Using only a flashlight, maintenance techs can visually inspect the
MORryde’s rubber components for cracks or tears. The springs can
develop wear over time from normal use, Carroll said, but replacement
is not necessary unless a substantial tear occurs on the rubber. The
rubber springs are serviceable components and can be changed out in
around 30 minutes.
“If an air-ride suspension fails, there are a number of components
which may contribute to that failure,” Carroll said. “It requires much
more troubleshooting before the vehicle is back on the road. Our visual
inspection takes minutes, and, with the aid of online instructions,
replacement is quick and easy.”
Jack Enfield, sales and marketing manager for MORryde, added that
the system’s upfront cost is a fraction of what other systems cost to
upgrade, and the capabilities for quick visual inspections creates much
lower system lifecycle costs.
“Transit is about improving quality of life for its riders,” he said.
“When you have older or medically fragile passengers experiencing
rough rides, that problem needs addressing. Agencies often must make
the most economical choice. There is really no comparison between
MORryde’s low lifecycle costs and the rest of the market.”
Though MORryde frontloads any new deployment with maintenance
training, the system’s relatively simple maintenance allows for Access
techs to quickly review information online in the event of a failure.
10 | BUSRIDE.COM | MAY / JUNE 2020
“Anyone familiar with modern medium-class vehicles would not
have an issue working with the MORryde system,” Streiff said. “It
typically consists of switching out one faulty part, much like changing
the shock absorbers on a standard truck – whereas many other
premium suspension repairs are much more expensive and involved.”
The RSX
Access Services was a natural choice to trial the latest suspension
system from MORryde – the RSX. Carroll said that the RSX system
includes the MORryde RS rubber suspension; shock absorbers finely
tuned to reduce tire hop in medium-duty buses; and a heavy-duty sway
bar to improve cornering and reduce body roll.
MORryde’s base RS system, Carroll explained, offers a 30- to
40-percent improvement in rideability compared to most standard
cutaway suspensions. However, those improvements are most felt in
the vehicle’s rearward seats and wheelchair positions. With the RSX
package, MORryde not only upgraded the rear hangar and shackle,
but also the entire vehicle’s shock absorbers – resulting in improved
drivability, handling and driver comfort.
Carroll and Streiff worked together to test the RSX as part of a
three-vehicle trial. First, MORryde added accelerometers, string
potentiometers and other instruments to a cutaway vehicle equipped