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04-05-2018, 07:42 AM
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#1
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Baltimore, MD
Posts: 64
Year: 1995
Engine: 12 valve 8.3L Cummins
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I need a Bus Detective
My bus has been sitting pretty dormant over the winter in my front yard. I was out clearing some sticks yesterday when I noticed the back of the bus looked like it had been in an accident.
The left bumper is about 3 inches down from where it used to be and the right bumper has grinder it’s way up an inch and is blocking the rear engine access panel from opening.
You can see that metal has been literally ripped apart to make this bumper move the way it did.
The only other piece of the puzzle is that I put two stabilizer jacks on the left side of the bus to help with leveling. This has been done for about 5 months. The bus has not moved in over 6 months.
How the hell did this happen!?!? We’ve had some heavy winds lately but.....racking a piece of steel?
Sasquatch?
Hoping someone can make this less of a mystery
Thanks
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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04-05-2018, 09:49 AM
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#2
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,835
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
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were your stabilizer jacks on the chassis frame of the bus or on part of the body? if the jacks were on the floor ribs or body then the body would have been holding the weight of the chassis which might cause the body mounts to bend and come apart from the chassis frame...
-Christopher
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04-05-2018, 10:15 AM
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#3
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Dawsonville, Ga.
Posts: 10,482
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Genesis
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/3060
Rated Cap: 77
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In the top pic, what is level without the jacks under it, the body or the bumper and frame?
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04-05-2018, 01:11 PM
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#4
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Chattanooga, TN
Posts: 1,413
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Thomas
Engine: CAT 3126
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My bet is along the lines of Christopher. Your jacks lifted the body off the frame on the left side. Took a while to break free, but finally did.
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04-05-2018, 01:15 PM
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#5
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Posts: 1,793
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: B3800 Short bus
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 36
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Could we get some pictures of the jack placement? That would help..
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04-05-2018, 08:18 PM
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#6
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Baltimore, MD
Posts: 64
Year: 1995
Engine: 12 valve 8.3L Cummins
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I’m going to take some pics in the morning of the jacks.
They are on the “ribs” that go across the Frame from side to side.
In the top pic the bus is what’s level, the bumper not so much.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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04-05-2018, 08:22 PM
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#7
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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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Sounds like the body channels to me. NOT where you want to lift. Frame or axles only. And do be very careful if that is where the weight is. I would hesitate to go under it in that condition. Definitely stack some really stout cribbing under the axles or frame before venturing below. Hate to say it, but it could drop further.
Best of luck pardner.
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04-05-2018, 08:23 PM
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#8
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Posts: 1,793
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: B3800 Short bus
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 36
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Ok, easy question: Are the jacks supporting the big beams (the frame rails)?
It sounds to me like the jacks may be supporting the floor cross members.
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04-05-2018, 08:24 PM
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#9
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Posts: 1,793
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: B3800 Short bus
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 36
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Look underneath on both sides in the morning.. I suspect you will see a gap above the frame rails (the big beams) on one side and no gap on the other...
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04-05-2018, 08:47 PM
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#10
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Fayetteville Arkansas
Posts: 419
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: GMC G3500 Vandura
Engine: V-8 5.7L Gas
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Looks like some local punk teenager was climbing on it!... Or your Sasquatch theory...
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04-07-2018, 09:10 AM
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#11
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Baltimore, MD
Posts: 64
Year: 1995
Engine: 12 valve 8.3L Cummins
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Mystery Solved....
As many suspected, I had mounted the scissor jacks to the floor ribs. The pressure this put on the frame over 5 months finally caused the damage you saw in the pics above.
I lowered the jacks and the bus settled almost back to where it was. Hopefully the body damage was minimal
Thanks for all the feedback!
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04-07-2018, 09:14 AM
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#12
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Posts: 1,793
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: B3800 Short bus
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 36
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I would suggest taking a close look at the clamps that hold the body to the frame. I would expect that they were bent and now are resting on top of the frame rails instead clamped under them.
Best to get that fixed.. It's serious business
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04-07-2018, 09:21 AM
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#13
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Baltimore, MD
Posts: 64
Year: 1995
Engine: 12 valve 8.3L Cummins
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Do you mean the clamps you see here?
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04-07-2018, 09:25 AM
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#14
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Posts: 1,793
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: B3800 Short bus
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 36
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Yes, that's a different style than on my Thomas, but those are holding the bus body to the frame. Are there more clamps closer to the bumper? Those are the ones I'd expect to be damaged. Look closely, because it's possible that the bolts pulled through.
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09-21-2018, 10:43 AM
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#15
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Baltimore, MD
Posts: 64
Year: 1995
Engine: 12 valve 8.3L Cummins
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I haven’t moved my jacks since the “incident” started pulling the frame apart.
I’m still confused about where these leveling jacks should be mounted. I took some pics under the bus.
Could I move this one rib closer where the floor joist seems to be properly secured to the bus frame?
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09-21-2018, 01:28 PM
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#16
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Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 243
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tango
Sounds like the body channels to me. NOT where you want to lift. Frame or axles only. And do be very careful if that is where the weight is. I would hesitate to go under it in that condition. Definitely stack some really stout cribbing under the axles or frame before venturing below. Hate to say it, but it could drop further.
Best of luck pardner.
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X2 100%. The body with its seats and all
is made to come loose in a major wreck
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09-21-2018, 04:41 PM
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#17
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Andrews,Indiana
Posts: 2,436
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: AARE
Engine: 3116 Cat 250hp
Rated Cap: Just the two of us.
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The only way to correctly do it is to attach the lift directly to the frame or possibly to a heavy angle bracket bolted to the frame.
I don't know which eaz=lift you have but, their biggest is only rated for 7500 lbs and I suspect that is for a pair which is how they are listed in the catalog. Even if it is each, if you are trying for any lift at all, your rear engine bus is way over that.
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09-22-2018, 05:36 AM
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#18
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,835
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
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I’m not sure how regular everyone do it but some of the older coach even have a pretty massive crossmember across the front a d rear .. important that it goes all way across so you don’t twist the frame when jacking.. you want the suspension in play .. you aren’t trying to lift the wheels just level the bus and stop the wobble of the driving suspension. You want your jacks outboard as close to corners as you can so I’ve seen essentially a subframe crossmember used for the jacks.
Christopher
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09-24-2018, 09:59 AM
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#19
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Baltimore, MD
Posts: 64
Year: 1995
Engine: 12 valve 8.3L Cummins
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What is considered "Frame" here? The main steel running lengthwise down the bus is too far in the middle.
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09-24-2018, 10:36 AM
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#20
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,835
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
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thats is the frame.. if you crawl under you'll see that this wjere the bus body attaches to the chassis.. the cross "members" are the floor ribs and are part of the body and not the chassis. lifting the bus from anything other than eequipment attached to the chassis will tend to separate the body from the chassis.. the body isnt designed to have the chassis hanging from it..
you can Jack the bus on its suspension around each wheel.. ie lift near the spring as that is chassis component.. not enough to pick up the wheel.. but im guessing you'll park somewhere at least somewhat level?
-Christopher
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