Paging Wally (or any other Bus Driver)

We're working on a bus driving simulator for a customer. How may turns lock-to-lock is the steering?

Thanks!

Don't forget to include the slight drift to the right.

Mongo has a slight drift, snort.

I never counted. I work tomorrow, I'll be able to tell you what it is for a 2008 Nova LFS.

http://146.186.225.57/buses/reports/215.pdf?1268324463

4 - for an Orion Bus, accoring to the testing at Altoona.

if buses are like other big commercial vehicles.. do not even think of trying to turn that wheel with the engine off

A quick check of six buses had between 3.5 and 4. We go through front end parts so no two steer the same. The buses in question are 4 Nova LFS Artics and 2 New Flyer D60 artics if that's important.

We have a really nice simulator but one of it's drawbacks is a complete lack of steering feel and you can't tell when it is centered. They may have improved it but the last time i was in it about 8 years ago it was like that. On the plus side some of the instructors would get sick standing in it watching.

This isn't ours but it's very similar. When you look in the rear view mirrors you see into the screens behind the driver and an instructor can sit at another computer and add traffic, pedestrians ect, and he has a wheel to drive a car and try to hit you.

Story about our simulator: http://busride.com/2011/11/the-virtual-experience-is-painless-and-productive/

Awesome! Thanks everyone!

The person I called last night was a bit off. Today I counted 6 turns on most.

I can check a couple conventional school buses tomorrow if you want but that's a different ball of crap I mean wax.

I got 5 3/4 turns, lock to lock. Also I noticed it is 2 full turns to do a 90 degree turn, like at an intersection.

I assume you are doing a city transit type bus, just a note, remember the front wheels are behind the driver. So you have to remember that when turning a corner. It's like driving a car, while sitting on the front bumper. You have to go farther into the intersection before you start to turn. Kinda weird too when you make a tight turn it actually feel like you are sliding sideways a bit because the wheels are behind you.

Sounds like the fire engine I drove around a slalom course. Jack, does the city have a simulator like the one that Wally described?

No they don't Lesley, but they did use one that belonged to a truck driving school. It looks similar to the one Wally showed. It also had a separate computer so the instructor could control cars, cyclists, pedestrians etc. Really weird to have a motorcycle blow past you in a snow storm doing 80 kph, do some donuts in front of you, then take off again.

HappyJack wrote: I got 5 3/4 turns, lock to lock. Also I noticed it is 2 full turns to do a 90 degree turn, like at an intersection. I assume you are doing a city transit type bus, just a note, remember the front wheels are behind the driver. So you have to remember that when turning a corner. It's like driving a car, while sitting on the front bumper. You have to go farther into the intersection before you start to turn. Kinda weird too when you make a tight turn it actually feel like you are sliding sideways a bit because the wheels are behind you.

That was an odd thing to get used to. You don't even think about turning the wheel until you can look over your shoulder at the curb.

My Wanderlodge is 47 turns. There is a snack bar as you pass centre.