reducing passenger fatigue and contributing
to better driver health.
Demo’ing the system
LiquidSpring agreed to send Ward out
and ship a suspension kit to complete
the demo installation in Prairie Hills
Transit’s primary maintenance facility in
Spearfish. Taking the initiative, Cline invited
mechanics from each agency in South
Dakota to observe the installation.
“I wanted the state’s agencies to be able to
see the installation and decide if it was right
for them, as well,” Cline said. “It is always
nice when Prairie Hills can offer training of
this caliber.”
Three other agencies attended the
installation, along with Doug Gorham
Procurement Manager of the South Dakota
Department of Transportation. Ward said
LiquidSpring is always looking for outspoken
users who can attest to the efficacy of its
system, and Cline was a vocal advocate.
Ward added that the presence of
Gorham, the state’s procurement manager,
was invaluable; allowing South Dakota’s
transportation officials to understand the
system’s intricacies and that the suspension is
not “too good to be true.”
“Before the state or any of its agencies
could order the suspension system, it had
to be on procurement,” Gorham said. “That
was a big first step. When I was on-site for
the demo installation, I was able to speak
with Travis at length about the product
and its features. I did some research on
my own, and then we were able to add the
LiquidSpring product as an option on our
next bus procurement – so, if they want to,
any of South Dakota’s transit agencies can
purchase the system.”
“Doug was able to ride on a bus equipped
with LiquidSpring, and he could clearly feel
the difference between our product and a
standard bus,” Ward added.
The system in action
Once the first installation was complete,
Cline assigned the LiquidSpring-equipped
bus to a driver known to be highly selective
of new vehicles. She told him to be
completely honest about how the system’s
handling, ride quality, and what his regular
riders said.
“He had tried quite a few other
suspension systems over the years,” she said.
“He gave the LiquidSpring system his seal of
approval. He said it was a much better ride,
and that that the passengers really liked it”
In the meantime, LiquidSpring was able
to provide further demo rides to Cline and
other South Dakota transit agency sirectors
attending the CTAA EXPO in Pittsburg,
PA. which resulted in an initial order of
three systems for retrofit. Operations and
Information Director Lisa Johnson was
extremely impressed with the smoothness of
the ride.
Cline said Prairie Hills Transit opted for
aftermarket installations on three vehicles the
agency had recently purchased, intending
to purchase vehicles with pre-installed
suspensions in the future.
“The installation by Taylor the mechanic
at Prairie Hills Transit, was impressive,”
Ward said. “LiquidSpring installations
are fairly complicated – thus the need for
a demonstration – but Taylor was able to
complete all three retrofits after seeing just
one retrofit installation. And those
vehicles are still operating!”
Driving over terrain such
as bridge abutments,
bumps in parking
lot entrances,
or even
potholes
can cause
jarring and
discomfort
for passengers who experience pain due to
medical conditions. Gorham and Cline both
said that the system has made a significant
difference for those passengers.
Cline described a testimonial in July
from a driver using a bus equipped with
the LiquidSpring suspension. The driver
was coming back to headquarters after
completing a trip, and ran into significant
rain, hail, and strong wind. He said he
flipped the switch to modify the system’s
ride mode to Sport Mode, and the bus held
steady and did not rock at all due to the
strong winds.
10 | BUSRIDE.COM | AUG / SEPT 2020