[Bill]

You can raise or lower your tag while moving. You should not do this while going fast but at parking lot speeds, raising and lowering the tag is not an issue.

[Mark]

I can count on the fingers of one hand the occasions I needed to raise the tag for a sharp turn. Raising the tag will reduce the turn radius slightly, but over time your eyes learn what turns you can make and what you have to do to make them so raising the tag is rarely used.

Having said that however there still remains an unresolved issue with 365 tires and tearing at the decoupling groove. This is an instance when tight, low speed turns need to have the tag lifted to minimize the side forces on the tires when the steering wheel is at its left or right extreme. Lifting the tag may not be the only way to prevent tire damage, and it may not prevent tire damage at all, but it has been strongly suggested as something to do on coaches with 365 tires.

My 97 coach had the tag lifted once in my 8 1/2 years of ownership and it had a solid axle which has a greater turn radius and I still managed almost 100% of my turns. The turn I shut down a 4 lane Florida highway doesn’t count because there were no photos.

[Davy]

Another PC member and I were heading to south FL, and decided to overnight at an RV park in Wildwood FL. I made the reservation and the lady gave me specific instructions to get to the park. She said to take the LH turn lane on the 4 lane highway and turn left right into the RV park. It had just gotten dark so that did not help.

I got into the turn lane to turn left across the 2 opposite lanes and realized too late the entrance to the RV park was not across from the turn lane but was about 100 feet back down requiring me to make a 180 and not a 90 degree turn. Worse, directly blocking me from using every inch of the road plus the shoulder was a highway speed limit sign on the shoulder directly on my turn path. I was towing so I could not back up so until I got the toad unhooked and backed away from the coach the bus sat on and across two lanes of traffic. The cop arrived shortly, and was not happy, and his flashing lights caused the lookie-lookies in the opposite lanes to all but stop. Lifting the tag axle would have been a waste of time because when the nose of the bus was almost touching the speed limit sign it was just about in the middle of the windshield. Lifting the tag helps, but not that much.

Turns out the RV park lady was drunk and she never had a problem making the turn because she had a 34 foot Winnebago.

If I knew I had to make a 180 and not a 90 I would have made the turn from the fast lane giving me another 8 or 12 feet of turn radius and would have had no problem.

I have a 34 percent grade on my driveway and I have to raise and lower my coach at various points to prevent high centering and to get into the garage, plus I raise and lower the coach as necessary over my pit in the garage for various purposes and haven’t ever raised the tag. Remember, if you raise the tag for any purpose the rear of the bus will drop so you need to be absolutely sure if the rear drops it will not create an issue. Raising the tag means the rear is now only supported by the 4 drive axle air bags and not the total 6 air bags so it may not even come back to ride height depending on how your axles are loaded.

The above is in response to an email that would not work for a reply and the last paragraph addresses a statement about raising the tag axle when raising the front end.

[Art]

Jon mention 365 tires

does certain buses use them or are they an upsize

what is advantage of 365 over 315

[Chad]

To raise the tag or not raise the tag has been a raging debate for years and will probably continue throughout time, lol.

However, on a lot of the newer H3s raising the tag will not lift the tag tires off the ground, it just unloads them. This causes scuffing as well.

Kinda a Ford – Chevy debate.

Sitting back with popcorn, waiting rofl.

---

1984 96" with 8V92TA

(remodeled Liberty Coach)

Greenwood, MO

[glen]

Some newer buses are over weight on the steer axle because of all the slides, marble, and gizzmos. The solution is 365s which will handle the weight. If you put’em on the steers, you put’em on the tag too.

[Archived]

I have to disagree with Don. 365 tires will do nothing, absolutely nothing to increase the weight rating of the steer axle and most of the stated reasons for switching to them is so the tire pressures could be lower, presumably providing a better ride.

If you have a coach with 315 tires stick with them. First, they are more available. They do not have problems with tire failure as a result of tears at the decoupling groove. If the ride is better the tradeoff is the noise a 365 makes over certain conditions like expansion joints. If you have a road failure of a 365 tire availability is in some cases an issue. There is also to possbility of clearance if a 365 is on the steer axle and the air bag is compressed. It is probable the 365 will rub on the fender or wheel wheel liner.

But a 365 looks cool. If you are all about image get 365 tires on the steerr and tag. Other than that I wish I had 315 tires all around. The only problem is my coach has a 18,000 pound steer axle limit and I am at the limit so a 315 would also be at its weight limit. Not good.

While tire capacity is increased adding a 365 does not increase the axle weight limitations and if you are overweight on the steer axle your bearings, brakes, and other suspension components may be inadequate for the weight.

[Art]

I didn’t say anything about the bus being able to handle an over weight situation.

I said the 365 tire can handle the over weight situation.

[Pat]

I just wanted those who think sticking on a set of bigger tires is going to make an over axle weight OK.

It is not.