My co-worker brought his scales in today, so I set the corner weights. Here is where I started:

LF 762 RF 733


LR 661 RR 696

Cross weight 48.9%, 52.4% front 47.6% rear

After 2 adjustments at the rear, here is the final weight:


LF 747 RF 750



LR 680 RR 680

Cross weight 50% side to side 50% Front 52.4% rear 47.6%

Car weighs 2856lbs with all rally equipment, spare, tools, spill, first aid, triangles, extinguishers, Light bar ect, and 1/2 tank of gas.

That was a great experience. I lowered the rear spring perches about 1 inch, but the ride height only changed 1/4 inch. I am going to lower the rear spring rate from 175lb/inch to 150lb/inch to get the rear a little lower, and help the car squat more under acceleration.

What happens to the weights when a couple of dudes sit in the seats? Or are those weights with dudes?

My co-driver is 20lbs lighter than me, and the fuel tank carries more fuel on the co-drivers side, so I was not too concerned with that, and the seats are within an 1nch of being exactly half way between the front and back wheels

not bad....

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-Tom
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I am interested to hear what you think of the 150 lb rear springs on the merkur. I have been really happy with 175 lb on mine so far. Seems to squat nicely for me.

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Matt Smith

Racing in glorious black and red

My daily life is a Saab story (sold!)

what are your ride heights set at?

Nice. About the same distribution I have, but I was around 200 lbs lighter when I weighed mine, but no clue on fuel, no spare tire, no light bar, and lexan windows. I removed another 40-50 lbs or so from the bottom of the car with spot weld removal and undercoating removal. Have a few more brackets I still need to cut off from the bottom as well.

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Grant Hughes

Whew!
My Cossie 4x4 thing with no sump guard and OEM front seats weighed 2720.

I think I'm going to get Sean some 100-125 lb/in "helper' springs for the initial compliance thing. Some of Ford's progresssive rears had an initial rate at around 100-125.
Worth a try.

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

john vanlandingham Wrote:
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> Whew!
> My Cossie 4x4 thing with no sump guard and OEM
> front seats weighed 2720.
>

Has anybody weighed those OEM XR4 seats? I think they're about 50 lbs each!

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Andrew Steere
Lyndeborough, NH
KB1PJY

fiasco Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> john vanlandingham Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Whew!
> > My Cossie 4x4 thing with no sump guard and
> OEM
> > front seats weighed 2720.
> >
>
> Has anybody weighed those OEM XR4 seats? I think
> they're about 50 lbs each!
>

Yeah, thassa whats I's stinking, maybe 45lbs and so say we dump them and add a substantial sump gaurd we might be in the same place, so 2720 for 4x4 powertrain and full cage and stitch welding...
How?


> Andrew Steere
> Lyndeborough, NH
> KB1PJY

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

No clue of the top of my head....I will measure it when I get home.

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Matt Smith

Racing in glorious black and red

My daily life is a Saab story (sold!)

I find this very interesting, but admit I don't know what the targets should be. Does it matter if it's FWD/RWD/AWD? Where can a fellow (or lass) look up information about this. I'm guessing based on your information that you are targeting 50/50, 50/50?

Thanks, and please accept my apologies for my ignorance on this topic but I'm all about learning.

Chad.

Main goal is to get the daigonal weights equal, so the car handles the same entering left or right turns. As little as a 2% split can affect handling, but i will admit i am not good enough to tell probably. Second goal was to know what each wheel is supporting so I can make educated spring rate choices.

If you are really getting fancy and building your own 4 link rear, knowing the center of gravity can be used for suspension points to set up anti-dive and anti-squat, I think...

phlat65 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Main goal is to get the daigonal weights equal, so
> the car handles the same entering left or right
> turns. As little as a 2% split can affect
> handling, but i will admit i am not good enough to
> tell probably. Second goal was to know what each
> wheel is supporting so I can make educated spring
> rate choices.
>

In all honesty, I find that I drive the car diffently entering a right hand turn. I think that on a subconcious level, I'm aware that the trees are farther away entering a left hand turn and I'm more likely to pitch it and pin it.