Thread: chassis weight distribution

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Here's a neat link for any of you wondering about chassis weight distribution. It's more oriented to circle burners, but the same weight distribution numbers are equally important to good handling for a street car. If you know of a circle burner in your area with a set of race car scales (or buy your own starting at about a grand) and work up the correct weight distribution and spring rates on your next hot rod or race car.


http://www.schoenfeldheaders.com/ChassisSetup.htm

Thanks for the reading! I love learning about suspension and weight distribution. If you want to win or just have all the confidence in your ride you have to know how to work these areas when other forces are affecting them.

Thanks for the link Dave. When we were racing go-karts, I bought 4 bathroom scales and set the car up before each race, depending on the track, with driver in the seat, helmet and all equipment on, tires aired properly and fuel in the tank, ready to race. It worked really well and we went around the track like the car was on rails.

I've often thought that the same thing could be accomplished with a full-sized vehicle and bathroom scales. Most of them are 250 lb. capacity, so you would need maybe 3 or 4 of them, depending on the car weight on each corner. Line them up side by side and use a 4x4 piece of lumber the length of all the scales (3 to 4 ft. long). Position the scales so that the center of them left to right will be under your weighing point. This could be done with tires and wheels on the vehicle so long as you raised the other 3 tires and wheels to the height of the corner being weighed. Air the tires to the pressure you want all around first. Lay the 4x4 on the scales and let the corner down with the tire resting on the 4x4 and add up the total of weight on all the scales. Deduct the weight of the 4x4 and you have that corner weight. Move to the other 3 corners and repeat.

If weighing without tires and wheels, just position the scales in the center of the point where you're going to weigh, lay the 4x4 on the scales and use other pieces of lumber to build up to your weighing point. Deduct the weight of the lumber used and you have it.

I've seen scales for $20 to $25 at WalMart and other large discount stores. Ebay may have some also.

What do you think?

tech - I believe this covers the method you are referring to.
By use of a lever the stress on the scale can be reduced.
The lever length determines the factor to apply for the actual weight.

PS - this is a REALLY good book.

http://books.google.com/books?id=NNW...FxcDw#PPA53,M1

See there, sharper minds prevail. Thank you. I never considered the use of a lever.

Yup, works fine. I'm spoiled. About 5 years back I invested in a set of Longacre digital scales. They're expensive, but I'd hate to go back to building chassis without them. On the store bought frames, or the more common builds like Deuces and the like the engineering is pretty much done. A lot of my builds come on the bizarre side, like the Ranchero. All new frame, radical engine setback, some ultra-light components in the suspension...... without the scales I'd be doing a whole lot of guess work!!!! This time of year with all the circle burners and drag racers getting their cars prepped, I get to be the most popular guy in town....with those who want to borrow the scales!!!!!!

Speaking of, Dave can I borrow the scales. I have a IMCA Hobby Stock that I need scaled. LOL

Sure, get in line!!!! Next opening for the scales will be probably around Mid-June!!!!!!

By then (with the way our driver is) we will probably be fabbing up a new chassis by then so that would work for me!!! LOL


actually our driver isn't too bad. Its just some of the other "loose nuts" behind the wheels on the track that drive me nuts!!!

Yup, know what ya mean. I'm allready $10K ahead on racing this year.......Due to health considerations I sold out my shares last winter. I figured we would have been gone racing about 5 weekends this year and it usually costs $2k per weekend in expenses and upkeep. By staying home I'm $10K ahead!!!!!!!! At this rate, should be rich by the time the season is over!!!!! (gotcha!!)

Gotta love it when you can come away money ahead!

That doesn't happen very often in my neck of the woods.

Originally Posted by Madman

Gotta love it when you can come away money ahead!

That doesn't happen very often in my neck of the woods.

So, how do you make a small fortune racing?




Start with a large one...

Originally Posted by ceh383

So, how do you make a small fortune racing?




Start with a large one...

And the racer who won the lottery was asked, "What are you going to do with all that money?". His response, "Just keep racing til it's all gone, too!!"