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Old 09-06-2016, 10:12 AM   #21
Bus Geek
 
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Year: 1991
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my bus is a 7 window shorty with Air brakes...

MOST times you will have some type of warning before the spring brakes apply.. and the spring brakes on modern vehicles (70s and up) are gradual apply..

spring brakes are only rear so you can always steer the wheel.. but even blowing an air line you will likely have a few seconds or more before the wheels just lock so you can prepare..

most air brake compressors are 12-15 CFM at 90 PSI so even a pretty decent size hole in an air line can be partially if not fully made up by the compressor running constant...

if you have kids that like to run around un-strapped in the bus while travelling (Not a good idea anyway).. then dont get air brakes.. that pretty yellow handle looks inviting for any kid.. and yes it will instantly lock the rear wheels at highway speed... (no I didnt pull it in my bus)..

-Christopher

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Old 09-06-2016, 11:56 AM   #22
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Originally Posted by EastCoastCB View Post
The modern hydraulic brakes on my parents rv failed and it was a bit scary.
I certainly can't speak for RVs. God knows what they have going on. I'm talking about school buses and specifically school buses on an International chassis.

All brakes can fail. Keep them maintained.
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Old 09-06-2016, 12:33 PM   #23
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maintenance is key.
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Old 09-06-2016, 12:54 PM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EastCoastCB View Post
maintenance is key.

I agree!!! the number of vehicles out there on the road with frayed or completely rusty brake hoses and lines is quite alarming..

while air brakes have an automatic measure to apply brakes if a service brake system should fail, hydraulic brakes have a manual emergency system that can be used..

in smaller busses and in consumer vehicles that manual system is often never tested (parking brake).. as many people rely on the 'PARK' position of their transmission.. or shifting a manual tranny to "granny gear"..

with ;arger hydraulic brake vehicles and with air-brakes that system is tested with each and every time you park the vehicle as it is used to park since theres no park position on an automatic.. and a heavy vehicle may likely roll-over and engine on a manual tranny in low gear..

if your bus has a Park position on the shifter.. please still regularly use and test your parking brake.. as that mechanism may end up being the difference between life or death if a catastrophic failure occurs..

and yes MAINTAIN your brakes.. yes it may be expensive if you dont have the tools and means to work on them yourself.. however a brake inspection is not too expensive and is well-worth it..

you are in the "big leagues" now driving a bus.. and a bus with no brakes plowing into a stopped line of traffic has the potential to cause a lot of damage and injury...

keep it safe out there..
-Christopher
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Old 09-06-2016, 02:20 PM   #25
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"if your bus has a Park position on the shifter.. please still regularly use and test your parking brake.. as that mechanism may end up being the difference between life or death if a catastrophic failure occurs..."

I absolutely agree. Further, if you have an automatic that has the "P" (park) position...on buses and larger vehicles, you should never rely on Park alone to hold the vehicle on anything but billiard table flat, level ground. Always apply the mechanical (emergency/park) brake in addition to using P on the shifter. The actual "Park" pawl in the tranny is just a very small metal tab that can easily give way anytime that gravity is working against it. In fact, DOT requires a mechanical auxiliary brake on many vehicles over a certain weight. I went to great ($$$) lengths to add an old school driveline brake behind my Allison for the above reasons. The vision of being at a roadside park up in the Colorado Rockies and seeing my rig go rolling over the edge was not anything I wanted to ever have to watch.
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Old 09-07-2016, 09:04 AM   #26
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Old 09-07-2016, 09:16 AM   #27
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tango View Post
Always apply the mechanical (emergency/park) brake in addition to using P on the shifter. The actual "Park" pawl in the tranny is just a very small metal tab that can easily give way anytime that gravity is working against it.
I may be a bit ridiculous about it, but I've gotten myself into the habit of using the parking brake every time I park regardless of the vehicle. That is, unless it's a friend's vehicle which has never had the parking brake used and as such has a high probability of that parking brake seizing in the "on" position because of corrosion.

One friend had his van get away from him because the parking pawl let out on a small hill. I've also encountered at least 2 people who thought that their transmissions were broken because every time they parked on a hill it was difficult to pull the parking lever out of P and there would be a nasty clunking noise . It seems many modern folk have forgotten all about the lowly parking brake.. A funny thing, too, since I have yet to read a vehicle owner's manual that doesn't say, "Use the parking brake when parking".

On a similar note, I recently drove a new Jeep Grand Cherokee rental. Neat feature: when you put it in park on the transmission selector it automatically engages the parking brake. It also automatically turns the engine off at intersections while waiting for the green light then springs back to action once the brake pedal is released (it wasn't a hybrid). Cool...
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