“Our fl eet is made up of many low-fl oor minivans, followed by
cutaway buses in A, B and C classes, denoting vehicle size,” Streiff
said. “I wouldn’t even try to build a cutaway vehicle with a regular
suspension in it. The ride is not smooth. Cutaway chassis are basically
designed to ride like trucks or other cargo vehicles. When we operate
cutaway vehicles, our gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) is much
lighter than that of a truck, so factory-stock suspensions provide
extremely rough rides.”
Streiff started working at Access Services in 1996 and found, at that
time, that the most common complaint from riders was about rough
rides. Since then, he has helped ensure that each Access cutaway bus
is equipped with a rubber suspension or other system specialized for
paratransit service.
In 1996, at a Society of Automotive Engineers trade show in Detroit,
Streiff encountered representatives from MORryde – today a leader
in transit bus, aftermarket, towable, motorhome, truck and jeep
suspensions. At the time, the company had yet to enter the transit bus
market. Joe Carroll, manager of research and development at MORryde,
sent some test parts to Los Angeles for Streiff to work with. After
running some tests with the parts on a maintenance crew cab, Streiff
was impressed with the suspension’s ride and ease-of-maintenance.
Access began spec’ing MORryde suspensions into its new paratransit
cutaway vehicles and since 1997, Streiff said, any Access Services vehicle
in excess of 10,000 GVWR is now equipped with a MORryde system.
MORryde uses rubber suspension systems in conjunction with
standard factory systems to deliver improved ride quality, regardless of
a vehicle’s number of occupants. The rubber shear springs are mounted
in such a way to allow the standard leaf springs to achieve up to 2
inches of additional suspension travel in a full jounce or rebound. This
technology translates to a softer ride for all passengers, and cutaway
buses which no longer ride like trucks.
These rubber suspension systems are engineered to provide improved
ride quality for each vehicle make and model. The systems can be ordered
and installed with a new unit from the bus manufacturer or installed as
an aftermarket upgrade on most models already in operation.
“The system has since made a lot of headway in transit, for the
same reasons we use it at Access Services,” Streiff said. “It corrects
problematic ride issues in a half-load or a no-load situation, at a fraction
of the running cost of air-ride or full hydraulic suspensions.”
Cost savings and less maintenance
For Access Services, MORryde’s appeal is threefold: smooth rides;
cost; and ease of maintenance.
“The rubber in our suspensions isolates and absorbs shock and
vibration, providing results similar to some of the market’s more
premium suspension upgrades – but very cost-effectively, and it is
much easier to inspect and maintain,” Carroll said.
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