Hi,

I sent my SVA application off last week and someone left me a message today to say that I had missed out a question...

Q15. Design Weights - the way I read the question, it looked as though you only needed to give design weights of goods vehicles but evidently not!

The car is a Locost that has been built from scratch and has a Ford Escort rear axle. How do I come up with suitable design weights for the front axle, rear axle and gross weight of the vehicle? If I could sort this out tonight, I can phone the bloke back tomorrow morning.

Your help would be very much appreciated, cheers guys.

Matt

Most people put down 900kg and 450kg axle 1 and 450Kg axle 2.
It is the overall weight expected to be carried including the weight of the car and passengers, fuel etc, spread over 2 axles.

[Edited on 24/2/2009 by nitram38]

Does this need to be backed up with calculations or can I just pluck up a reasonable sounding figure?

Many thanks,

Matt

I dont know the answer but i know this has been covered before so you might find the answer if you use the search.
Or wait a couple of mins and im sure someone will come on and tell you

Design weights are roughly car weight + passengers + an allowance for baggage. I would say 450kg front axle, 400kg rear axle, total 850kg would be there or there abouts. I'm sure someone will post their figures shortly.

Thanks Paul,

Is that you in the picture, that is brilliant! lol

I put 500 500 1000 for a blade powered MK. they actually weigh the car to do the braking calculations, better to be over than under as under is a fail

tony

quote:

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Originally posted by mad-butcher
they actually weigh the car to do the braking calculations, better to be over than under as under is a fail

tony

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The form and the notes contradict each other.

Design weight is the max that the car/chassis could carry. If your stopped and weighed (unlikely) and found to be over it then your in trouble. Also has to be higher than the calculated kerb weight (weight at SVA+85kg per seat). Other than that it's just a number on the V5. Better to be high.

Put 500/500/1000

Total can be less than the sum of the axles to allow for uneven loading but don't.

adrian

Cool thanks everyone, much appreciated.

Well, for what its worth, here are mine for a book chassis, 1300 x flow and solid rear end and this is what went on my forms.

Front axle: 430
Rear axle: 420
GVW: 870
Carlisle SVA man said add 150kg to the actual front axle weight and 150 kg to the actual back axle weight to cover the weight of driver and passenger. With full fuel and liquids mine actuall vehicle weight is 560kg.