Technicians are finding that tools — and the necessary training — are evolving beyond the set they started with and into the computer age
By Stephane Babcock With the evolution of school bus technology comes
the development of new specialty tools to fix every new part and fill an ever-changing toolbox, one that goes be- yond the metal drawers that carry the set of wrenches, sockets and screwdrivers that have always been a staple of the industry. A few decades ago, the thought of onboard com-
puters controlling every aspect of a vehicle’s operation was left to Knight Rider’s David Hasselhoff and his highly intelligent car, KITT. Now, technicians must be ready to not only work with these digital “assistants,” they must utilize computers of their own to commu- nicate with them.
Out of the Office and Into the Garage While surveying a number of mechanics/tech-
nicians for this month’s issue, we asked whether computers were employed in their garages. Almost 80 percent came back with a resounding “yes,” and with it the lessons they’ve learned since these new tools first made their way into the school bus bay. “Twenty years ago, all it took to work on buses was a
box full of analog hand tools and some elbow grease,” said Don Harder, fleet maintenance manager for Tahoe Truckee (Calif.) Unified School District. “Tere is almost nothing a person can do to troubleshoot an engine problem on a new diesel bus without a laptop com- puter.”
Expectations to
MEASURING UP Higher
When it comes time to break out those fancy and
not-so-fancy maintenance tools, first it might be time to use the garage’s most visible equipment. Vehicle lifts give technicians a better view and easier access to the underbelly of the mighty yellow beast. In the last few years, this tool has gone through a number of changes, the most important being the creation of the mobile lift, giving mechanics a number of options when decid- ing how to lift a school bus. “Mobile column lifts are the fastest growing segment
of the lift market,” said Steve Perlstein, government sales manager for Mohawk Lifts. According to Todd Michalski, vice president of sales
and marketing for Gray Manufacturing Company, another major change occurred in the 1980s when the in-ground hydraulic hoist began being replaced by the surface mount- ed lift, which reduced cost and EPA concerns, and more “If the business moved or expanded, the lift could be
relocated very easily,” added Michalski. “A draw back to traditional in-ground hoists and surface mounted lifts is that they require a dedicated bay.” Environmental concerns associated with in-ground
lifts and the amount of oil used in the hydraulic process of raising and lowering a vehicle have also been eased and EPA regulations met with the use of high pressure cylinders. Newer in-ground lifts that were introduced about three years ago now run on only 6 gallons of oil, compared to 50 to 70 gallons 5 or 10 years ago. “Te major improvements made to heavy-duty vehicle
lifts in the last five to 10 years have focused on increasing technician productivity while at the same time address- ing environmental concerns,” said Roger Perlstein, Rotary Lift’s director of heavy duty sales. But, the popularity of mobile lifts is still the biggest
news in the lift industry, freeing up space and cutting costs with the addition of a set of jack stands, which are much cheaper than purchasing a second lift but still al- low garages to work on two raised vehicles. “Mobile lifts have become increasingly popular as
they provide excellent under vehicle access. As they are portable they can wheeled across any number of work bays and even outside,” said Allister Collings, president of SEFAC, Inc. n Read “A Short History of Lift Systems” by Stertil-Koni Jean DellAmore at http://www.
President
stnonline.com/go/509.
www.stnonline.com 49
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68