Ep7: Refitting The Rear Hubs On A 70 Year Old London Double Decker Bus

In this episode we continue working on our latest restoration project - RT2629 is London double decker bus built in 1951. Looks like we have our work cut out restoring this 70 year old London Bus!
What does it take to keep a London double decker bus on the road?
Filmed in the UK at the Routemaster 4 Hire HQ in Wrexham, North Wales we are passionate about London buses and with 7 vintage buses in the fleet we defiantly have our work cut out!
Also don't forget to check-out all our London bus restoration videos in this playlist...
• London Bus Restoration...
About Us:
We offer our London buses for private hire.
We are proud to have the privilege of owning one of London’s most recognisable sights - the iconic London Routemaster Double Decker Bus!
Our beautifully restored red London double-decker buses are available for Weddings and Special Events across North Wales and the Northwest UK, they add some nostalgic novelty and a touch of class to any occasion.
For more information, please visit our website: www.routemaster4hire.co.uk
#londonbus #rtbus #routemaster4hire

[@darrenhillman8396]

I click the “like” button on these before I watch them! What a team! Great work guys.

[@stephenhall6595]

The RT was the first Bus my Mother ever took me on when I was Little.

[@richardcoles4137]

Without any doubt I love vlogs on rt leyland national took me back to the days when the old man would bring a bus home (he was an engineer for green line) then getting to hear a 47 just put in play back and enjoy lol.

[@darrenhillman8396]

A joy to watch. Proper engineering to a very high standard; just how it should be. Great work, guys! 👏🏻

[@oc2phish07]

I live in London and teach Automotive Engineering in an FE college. Currently I am teaching Light Vehicle but have taught Motorcycle, Heavy and Bus & Coach over the last 20 years. I have found your videos on the RT and the Routemaster, my favourite bus, totally absorbing and extremely interesting. On a week's break in Chester recently I took a day trip to Wrexham and wish I had come across your channel before then as I would have really loved to visit your works. Keep them coming lads, they are great.

[@tridbant]

Just watched all seven episodes and it’s been a pleasure to see you working together. No Prima Donnas.

[@MrRossi1805]

Nice Video, Thx!

[@Free_Ranger_CT110]

Aah gear oil, once smelled never forgotten. The smell gets everywhere!

[@jamesbalchin4640]

Absolutely brilliant again guy's

[@peterjhillier7659]

Always look forward to your Videos, the Work you do would be impossible without having the right Gear and great Workshop. What a grand old Bus the RT is. Thanks for sharing.

[@nickraschke4737]

What’s great idea. The brake tool.

[@sixcylinders6346]

Hi guys, just came across your channel and have binge watched all 7 episodes of this restoration. Really enjoying the journey so far and have therefore subscribed. Keep up the great work 👍

[@rubbishsignup]

Fantastic work on proper robust machinery.

[@PE3FS]

like your videos very much greetings from the Netherlands

[@doveronefoxtrot4417]

You guys are proper engineers ! Really good work.

[@drummingriffin]

Aww go on then, you talked me into it. Subbed and hit the bell. 😁🤣 Think I'll enjoy the journey, stay safe and well boys 😊

[@jonniejam-shovel6405]

The trammel brake shoe gauge ; (home made adjusting tool) was very important when changing RT brake shoes. You had to ensure that both brake shoes, would be set up correctly. (Although I'm not able to remember what brake shoe was leading.) If you didn't bother with the trammell tool, you'd find that your brakes could be woefully out of balance and dangerous. brake efficiency would suffer. A simple but a very effective tool, and Regrettably with the disposal of the RT from London service. Many of these tools were just thrown out and scrapped. Thanks as always for taking me back down memory lane.❤

[@tonys1636]

The bottom shoe is the leading shoe in this set up. The leading shoe being the one that has the front (leading) edge of the shoe on the brake cylinder or actuator, the leading edge being the part that would contact the drum first in forward motion. The trailing shoe being the one with the pivot end, its trailing edge making the the contact with the direction of rotation. Twin leading shoes each have their own cylinder or actuator. Had to watch twice to check that was the offside being worked on.

[@jamesfrench7299]

You definitely need to know what you're doing when adjusting AEC brakes!

[@jonniejam-shovel6405]

@@jamesfrench7299 Certainly. Although changing RT brake shoes was very straightforward and not difficult once you'd changed a few sets. Again you had to ensure the brake/shoe adjustment was correct, and changing the brake rod/ air cylinder clevis pins, if worn would certainly help. If you adjusted the rears up too tightly the shoes would initially bind; run very hot then you'd experience brake fade. The other problem that you could encounter with hot shoes and a hot brake drum, was that the rear hub bellows gland would fail. You'd end up with hot oil over the brake shoes, and drum. Pity the poor service driver trying to stop his bus with a full load on. Luckily I had good experienced workmates I could ask for advice. Good old boys they certainly were. Kind regards.👍

[@tonys1636]

A lot more engineering than on modern vehicles, today to change the brake shoes one can withdraw the halfshafts, undo the bearings and pull the hub and brake drum off with the wheels still on using a wheel trolley.

[@tonylawlor3503]

Add a new meaning, too Genius at work, such dedication

[@c1tlr340]

That homemade adjustment tool is genius 🙂

[@peterwardle572]

Great stuff lads, my school days on RT's are just a memory, anything to Tooting Bec, and a 19 to school, what memories.

[@ffrancrogowski2192]

Technical work completed with absolute precision. Extremely interesting to watch, and thank you for this video.

[@markobrien1439]

Love watching you guys 👍

[@petersmith4455]

hi there, great video,great work and up to AEC standards ! always love seeing the dog keeping an eye on things

[@jamesfrench7299]

What an interesting set up. I like how the axle end meshes with the very beefy looking axle end cap. Looks quite simple.

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

I used to ride about on this one in the mid 1980s when part of a North London bus club.... funny to see it here in Wales!

[@jamesfrench7299]

@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus I've seen a MAN/Mercedes hub reduction axle pulled apart in a video recently. This thing is child's play in comparison. They gave a brief background on this bus in another video. It sat outside for years. It's so good in it's good hands now. Glad it's one of your babies.

[@leejones286]

Hello guys thank you for another brilliant video very enjoyable as always. Keep up the excellent work that you are doing in storing the RT I shall look forward to the next video.

[@mikecollings6889]

Another brilliant video, keep up the great work.

[@peterlangridge4639]

I thought for one moment there he was going to wipe the grease off on the dog!

[@a11csc]

great vid boys

[@dsj672]

"Job's a good'un" as they say, done by the book with no shortcuts. However, the hub glands are Llewellyn glands, not Teddington? Looking forward to more progress.

[@timbarrington3607]

The Aec 0961 manual has them as teddington glands and a Llewellyn gland is completely different with a spring and rubber seal in it. They are what are fitted to the RT and Routemaster flywheel among other vehicle types. Hope that helps.

[@dsj672]

@@timbarrington3607 Every day's a school day. Cheers.

[@timbarrington3607]

@@dsj672 indeed it is. I feel very sad if I don't learn something everyday.

[@charlybraun9714]

Hola tio lucas interesante tu canal.!!!

[@robreibel3491]

Another very enjoyable video. I have not watched all of your videos . I would like to know your backgrounds on how you got this knowledge. Are you bus mechanics or maybe baristas in your other jobs

[@paulsthemarksman]

You guys must be getting better No Out-takes?Ha Ha.

[@pepsibear4385]

The stuff you call grease isn't grease at all, it is assembly compound, this will dry out in time to leave a protective film on the component, use real grease when assembling moving parts.

[@play_d0ng]

👍👍👍👍

[@pezzermra]

I Have always wanted to do this kind of thing. Shame you're not located in Port Talbot

[@nickraschke4737]

You guys should hit a skid pan. Do a few doughnuts. Would generate a few followers. Love your videos. Cheers from Australia.

[@nathantutty7454]

Bearings on RT's are they SKF or Timken? Great video as always!

[@axelrajr]

question,. is that nut torqued and then set with a pin? the nut had a bunch of holes in it. on he american trucks and busses at least, i have seen a couple of variations on: the nut was torqued down to a high torque as the wheel is turned to set the bearings, then backed off, then set to the final torque as the hub is turned, then the nut is locked by however that style hub is done. most of the ones i saw (older and really old designs mainly) seem to be variations of a tabbed washer then a second nut.

[@BOBSYMACK]

On some of these old buses the bearing clearance was set by a spacer and shims between the two bearings and the nut was tightened up tight with a bolt going through the slot in the axle tube and which ever hole in the nut lined up .

[@stevenmacdonald9619]

I wish someone would do this with any Leyland Atlanteans that are sat rotting in yards around the country. They are disappearing fast. (in piles of rust)

[@cannadineboxill-harris2983]

Hi Guy's it is Mr C. T. Boxill-Harris again I was thinking, Why couldn't you find other more 18 nice fresh Shiny Leyland Titan B15's and repaint them Also into a Imperial Cream and Green like the Essex East London Bus route H1 and 100 so they can Share a chance to run on the London Bus route such as the N6, 41 and that includes the bus route Number Four, if you guy needed that interesting idea's to let us know on the comment's down below so you can reuse those Imperial Cream and Green Leyland Titan B15's on those interesting London bus Route, Please Please can you reuse them within the Begining of Every November within Every Five and a Half Months Thank You Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Much Guy's😉😉😉😅😉😉😀😃😀😃😅😀😃😅😀😃😀😃😀😀😃😅😀😃😀😀😃😅😀😃😀😃😀😀😃😀😃😀😃😅😀😃😀😃😅😀😃😅😀😃😀😃😅😀😃😀😀😃😅😀😃😀😀😃😅😀😃😀😀😃😅😀😃😀😃😀😃😀😃😅😀😃😀😃😅😀😃😀😀😃😅😀😃😅😀😃😀😃😅😀😃😀😀😃😅😀😀😃😀😃😀😃😅😀😃😀😃😅😀😃😀😃😅😀😃😅😀😃😀😃😅😀😃😀😃😀😀😃😅😀😀😃😅😀😃😀😃😀😀😃