Brad and I set up a weight and balance sheet on the Camaro... Let me see if
I can explain what we did....
First we set a point in front of the car.... about 50" out ( simple line
taped to the floor) ... and took measurements from that point... to the
wheels and to the points where we wished to add Ballast.... that distance
is called the ARM.... in Inches....and The actual Weight of an object X the
ARM gives you a number called the MOMENT.
We had wheel weights from when we scaled the car... and we had the ballast
weights... from a bathroom scale. We then drew up 3 columns on a sheet of
paper....
Description of the object.... weight .... Moment ( ARM...distance X weight)
Example.... left Front wheel..... 900lbs..... 72000 ( 80" X 900lbs)
Right front wheel... 925lbs.... 74000 ( 80")
Ballast 100lbs 15000 ( 150")
left rear tire 800lbs 150400 (188"s)
Right rear 800lbs 150400 (188")
3525 461800
461800 divided by 3525 equals 131" minus 80" gives us a Center of gravity
at which the car would teeter if set on a Point...
Then you add up both columns for a total weight and Moment... and divide
the Moment by the weight... and you come up with the number of inches aft
of the line on the Floor that your center of gravity is..... subtract the
Inches forward of the front wheels for your line... ..... soooo 461800
divided by 3525 equals 131"s.... take away the 80 inches we used forward of
the wheels.... and you come up with 51"s and that is on a 108" wheelbase
car.....
Hope that Made sense....
Keith
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> From: FastmetalBDF@aol.com
> To: Dale.Clay@mdhelicopters.com; landspeedracer@email.msn.com;
Flowbench@aol.com; lsr_man@yahoo.com; fosterap@flash.net
> Cc: kturk@ala.net; land-speed@autox.team.net
> Subject: Re: Ballast & Handling
> Date: Wednesday, January 03, 2001 9:24 AM
>
> Dale, You are correct . Even if you throw a dart backwards
......
> it reverses itself in flight and the heavy end ends up in front .
Arrows,
> darts,
> and racecars are all subject to the laws of physics, and we have to
> build in accordance with these laws as they are not about to change .
> BDF
> PS : and planes and helicopters, too ...... right ?
>
> also : GRAVITY IS ALWAYS ON THE JOB
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