Make My Bus Fit In The Garage!

[Mr Blotto]

When I first got my westy, it had old cofap shocks all the way around and they were shot. I then put on the KYB combo (GR-2 & Gas adjusts), and I swear the bus got about 1-2" taller. This was about 7 or 8 years ago, but could I have been dreaming this? Anyone with a different set of shocks on their late westy willing to measure how tall their bus is?

I am still having to let the air out of my tires to get in/out of my garage, and its getting old (and is going to ruin my tires). Perhaps a different brand of shocks would give me the 1" that I need!

[Amskeptic]

When I first got my westy, it had old cofap shocks all the way around and they were shot. I then put on the KYB combo (GR-2 & Gas adjusts), and I swear the bus got about 1-2" taller. This was about 7 or 8 years ago, but could I have been dreaming this? Anyone with a different set of shocks on their late westy willing to measure how tall their bus is?

I am still having to let the air out of my tires to get in/out of my garage, and its getting old (and is going to ruin my tires). Perhaps a different brand of shocks would give me the 1" that I need!

Gas-charged shocks do increase the ride height a little bit. Regular old hydraulics do not. Good tires will not be ruined by silliness as long as you re-inflate them right away. The sidewalls see much nastier action on certain potholes and railroad crossings at speed.

The garage is the problem. Get your portable saw out and hack out the header beams. Now sister in some higher replacements . . . quick.
Colin

[Mr Blotto]

Thanks for the reply Colin. I do reinflate as soon as I get it in / pull it out, but I cringe everytime I do it. I have Vanco 8s (stiff sidewalls) and I feel that I am destroying them (and my clutch) everytime I do it. I also considered getting 500 pounds of ballast (50# bags of sand, weight lifting plates, etc.) and loading up the front and rear of the bus to see if it would lower it enough.

Regarding the garage, all I need is 1.2-2" more clearance. My garage measure 22'x22'. The header situated above the garage door runs the entire lenth of the garage (22') and consists of 2, 2"x12" pieces that are bolted togther every 2-feet. From my uneducated mind, it looks a bit over-engineered to me. I have always wondered if I could cut away 2" from the bottom with no ill-effects. Every carpenter I ask says not to do it, but every non-carpeter says go for it.

[Amskeptic]

if I could cut away 2" from the bottom with no ill-effects. . . .

legend:
Original Beams ______
Sister beam ________
Hacked-out 2" Space ...........


......._____________________________________________________........
_________________________________________________________________
______________|...................................................|_________________

^

[Mr Blotto]

if I could cut away 2" from the bottom with no ill-effects. . . .

legend:
Original Beams ______
Sister beam ________
Hacked-out 2" Space ...........


......._____________________________________________________........
_________________________________________________________________
______________|...................................................|_________________

^

Hmmm.....so you think this might work? How would I tie the "sister" beam to the "original" beam? Sorry this is straying off of a technical thread

[poptop tom]

You would have to unbolt the existing bolts, add the new support up top, And then drill new pilots holes to add your newly purchased, longer bolts.

Then sawz-all out the section below!

[Amskeptic]

You would have to unbolt the existing bolts, add the new support up top, And then drill new pilots holes to add your newly purchased, longer bolts (and broader thicker washers!).

Then sawz-all out the section below!

(See Above Edit in red)
Colin

[Mr Blotto]

Thanks guys - I will check, but I am not sure I have too much room above the existing header to fool with.

How about a bus with 13" wheels??

[SlowLane]

So is the bottom of the header exposed, or is there a fascia trim piece underneath it hiding the inelegent framing? If there is a fascia, you might gain 1.5" by removing it.

I suspect 13" wheels will be a worse solution than deflating and inflating your tires. Now how about a central tire inflation system like the serious off-roaders use?

[Mr Blotto]

Years ago, I removed all the trim from the bottom of the header, so I have already gained about 1"....got 2 more inches to go!

I looked last night and there is no room to throw a sister header above the existing one. What if I cut out the bottom 2" of header from just a 7' section (wide enough for the bus to get in/out), then got a 10' section of flat structural steel (say 10' x 8" x .25") and bolted it (with big ass bolts and washers) just above the section that I cut out (overlapping by 1.5' on each side).

[poptop tom]

That could work.

Can you snap a picture for us?

[Amskeptic]

Years ago, I removed all the trim from the bottom of the header, so I have already gained about 1"....got 2 more inches to go!

I looked last night and there is no room to throw a sister header above the existing one. What if I cut out the bottom 2" of header from just a 7' section (wide enough for the bus to get in/out), then got a 10' section of flat structural steel (say 10' x 8" x .25") and bolted it (with big ass bolts and washers) just above the section that I cut out (overlapping by 1.5' on each side).

You have studs coming down to the upper header, like 16" centers, is that it? Are they botching the thought of tacking a sister in there? Here's what you do.

Cut the lower header as planned. Notch each vertical stud a nominal 2" (whatever the thickness of the sister is) square. Notch the sister beam every 16" or whatever it is 2" square. Hammer that sucker in placeuntil all edges (in pink here) are flush! Drill and bolt the ends. Send some 16 penny nails right up under the studs where you cut the old one out. Toe nail the sister to the studs above. Insanely over-engineered! Yer golden!
Itinerant Carpenter

[SlowLane]

Ok. First piece of advice is to seek professional help. Seriously, what you are proposing to do can affect the structural integrity of your home. Insurance companies don't like it when you do that. Neither do building inspectors. Get someone with a structural engineering background to take a look and come up with a solution. Those carpenters are advising you against notching the header for a reason.

If you are determined to do this, educate yourself about wood frame construction and load-bearing beams. Consult a copy of the national building code and find the beam tables for 2x12 and 2x10 headers. A 22' span is pretty long for a 2x2x12 header. You want to find out what thickness an equivalent 2x10 header of the same type of wood would need to be. Laminate however many 2x10s on the side of your 2x12 header as are needed to achieve that thickness, then support the ends of the 2x10s with adequate corbelling. Understand that when you cut into the bottom of your 2x12 header, you are severing the part of the beam that is under the greatest tension. You need to provide equivalent load capacity to make up for the loss of strength in turning your 2x2x12 beam into a 2x2x10 beam.

*DISCLAIMER*: I worked for eight years in residential and light commercial construction, first as an apprentice, then as a journeyman carpenter. Even with that background I would not consider doing the work I described in the previous paragraph without first consulting a structural engineer. I disclaim any responsibility if you decide to follow my dumb-ass advice without consulting such a professional. For that matter, I disclaim any advice I give here in any event.

One final thing: if you have a garage door counter-spring bolted to your header, I strongly suggest you read this informative web site on how to safely remove the tension from those coil springs. There is more than enough stored energy in those things to kill you several times over.

Be safe.

[Amskeptic]

That could work.

Can you snap a picture for us?

Can you snap a picture for us?
Colin
(reading up on your 30lb/sqft snow load and 22' header requirements)

[Elwood]

Lower the floor and put in drains or a bilge pump if needed. You only need 2" right?