Rocking suspension on an EFE bus.
I've been working on and off on an old EFE Hants and Dorset bus. After opening the bus up and painting the interior, as well as adding people, I wanted
to make the front axle rock, to help the bus sit nicely on uneven ground. I also wanted to add a slight turn to the wheels, which I think always makes for
a more interesting look.
The rocking mod is quite simple and I've done similar jobs on kit-built road vehicles as well.
First, the existing axle was discarded and the wheels put aside. I had to use a bit of force to get the wheels off. I then used two lengths of brass rod to solder up a cross-shaped rocker. One arm is the axle, and the other the bit that rocks! The axle ends were then sleeved in plastic rod to get a snug fit back into the wheels, with a "turn" added to each wheel by bending the ends of the rod. The other arm of the brass rod was also sleeved, to allow the rocking motion. I cut a cross-shaped rebate into the bottom of the plastic chassis and then glued the rocking arm in place with small dabs of cyano, so as not to gum everything up. Only a small rocking motion is necessary to cope with typical undulations.
And here's the proof of the pudding!
I'm not sure I'd bother doing this for a car, but with buses and lorries, I reckon it's a worthwhile touch which isn't too hard to arrange.
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