Specifications

Preventive Maintenance 28 17730-248
AIRTEK
®
•
SOFTEK
®
for Blue Bird Buses
8. By hand or using a pipe wrench, with jaw protectors to avoid gouging the cross tube,
rotate the cross tube toward the front of the vehicle and then toward the rear. After rotat-
ing, center the cross tube. If the cross tube will not rotate in either direction, replace both
tie rod ends, see Figure 7-5.
FIGURE 7-5
FIGURE 7-6
9. Position yourself directly below the tie
rod end. Using both hands, grab the
assembly end as close to the tie rod end
as possible (no more than 6" or
152.4mm). Apply hand pressure with
reasonable human effort vertically up
and down in a push-pull motion several
times (using approx. 50-100 lbs. of
force). Check for any movement or
looseness at both tie rod end locations,
see Figure 7-6.
FIGURE 7-7
10. If there is any movement in the tie rod
assembly, install a magnetic based dial
indicator on the Ackermann arm, see
Figure 7-7.
11. Set the dial indicator to zero.
12. Apply hand pressure with reasonable
human effort vertically up and down in a
push-pull motion several times (using
approx. 50-100 lbs. of force). Observe
the reading on the dial indicator.
13. If the reading is more than 0.060",
replace both tie rod ends at the next serv-
ice interval.
14. If a tie rod end exhibits 0.125" of move-
ment by hand, the vehicle should be
removed immediately from use and the
tie rod end be replaced.
NOTE According to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), the vehicle “out of service”
criteria is: Any motion other than rotational between any linkage member and its
attachment point of more than
1
⁄ 8 " (3mm) measured with hand pressure only.
(393.209(d)), (published in the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria
Handbook, April 1, 2006.)
L
70
1
APPENDIX
SERVICE MANUAL