ride, Arrow Stage Vice President of Sales Chuck Gunnels believes it contributes to their improved rider experience. “Coach passengers are certainly aware of how their driver is performing,” he says. “If he is not having to back up as often in tight situations, and the ride goes generally uninterrupted, they feel more secure and are more at ease.” Arrow Stage Line Director of Maintenance Wade Freeman says that in the time Arrow Stage has had possession of the pilot coach, he has not seen or heard anyone reporting a mechanical issue. “Generally, the set up on this new J4500 is much preferable over previous models, particularly with the Bendix brake system,” he says. “I particularly like the use of unitized wheel hubs on the steer and tag axles. They can be easily changed out in the event of wheel-bearing issues.” Service requires replacing only the bearings rather than the entire hub, and there is one common rotor part rather than two. “We strongly believe that the fundamental design of the bearings and wheel ends is going to keep out significantly more contaminates,” Maitland says. “They are more reliable, which owners will appreciate.” Van Galder Bus Company Van Galder Bus Company, Janesville, WI, essentially provides year-round non-stop regular scheduled service from Janesville and its hubs in Madison, WI; Rockford, IL; and into downtown Chicago with service to Midway and O’Hare Airports — an ideal venue for the operator feedback MCI is looking for in this pilot program. According to General Manager, Allen Fugate, Van Galder is using its J4500 primarily for regular service to O’Hare from Rockford, but every driver throughout the system is getting the chance to slip behind the wheel and offer feedback. “Without disclosing a lot of technical detail, MCI asked us to maximize mileage on our test coach and report on what we experience out on the road.” says Fugate. “With our goal of 70,000 miles, we have kept it very busy. Proabably 30 different drivers have taken the coach out on their runs. From the comments we have heard, the new coach has a very nice feel; not significantly different than any other J models, but enough to notice.” Fugate says the maneuverability is the most noticeable feature from a driver’s standpoint, noting that with the new trailing tag axle, drivers need to be aware of more backend tail swing. “It shortens the turning radius and is probably similar to the MCI E Model MCI,” he says. “This new setup is great for maneuverability, especially getting in and out of tight spots. I drove it through some pretty stout winds and it handled fine, but not necessarily any better or worse than other J4500s.” Fugate says his team has already suggested a tweak in the programming on the ride levelizer. Like the E Model, it was highly active. We asked them to just soften it some. Van Galder Maintenance Director Ron Thompson appreciates the ease on tire wear the ZF brings in tighter turns. “This axle with not jump a curb or slide going around a corner,” he says. I don’t see any scuffing with the trailing axle.” Thompson also finds the more open framework underneath is now easier to access and maintain, a point he says is important to the people working on the coach.
Above and below: The ZF system takes the MCI models from solid beam to independent suspension.
Bendix Brake ADB System According to Maitland, the Bendix ADB system will feel more like automobile brakes. “We feel these brakes should be an easier adjustment for new coach drivers used to an automotive feel,” Maitland says. “The actual brake performance is roughly the same, but the stopping distance is way less than FMVSS standards.” MCI says it is moving to include the Bendix Wingman System, which offers adaptive cruise control as well as collision mitigation. “These functions are becoming more common in the automotive market,” Maitland says. “We think this is a very important safety feature that we can bring to MCI coaches.” The Bendix adaptive cruise control detects a coach’s position behind other vehicles and automatically reduces the throttle or applies the brakes to maintain safe following distances. It is also billed as improving the functionality of cruise control and fuel economy. Coaches are in testing with the Bendix System, and when MCI determines it is ready, the system can be retrofitted into the new ZF-fitted pilot coaches for customer feedback. 4
BUSRIDE | JUNE.2014
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