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Rocking suspension on an EFE bus.

Barry Ten

Entry posted by Barry Ten in S&D

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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.

 

bus.jpg.1558fbe2486e4e17f2d914e2c958d231.jpg

 

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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8 Comments

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  • RMweb Gold
Mikkel
  • RMweb Gold

That's a nice trick, Al. I'm probably being a bit thick, but how does the rocking arm move if it is fixed with cyano?

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  • RMweb Gold
Barry Ten
  • RMweb Gold

Yes, the sleeves are glued to the chassis but the wire can still rotate within them.

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marc smith

Yes Al, I think that having the wheels at an angle (even a slight one) does look a bit more interesting, giving a less out-of-the-box appearance....
Even if it could be seen as a subtle touch. Nice work sir :)

Will you occasionally reposition the bus, from time to time?

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  • RMweb Gold
Barry Ten
  • RMweb Gold
2 hours ago, marc smith said:


Will you occasionally reposition the bus, from time to time?

 

Yes, I like to move them around and on and off the layout, for variety - another reason for making the axles rock, as they can be parked anywhere handy - even on an overbridge :swoon:

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marc smith

After seeing your superb layout "L'heur Blue" and realising what the moving car added to that wonderful scene.....
I thought maybe you were also considering a similar mod to that bus @Barry Ten ;)

Edited by marc smith
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  • RMweb Gold
Barry Ten
  • RMweb Gold
1 hour ago, marc smith said:

After seeing your superb layout "L'heur Blue" and realising what the moving car added to that wonderful scene.....
I thought maybe you were also considering a similar mod to that bus @Barry Ten ;)

 

I considered it - at least with one of the lighter plastic buses - but there's no really straightforward way to get a circuit of road into

the layout without a lot of work! 

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