Inexpensive Race Scales

[casuprock]

I was looking at race scales. Intercomp makes a few models that are alright, but they're all on the pricey side... So I decided to see what the range is like on bathroom scales. To my... (searching for a PC word)... surprise, there are individual scales that go up to 1000lb to weigh individuals of extreme weight.

The nice part is you don't have to buy a set of 4 scales at once, if you're just interested in measuring one wheel at a time which is a good start for someone like me who is getting started with weight distribution.

1000 lb Scale

Just don't read the reviews...

Another method I've seen kit airplane builders use is to use a lesser bathroom scale and a piece of wood, calculating the moment around the pivot point of the wood and the force applied by the small bathroom scale at a distance. That'll give you the weight with some simple statics but it's more work than just using a scale of the correct range.

Alright... I just bought one of those scales. We'll see how good it is for weighing a DSM. Now for the fun part... what to write in the Amazon product review.

 

[99gst_racer]

I'm pretty sure a decent 4-corner system can be had for around $600. I'll run some part numbers and post back when I get in my office tomorrow morning.

 

[Tyeler18]

Interesting. I've been looking to an alternative to DIY cornerbalancing to dial in my coilovers on the 3g and 1g.

 

[casuprock]

I'm pretty sure a decent 4-corner system can be had for around $600. I'll run some part numbers and post back when I get in my office tomorrow morning.

That would be great... I was looking for the cheapest option possible to do some work with balancing before I get more serious and upgrade to something real.

 

[snowborder714]

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/handling-tech/176315-bathroom-scale-cross-weighting.html

 

[casuprock]

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/handling-tech/176315-bathroom-scale-cross-weighting.html

Excellent.

 

[Flash]

Intercomp scales are by far the best. I remember when my friend got his scales, I looked at them and said these things make the Longacres look like junk. For the weekend warrior, might be too expensive. But if you have the money, by all means get the Intercomp.

 

[99gst_racer]

An economy set will be just fine for a guy that uses them on occasion in his garage. Unless you're making money competing with the car, you probably won't even need to worry about the bells and whistles of the higher end professional stuff.

Proform offers a decent economy set. Part number 67650. You should be able to find those in the $600-650 range if you look hard enough.

The most affordable Lonacre set is around $800. The most affordable Intercomp set is around $900. I think you'd be hard-pressed to find any 4-corner system of decent quality for under $600, unless it is used.

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/handling-tech/176315-bathroom-scale-cross-weighting.html

Awesome write-up. Never saw that before.

 

[snowborder714]

Intercomp scales are by far the best. I remember when my friend got his scales, I looked at them and said these things make the Longacres look like junk. For the weekend warrior, might be too expensive. But if you have the money, by all means get the Intercomp.

What types of differences did you notice? I've read both brands are about the same and am considering getting a set at some point in the near future. I had be looking into the Longacres more though, so I'd like to hear about the Intercomps.

An economy set will be just fine for a guy that uses them on occasion in his garage. Unless you're making money competing with the car, you probably won't even need to worry about the bells and whistles of the higher end professional stuff.

A lot of what the higher end sets come with is more numbers on the display. All of those extras can easily be figured out by a simple Excel sheet. All you need are the weights of each corner and you can do more with Excel than the higher end scales can.

Oh, and some are wireless setups which just seems like a waste of extra money to me.






Paul, you don't happen to deal with AutoPartsDealer.com's scale orders, do you?

 

[99gst_racer]

A lot of what the higher end sets come with is more numbers on the display. All of those extras can easily be figured out by a simple Excel sheet. All you need are the weights of each corner and you can do more with Excel than the higher end scales can.

Oh, and some are wireless setups which just seems like a waste of extra money to me.

The wireless option is great for the guys that bring the scales to the track. Most guys don't opt for wireless just to use in the shop though.

Some other bells and whistles that the higher-end scales offer are center of gravity calculations, the ability to store several chassis set-ups for multiple cars/tracks, stronger pads, certified calibrations, etc... Most of us wouldn't really need these features, but they're fun to have if the system fits your budget.

Paul, you don't happen to deal with AutoPartsDealer.com's scale orders, do you?

We fill some of their scale orders. I'm not sure what determines which warehouse gets the order though, so there's no guarantee.

 

[casuprock]

I didn't want wires either because connectors always have a bad habit of getting stepped on, dented, or yanked. If there was a problem, I'd have to hunt down the manufacturer and find out the part number of the connector or buy a replacement cable assembly for $$$... etc.

Hopefully the 'big people scale' will work out.