[Shotimes] Corner Weights
Bruce Malachuk
bmalach1@nycap.rr.com
Sat, 26 Jul 2003 17:58:06 -0400
You know the guy there doing the weighing said the same thing about the
balance of my car. and I'm 99% sure that the reason for my lower LF is that
the spring there seems to be a little weak, as it sits a little compressed
there. I may have also tightened one of the rear sway links more than the
other as I think one stopped earlier than the other, but I was in a rush so
I didn't think about it. I'm sure that any machine shop could take a pair of
Moog steel front sway links cut them and thread them for a piece of threaded
rod so that they could be adjustable. Now that I think about it, I remember
seeing something that said that when lowering a car the sway links should be
adjusted in proportion.
I think the the way my suspension is boxed in with the SFC's and STB's along
with the 24/26 combo really went along way to balancing the car out. I've
found that the car feels very very nuetral when it comes to over/under steer
now, and hope that I don't screw it up with my koni/intrax that will be
going in soon.
Thanks for the info on the balance for my car.
Bruce
----- Original Message -----
From: "Leigh Smith" <leighsm@comcast.net>
To: "Bruce Malachuk" <bmalach1@nycap.rr.com>; "SHOTIMES"
<shotimes@autox.team.net>
Sent: Saturday, July 26, 2003 4:55 PM
Subject: Re: [Shotimes] Corner Weights
> Bruce;
>
> This is one of the few SHO's that I saw corner weights on where the
> right front was heavier than the left front. But I wouldn't worry about
> it. No-one to my knowledge disconnected their swaybars for the weights.
> You would believe how much weight those things can jack around. 100-220
> lbs or so. Weight jacks diagonally, not front to rear or side to side.
> You may have a pre-loaded sway-bar on your car. You may be able to
> adjust the pre-load on one corner. The way to check for a pre-loaded
> swaybar is to disconnect them, settle the car several times to normal
> ride height, then if all 4 ends will slip into place, or if one is 1/8
> to 1/4 too high or low. You could have a weak spring, frame mount, etc.
> causing this condition. In reality your front wheel weights are within
> 48 lbs of each other, with the driver in the car. Almost perfect! I
> wouldn't fool with it. That's within an acceptable range for a highly
> modified race car, and terrific for a street car!!
>
> I think my ESP Z28 was over 250 lbs off when we started fooling with
> weight jacking. We were lucky to get it down to 40 after a lot of work.
>
> I still don't know why no-one ever designed any adjustable height sway
> bar links for the front of our cars, or dual adjustable ones for the
> back (height & leverage)? It wouldn't be too hard. I'll bet there are
> some components already around in the racing circles that could be
> adapted. Food for thought, for someone with more time than I.
>
> my .02
> Lee
>
>
>
> Bruce Malachuk wrote:
>
> >I finally remembered where I had put my corner weight paper.
> >
> >94 Opal Frost MTX with all options, 24/26mm, AL SFB's, 96+ up front, new
> >metal sway links, AMSoil bypass oil filter with M1-301, mounted on front
> >bumper reinforcement (must weigh 15-20lbs), AMSoil foam panel filter in
> >stock airbox cones removed, 7.5 qts of oil, F&R steel STB's, Full lenght
> >SFC's, original struts and springs, slicers with 225/55/16 ES100's,
SHOshop
> >equal length y-pipe, custom 2.5 in cat back with magnaflow polished as
> >resonator and summit turbos (the pipe is really heavy gauge, too heavy
now
> >that I think about it), original motorcraft 1994 Battery (keeping it
stock
> >looking :-) )
> >
> >Car was weighted with me in it and I needed to take a piss, and abour 50%
> >tank of gas, no spare or jack in the trunk, passenger seat in normal
> >position, and rest of the full interior. helmet on my lap.
> >
> >Total 3716
> >LF 1158 RF 1206
> >Left% 49.4
> >LR 686 Rear % 36.4 RR 670
> >Cross % (lr+rf) 50.8%
> >
> >guess I need to move a little weight from the RF to the RR, but I think
the
> >battery woulf be too much. Anyone know what the 16in spare and jack
weight?
> >I'm thinking that would balance out my rear weights a little more. I did
> >notice the other night on the way home from Mark N's place that the RR
> >corner feels very light at high speeds ;-)
> >
> >Bruce
> >94 Opal Frost MTX
> >93 Black ATX - winter beater then parts car :-)
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Christian Andretta" <passport@optonline.net>
> >To: "Ron DeReus" <dereus@fbx.com>; "shotimes" <shotimes@autox.team.net>
> >Sent: Saturday, July 26, 2003 11:32 AM
> >Subject: RE: [Shotimes] Corner Weights
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >>I had mine weighed. I'll post the weights sometime tonight.
> >>
> >>Christian Andretta
> >>99 SF
> >>
> >>-----Original Message-----
> >>From: shotimes-admin@autox.team.net
> >>[mailto:shotimes-admin@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of Ron DeReus
> >>Sent: Saturday, July 26, 2003 10:55 AM
> >>To: shotimes
> >>Subject: RE: [Shotimes] Corner Weights
> >>
> >>
> >>no Gen 3's?
> >>
> >>Ron D.
> >>
> >>-----Original Message-----
> >>From: shotimes-admin@autox.team.net
> >>[mailto:shotimes-admin@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of Ron DeReus
> >>Sent: Sunday, July 20, 2003 10:58 PM
> >>To: Mark Nunnally; shotimes
> >>Subject: RE: [Shotimes] Corner Weights
> >>
> >>
> >>92 MTX with steel strut braces fore and aft, subframe connectors, empty
> >>trunk, rear seat installed, no passenger seat, Kirkey racing seat for
> >>driver, SHO Shop front springs, Eibachs rear, 21mm front ASB, 235/45/17
> >>
> >>
> >BFG
> >
> >
> >>R1 race tires on 17x7.5 wheels. Battery in stock position.
> >>
> >>total 3527
> >>left front 1165
> >>right front 1093
> >>left rear 649
> >>right rear 621
> >>left % 51.4
> >>rear % 36.0
> >>cross % 49.3
> >>
> >>I plan to improve this a little by removing the front strut brace and
> >>
> >>
> >moving
> >
> >
> >>the battery to the trunk.
> >>
> >>Joseph van Oss
> >>
> >>
> >>89 MTX w/ plus hood, no sunroof. 8 lb flywheel and lightweight Wilwood
> >>brakes. backseat in place, empty trunk, 16 lb Corbeau front seats, A/C
> >>delete, back door lexan windows, 135 lbs worth of roll cage and chassis
> >>bracing. Full tank of fuel, and 16x7.5" rims and 225/50 track rubber
> >>
> >>
> >(about
> >
> >
> >>20 lbs heavier than my streets)
> >>
> >>Total 3160
> >>LF 963
> >>RF 1047
> >>left% 49.1
> >>LR 591
> >>RR 559
> >>rear 36.3% (ugg)
> >>cross % 51.8
> >>
> >>No back seat and empty tank put its down near 3000 lb even, which is
about
> >>what I thought it would be. My coilovers, and battery relocation (13.5
lb
> >>battery) and a few other doo-dads should drop another 100 lbs off the
car.
> >>Trying to get to the 2900 lb range!
> >>
> >>Once I get the coilovers on I can start playing around with the corner
> >>weights. Need to ask Santa for a set of those this year ;)
> >>
> >>mark
> >>
> >>
> >>Ya, Robert was gracious enough to run the numbers twice for curiosity's
> >>sake. After I posted this, I ran the math with the battery moved to the
> >>rear, guessed 60 pounds for a normal DieHard - only made the rear % go
to
> >>38.3. Every little bit helps...
> >>
> >>Ron
> >>
> >>-----Original Message-----
> >>From: shotimes-admin@autox.team.net
> >>[mailto:shotimes-admin@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of Mark Nunnally
> >>Sent: Sunday, July 20, 2003 10:41 PM
> >>To: shotimes
> >>Subject: Re: [Shotimes] Corner Weights
> >>
> >>
> >>Interesting to see you ADD weight to the rear (your spare tire), and
watch
> >>it actually TAKE weight off the front. I'm assuming all from just more
> >>
> >>
> >rear
> >
> >
> >>spring load.
> >>
> >>mark
> >>
> >>
> >>Oh, and my 95 does have a sunroof, dual power buckets, factory JBL sound
> >>w/subwoofer & cd, 18 gallon gas tank, slicers with BFG Touring T/A
> >>
> >>
> >225/60R16
> >
> >
> >>tires, 26mm RSB, stock brakes w/PFCM pads, SACHs struts, stock springs,
> >>SHONUT motor/tranny mounts, and it's green.
> >>
> >>You know, Mark, Robert had a suggestion to balance it out - move the
> >>radiator to the rear.
> >>
> >>Ron
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>>Here's my stock 95MTX, empty trunk, about 7/8's tank of gas, no driver
> >>>
> >>>Total 3415
> >>>LF 1089 RF 1098
> >>>Left % 49.4
> >>>LR 598 Rear % 35.9 RR 629
> >>>Cross % 49.6
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>and stock 95MTX with spare tire in trunk, about 7/8's tank of gas, no
> >>>
> >>>
> >>driver
> >>
> >>
> >>>Total 3442
> >>>LF 1087 RF 1095
> >>>Left % 49.4
> >>>LR 613 Rear % 36.6 RR 646
> >>>Cross % 49.6
> >>>_______________________________________________
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> >>>Shotimes@autox.team.net
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> >>>
> >>>
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