• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Weight ratio, center of gravity?

General23cmp

Well-Known Member
Local time
5:36 AM
Joined
Jun 10, 2011
Messages
125
Reaction score
9
Location
Alabama
Has anyone measured the weight ratio, front vs rear, on your car? Mine is a 1969 satellite convertible, so I know it weighs a little more, but it’s mostly in the center of the car. I’m just trying to get a good estimation of where the center of gravity of the car is along its length. With the big tail section, I’m guessing it’s farther back than other cars I’ve had, which had a COG near the bottom edge of the steering wheel or near the shifter. This car’s may be farther back like where the seat back meets the seat bottom, I just don’t know.

I’m trying to make the best use of space in my garage and have an asymmetric lift. The COG needs to be where the two posts’ center lines intersect. Just eyeballing it and guessing about center of gravity, it could shift the car’s edge closest to my wall by 2-3’ just by turning the car around because of the long back end.

Please, before anyone says that you aren’t supposed to turn a car around on an asymmetric lift.... the lift doesn’t “know” or “care” as long as the center of gravity is where it should be, and with the weight distribution where the lift points are on this specific car are, it really has minimal difference (center of gravity will be close to the center of the wheelbase). It could make opening the doors a little more aggravating one way vs the other.

Thanks. I’m just wondering if the weight is 50-50, 40-60, 60-40, etc.
 
From the '68 FSM-
20190407_152948.jpg

The approximate center of gravity is about the same on the A- and C-body models according to the chart also, so it must be close enough regardless of engine size and things like that..
 
The A and C bodies are different enough from the B, that it surprises me. The rear of a B body just seems so much larger than those, but I guess it’s insignificant. Thanks.
 
I'm seriously contemplating buying a set of scales for just such info, among others. I would love to know actual weights and biases on my cars, and so would my friends. Jegs has scales cheaper than summit, but summit price matches and is currently offering summit bucks on the scales.
I would guess that most of our old cars are somewhere in the 53% to 57% forward bias, depending on drivetrain. An aluminum head and intake small block with a 904 will have a lot less front weight than an iron head and intake 440 with an iron 4sp and a 40 lb flywheel.
Your drivetrain will give you an idea of where you are likely at.
 
all steel car with iron engine will be very close to 55/45. alum engine parts won't vary that a lot; maybe 1%.
 
Auto Transport Service
Back
Top