has been quite a while now) I did stiffen the suspension. But anytime you move mass up on a bus you do two things. One, you create a different "moment arm" for centrifugal force to work with (think of a lever with a longer handle)...and two, you increase side loading for crosswind to work against.


At + 19" mine did not behave badly...but...as previously noted, there was a noticeable and significant difference in handling and the ability to resist those winds. Including those coming off 18-wheelers.

[Gdog 5651]

I raised mine 14" which was just enough to fit 36" RV windows above the upper rub rail I HAD to raise mine as my head rubbed the ceiling with no insulation 2 1/4 inches on the floor and 2'' on the ceiling would have put me in the same situation I deal with now always banging my head in my old Sport King C type although it is not built out I have driven it to see how it handles I cannot really tell the difference (I-70 @68mph during heavy traffic) before the lift and after. Gene

[FuzzWantsABus]

Originally Posted by Tango

As I recall (it has been quite a while now) I did stiffen the suspension. But anytime you move mass up on a bus you do two things. One, you create a different "moment arm" for centrifugal force to work with (think of a lever with a longer handle)...and two, you increase side loading for crosswind to work against.


At + 19" mine did not behave badly...but...as previously noted, there was a noticeable and significant difference in handling and the ability to resist those winds. Including those coming off 18-wheelers.

This makes sense and is quite helpful in understanding what I might be in for. Thanks, Tango!

[Smokey's pipe dream]

hi well im doing about the samething as casey but just the back 8 ft will be for tank space and everywheres else will be 4" floor raise and im doing a 24" roof raise because im building double slide outs in my living room this will give me a 12 x 14 living room parked plus i putting in a spiral staircase up to my full length roof deck as well but im going to lose about 3" do to vaulted tile ceilings that will be back lighted by leds plus i want to do alot of fancy crown mouldings and what not also it allows for tall pocket doors plus it just makes it so much roomier my skoolie im in now is stock hight and it sucks to be honest with you ! if you see me on the road stop for coffee or if youre in maine give me a hollah!! pull up and make your dory fast!

[Smokey's pipe dream]

plus ive driven tractor trailer and dump trucks they're tall and it don't really make that much difference as long as you're below 13' 6" most ferries allow 13' 9" so ill be fine at 12' 8" plus it doesn't make a lot of difference but some on fuel mileage i add a 12" skirt even with the door bottom down both sides mostly for cosmetic purposes makes it look more like a camper less like a school bus i use 16ga steel with a bent 1/2" lip on the bottom edge to make it ridgid and to give it a crisp look

[Smokey's pipe dream]

right its windage ore than anything a skoolie has a as stout or even more stout suspention than a big ramp truck and they haul big vans and stuff equipment all sorts of really heavy things way up high so center of gravity is alot above a skoolie for most part unless you have massive amounts of upper cabinet storage our center will stay pretty low really a 2' strip steel sheeting 30' long x 2 plus 60' 1" square tubing and a little wood isnt much added weight but i guess there would be a leverage factor maybe? other thn windage i cant see where it would be a big deal the springs are so stiff they handle like a rat in a gutter pipe anyways plus mine does 57 mph flat out lol ill keep it under control i think lol

[Smokey's pipe dream]

i was just burning up a couple brain cells lol wondering about maybe putting a sliding counter weight on a actuator or maybe acme? so you could shift it from side to side or center counter balancing it in cross winds if they were heavy maybe a water tank so you could fill it just when its windy probably a stupid idea but i think it would work in those steady line winds especially they get strong and never let up it seems