Front to rear balance point

[joesbruiser]

I know people talk about how much there wheels weigh and how much weight they add to the fronts ETC.....
But after all that what is the actual point that the rig balances out at front to rear.It would seem to me that with all the different setups,wheel weights,and battery placements it would be easier to help someone get there rig initially setup by giving a balance point rather than have all the questions you see of how much weight to add to the wheels.

Am I way off here or could this be a better way of going about things?

[EeePee]

You're always way off.

I find mine to typically be at the front edge of the skid plate. Or close to it.

[joesbruiser]

Originally Posted by EeePee

You're always way off.

I find mine to typically be at the front edge of the skid plate. Or close to it.

So how far is that out of center of the Wheel Base?

[EeePee]

I built something to be a little more accurate. Including a sharp object.

So happens the cone needs to be placed between the ball ends, but notice it balances out left to right also. Sweet.

Looks like it's not quite an inch out from the center of the skid, which on the Losi truck with the same length links is the center of the wheelbase. Close to an inch.

[joesbruiser]

Originally Posted by EeePee

I built something to be a little more accurate. Including a sharp object.

So happens the cone needs to be placed between the ball ends, but notice it balances out left to right also. Sweet.

Looks like it's not quite an inch out from the center of the skid, which on the Losi truck with the same length links is the center of the wheelbase. Close to an inch.

Kids should not play with sharp objects

I also built something earlier to balance my truck on.It balances out at about 1.25 forward of center with my current setup.

[TrailDawg362]

Once again I find clear and useful information on RCC . Is it safe to assume the balance point applies to most, if not all crawler type rigs? Maybe this could be my next excuse for epic failures at comps

[EeePee]

Originally Posted by TrailDawg362

Maybe this could be my next excuse for epic failures at comps

Pretty sure that's why Joe started this thread, that guy is full of excuses.

It applies to everything with tires.

[silentcircus]

My truck and EeePee's are worlds apart in the way they are put together but the balance point is almost identical: the forward edge of the skid and centered between the ball ends. I had to tape a quarter to the bottom of mine because the tip of the cone's point won't fit between the rod ends. It's not quite as pointy as his.

[sledge57]

Interesting info, I gotta check mine

[oldhippie]

There is a fancy 4 wheel scale at the lhs and a 60 - 40 front weight bias seems to be the best setup which somehow manages to put the balance point at the front of the skid on a 50 - 50 setup.

[Dennis P]

Originally Posted by oldhippie

There is a fancy 4 wheel scale at the lhs and a 60 - 40 front weight bias seems to be the best setup which somehow manages to put the balance point at the front of the skid on a 50 - 50 setup.

This is what I was thinking of will reading this.That we are looking for a 60/40 or 70/30 setup ect .We weigh the complete truck,then we weigh the frt axle weight ,then the rear axle weight.Then we can calculate what percentage of the total weight is on the frt and rear axles.I generally run a 60/40 setup.And I only use one small electronic scale to do it.Thanks

[Nabil]

the one thing i always felt is that while balance point is important, the actual amount of front weight is aswell. i am going to use an extreme as an example. assume that you have 2 identical trucks. one trucks cg is exactly at the front edge of the skid and 3 inches off of the ground, the other trucks cg is also at the front edge of the skid but 8 inches off of the ground. both trucks will have the same balance point, but wont drive the same

the truck with the heigher cg is going to need more front wheel weight in order to ascend the same incline.

i hope this makes sense

[joesbruiser]

Originally Posted by e-hills4x4

the one thing i always felt is that while balance point is important, the actual amount of front weight is aswell. i am going to use an extreme as an example. assume that you have 2 identical trucks. one trucks cg is exactly at the front edge of the skid and 3 inches off of the ground, the other trucks cg is also at the front edge of the skid but 8 inches off of the ground. both trucks will have the same balance point, but wont drive the same

the truck with the heigher cg is going to need more front wheel weight in order to ascend the same incline.

i hope this makes sense

Very good example and a very valid point I do believe.
I was thinking about this earlier today while I was playing around with ride height on my truck after starting this thread.

[bastard]

I have always built all my rigs starting with three main concerns this includes all the 1:1 rigs too even the none crawlers.

lowest center of gravity as possible

weight byass for to rear

over all weight

they all work together but i always shoot for the lieghtest car as possible with a 50/50 byass and then add weight where needed. In a go fast car like my xrra we were at a 50/50 with out weight added and weight in at 2260 lbs. But the same car in its crawler set up weight in at 2760 with a 60/40 byass.

[EeePee]

Originally Posted by silentcircus

My truck and EeePee's are worlds apart in the way they are put together but the balance point is almost identical:

Like I said, most of my trucks have their balance point at the front of the skid, I don't try to make that happen, it just does. That seems to be the spot. I think we might have to be VERY SPECIFIC in our measurements for this way to be ... I forgot what I was saying.

Originally Posted by e-hills4x4

the one thing i always felt is that while balance point is important, the actual amount of front weight is aswell.

Those two variables are directly correlated. No?

[EeePee]

Originally Posted by bastard

In a go fast car like my xrra we were at a 50/50 with out weight added and weight in at 2260 lbs. But the same car in its crawler set up weight in at 2760 with a 60/40 byass.

500 pounds added to the front!? In the tires?

Byass.

[silentcircus]

Buy ass?

[EeePee]

Originally Posted by silentcircus

Buy ass?

Hey, what's the total weight of your piece?

[silentcircus]

Originally Posted by bastard

they all work together but i always shoot for the lieghtest car as possible with a 50/50 byass and then add weight where needed. In a go fast car like my xrra we were at a 50/50 with out weight added and weight in at 2260 lbs. But the same car in its crawler set up weight in at 2760 with a 60/40 byass.

In my 1:1 go fast cars (oval track or road course) I tried to move as much weight to the rear as possible (battery, oil cooler/filter, etc.) to get it as near a 50/50 weight distribution as possible. I used to have a set of four digital wheel scales that I'd love to find a miniature version of for RCs.

With the crawler I like it a lot better when it's near 60/40. Right now mine is 5 pounds, 14.5 ounces, with 57.2 oz (60.5%) on the front and 37.3 oz (39.5%) on the back. It was 57 front and 37.5 rear until I added Lunsford links to the back a couple days ago.

Originally Posted by EeePee

Hey, what's the total weight of your piece?

My ass is a bit too heavy for my little digital scale.

[sledge57]

Looks like I might want to take the rear weights out