I have done a very basic corner weight set-up with a lever bar that lifts each wheel in turn. Then use a scale to give a reading. I have the equivalent weight as myself in the driver seat and have the following readings:

Front nearside 172 Front offside 201
Rear nearside 208 Rear off side 232

Total for car 813
Front axle 45.8% of total
Nearside of car 46.7%
Rear nearside + Front offside diagonal 50.3%

Can anyone confirm if my figures make sence, I know you can not verify my readings.

I am now guessing depending on ride heights either the Front offside or Rear nearside need to be slightly lightened, is my thinking correct?

Adrian

[Edited on 24-7-10 by AdrianH]

Figures look quite sane, for a car-engined brick. If it's a moped, then the figures are a tad suspicious.
Before you go dialling in large amounts of spring platform adjustment, do the same with you in it... or a dummy weight. Looks like adding you won't make the situation better, that's for sure!

The figures do include weight in there for me in the driving seat!

I lightened the front spring by half turn and got:-

NF 172 OF 191
NR 209 OR 233

Total for car 805
Front axle is 45% of car
Nearside is 47.3%
NR+OF cross weight is now 49.7% so I will tighten up the spring by 1/4 turen and that should be as close as I can get.

This is just an exercise in understanding it all as I do not race the car, but would still like to get a good balance. Input from those in the know if I have done it correct and have got the cross balance right is appreciated.

For interest, when the car was officially weighed by VOSA without driver it was 572 Kg.

Adrian

[Edited on 24-7-10 by AdrianH]

do you weigh 37 and a bit stone then

When you lift a wheel to test the weight you don't get exactly 1/4 of the vehicle weight - hence your car seems heavy.

Do you roll the car forwards then back to settle the springs after adjustment ?

Yes the car is rolled back and forward again even bouncing the suspension to ensure settles.

When you lift each wheel in turn you actually lift not only the corner weight of the car but must lift say another 1/2 inch against the springs to get the tyres off the ground.

With fronts springs at 325 Lb per inch that would add to the readings by 162 Ibs (72 Kgs), the rear springs are 200 Lb per inch so would add around 100 Lb or 45 Kg to the readings.

So a corner weight gauge does not give the weight of a car just a working ratio to use. To be accurate I guess you would have to know the spring poundage and the angle of the springs. So for weight get sets of scales.


Adrian