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Justin Martin
Joined: 27 Mar 2012
Posts: 331
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 Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 3:22 am Post subject: Balancing your kart |
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Is their an easier, or most cost effective way to balance a kart?
I'm asking because I ahve seen even used scale sets upwards towards $800. Which is about a season of tires for me!
That being said.... Can you do it with fairly accurate digital scales? like one per wheel, then Calculate balance? These Calculations should be fairly similar to what I have to do on aircraft anyways....
Anyways, input?
Thanks fellas! Justin |
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Chris Reinhardt
Joined: 29 Aug 2002
Posts: 2954
Location: United States, New York, Ossining
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 4:19 am Post subject: |
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Search the internet but bathroom scales always worked.... If you setup 4 bathroom scales properly, and use the same scales on the same corners every time, you can get it pretty darn close.
Good luck...
CR
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Justin Martin
Joined: 27 Mar 2012
Posts: 331
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 4:43 am Post subject: |
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| Chris Reinhardt wrote: | Search the internet but bathroom scales always worked.... If you setup 4 bathroom scales properly, and use the same scales on the same corners every time, you can get it pretty darn close.
Good luck...
CR |
good to know Im not the only cheapie....
Thats pretty much what I was planning. Most digital bathroom scales around $20-$40 are accurate to .1-.2 pounds.
I have als heard you want about 46% front and 54% rear or so? is this true? |
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Chris Reinhardt
Joined: 29 Aug 2002
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Location: United States, New York, Ossining
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 5:15 am Post subject: |
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I don't use them anymore, I did when I was starting out....
The problem with digital bathroom scales is the auto off feature will drive you nuts...
CR
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TJ Koyen
Joined: 03 Oct 2004
Posts: 1459
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 5:17 am Post subject: |
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| Justin Martin wrote: | | Chris Reinhardt wrote: | Search the internet but bathroom scales always worked.... If you setup 4 bathroom scales properly, and use the same scales on the same corners every time, you can get it pretty darn close.
Good luck...
CR |
good to know Im not the only cheapie....
Thats pretty much what I was planning. Most digital bathroom scales around $20-$40 are accurate to .1-.2 pounds.
I have als heard you want about 46% front and 54% rear or so? is this true? |
Depends on your size and what class you run, but 41-43 front is usually what we shoot for. 46 is a little high.
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Justin Martin
Joined: 27 Mar 2012
Posts: 331
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 5:23 am Post subject: |
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Awesome thanks guys!
Im only 5'6.5" 135 (on a good day, but avg 130). Should be racing Rotax Sr on an Intrepid Cruiser. So I should have plenty of room for messing with weights.
I'll start with 41%!
Thanks for your input![/b] |
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al nunley
Joined: 13 Nov 2006
Posts: 3066
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 7:29 am Post subject: |
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Use analog scales.
The big problem, if there is one, is getting all four scales at the same height. I’ve heard that a long bubble level can help with that.
Have a weight you can put on each scale to set them each time you use them.
If you want an Excel spreadsheet to do “all” the math, send a request to anunley@austin.rr.com
There’s a bunch of other handy stuff included. It’s free for the asking. Do not leave request on this site.
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Tim Salvino
Joined: 20 Nov 2010
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Justin Martin
Joined: 27 Mar 2012
Posts: 331
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 8:25 am Post subject: |
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Quick question.
Why always use the same scale for same corner? For instance let's just say you have both FL and FR exactly the same according to the scale. However the FL scale reads .5 lbs light. Then this would ALWAYS be .5 lbs heavy. Now if you switched them as a cross reference and all of a sudden the FR would show on the scale as .5 light. If we take this knowledge and see that the FR was zeroed and now it is showing .5 off we can split the difference with both sides and get them closer to equal.
Now granted you don't know WHICH scale is more accurate, but at least it would be balanced. If you cross referenced all 4 scales it would be even more accurate. So in my opinion I could see the INITIAL balancing to be best done with cross referencing to correct for inaccuracies, but after that I understand the benefit of marking and using the same corner every time, that way you know if something got bent....
Is my understanding somewhat on track? |
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Justin Martin
Joined: 27 Mar 2012
Posts: 331
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 8:27 am Post subject: |
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| Then again... Two scales that advertise as being within .1-.2 pounds accurate probably wouldn't have too many huge accuracy problems.... So my statement above doesn't make much "practical" sense.... |
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Tim Salvino
Joined: 20 Nov 2010
Posts: 261
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 9:11 am Post subject: |
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| Justin Martin wrote: | | Why always use the same scale for same corner? |
Dependable repeatability. You dont want to worry about "I have to subtract .35lb from scale #3 and add .6lb to scale #1".
Make sure all the scales are at least somewhat accurate with a KNOWN weight (the closer to 1/4 the weight of your kart, the better). Take that same weight to a shipping store and see if they will weigh it for you, just so you can verify it. After you check your scales, mark them all (LF, RF, LR, RR). Doesnt really matter which one is which, just mark them. And dont change them. Even if they always read the same. It's just one less thing to worry about. |
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joseph hollinger
Joined: 12 Sep 2002
Posts: 9536
Location: United States, California, san francisco
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 9:44 am Post subject: |
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| Tim Salvino wrote: |
Make sure all the scales are at least somewhat accurate with a KNOWN weight (the closer to 1/4 the weight of your kart, the better). Take that same weight to a shipping store and see if they will weigh it for you, just so you can verify it. After you check your scales, mark them all (LF, RF, LR, RR). Doesnt really matter which one is which, just mark them. And dont change them. Even if they always read the same. It's just one less thing to worry about. |
As another test you can make them all measure the same weight at the same time:
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Benn Herr
Joined: 18 Jul 2001
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Chris Reinhardt
Joined: 29 Aug 2002
Posts: 2954
Location: United States, New York, Ossining
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 2:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Benn Herr wrote: | | Actually the numbers on the scales should be higher on the bottom ones - the additional weight of the scales you know! |
Not if you zero the scales... The point I think he's making is that the strain gauge is in a different position on all 4 scales, so that if they all read the same, then the scales are pretty accurate throughout their range.
CR
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Jim McMahon
Joined: 07 Apr 2007
Posts: 2787
Location: United States, St. Paul,
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 2:52 pm Post subject: |
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Joe can you post a link to those scales for reference?
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