Seat platforms in older coaches (split from Re: Tire Pressure)
Maybe someone should redo an old test I thought related the tire footprint to the pressure.
May have nothing to do with it but I did this sometimes twice in the same day with customers coaches.
Took a nice piece of dry concrete that I put a water puddle on and then drove through it in a slight arc so you could see the individual tire marks.
As the tires dried out some areas across the tire would stop leaving marks before the others.
Tire tech may have changed negating what I think I saw then but if memory serves me this did work on the original unihomes with the pilots on them.
You can all laugh at me if varying the tire pressure shows nothing as maybe I am either crazy or the tech changed.
Used to show several pounds difference in the wet footprint as it dried out across the concrete.
Countless amazed customers.
Unaware of any logrimethic scale for tire pressure.
Doesn't the axle weighing at an FMCA rally use the sidewall pressure and max load to calculate the correct amount. Long ago when I asked them they told me that that was how they did it then.
Mine is 98 rear 108. Perfectly set for play suspension components can show small differences in pressure vs steering wander IMO.
Every customer noticed what I was saying then. No idea now as I still have xca-1's on my coach.
I drove so many coaches in the biz that I started to notice this trend.
Why be so precise. Directly related to my pay plan.
A coach that drove from the bottom of the steering wheel on varied road surfaces and minor cross winds sold for more profit in my experience.
My old water test may or may not work but some here might try it just for fun.
It was my way to visualize for the owners how the tire pressure calculations could actually be demonstrated visually.
I drove in ice and snow going skiing and the old hard nylon tires on used coaches would slide sometimes unless you got the tire pressure correct.
Safer to me but I was pushing the uses a lot and most customers appreciated the info.
Have not done the water test on my current coach as the pressure/load numbers have worked to my satisfaction so far as the 97 can be driven from the bottom of the wheel and with tiny corrections at the wheels edge even in some crosswinds.
Close enough for an old fanatic like me. It was my income.
Lost sales if you had to saw at the wheel to drive a coach.
The car they drove up in drove without constant steering correction
Never thought about a log scale in pressures. Possible but I have not heard of this.
On my owned vehicles Especially my 4x4 superduty with BFG oversize tires one pound difference in the tire pressure makes the truck steer slightly crookedly. I start to look at the road crowning. Over enough different cambered highways I can tell if the pressure is off. The gauge always confirms it to match my observations.
Unless their is a mechanical issue.
Our dirt bikes tires were also sensitive as one pound plus or minus caused noticeable hsndling/traction differences.
Love a current report. Maybe the radial carcasses will not show my water test like the old tires did but I think I remember it did work.
A water crossing and white concrete is what I used then.
Every customer was skeptical originally.
Fixed their steering boxes then the wheel bearings adjustment if needed then checked for ball joint wear if used then then wheel balancing pre centrimatics days then the exact pressure in the tires.
Everyone bought another coach if it drove perfectly.
The other brands next to our store did not drive a well. They were prettier but slower and wandered.
I loved being first on the one way road at Traveland usa as I could plant ideas.
Gillig bus chassis other than the spicer box realignment drove perfectly also.
Giant heim joints with upper and lower locating arms to the axle to eliminate the caster change in bumps and Koni redtops adjusted correctly made a nice driving rig on any highway
I hardly look at the tire pressures anymore. If they lose the same exactly front and rear side to side it's not as noticeable to me.
Maybe someone can drop a few pounds off one side versus the other to see if they can tell on a straight level road?
Took me 15k miles of testing till I was happy. Then replaced the steering wheel as the spokes were wrong for my hands and adjusted the non adjustable armrests on my drivers seat to match my torso.
Put a air adjustable pad on the worn bottom cushion of the seat is how and angled the seat back to change the armrest angle.
Almost had to mod the seats actual location on the floor but maxed out its really close.
If I were slightly bigger than my 6'3" it would require more mods.
I have installed for customers double power seat bases so that the seats can go left and right also. Turned 90 degrees.
Also shorter co pilot seat posts so that shorter ladies legs were not dangling in the air.
Used to be 4,6 and 8 inch bases for that reason.
Said on the coach "built especially for you" didn't it? I took it literally and custom built the entire coaches variables.
Cabinets, drawers.....everything. Big advantage over my competitors
Topic: Seat platforms in older coaches (split from Re: Tire Pressure) (Read 408 times)
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