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- In this set of modules we'll be covering the equipment and tools you're going to need to corner weight your car accurately and the most obvious of all the equipment you'll need will of course be a set of scales.
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There's plenty of choice on the market today with varying costs and features from different manufacturers.
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For a good quality set of digital scales, you'll be looking at somewhere around the $1500 to $2000 USD mark.
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00:25 |
While this is clearly an expensive piece of equipment to consider purchasing, for someone who is serious about getting that last bit of performance in their car, then it's an invaluable addition to your car setup equipment.
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00:37 |
Corner weight scales are a piece of equipment you're not going to be using all of the time so a great way of reducing your outlay is to share the cost with a couple of racing buddies.
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00:47 |
This way you can have access to the scales when you need them but you're greatly reducing your overall investment.
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00:53 |
The system we use here at RaceCraft is an Intercomp SW650 system which uses four individual scales that connect wirelessly to a handheld display.
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01:04 |
As with most professional setups, this system has the ability to log the weight readings for your car and will also automatically calculate weight percentages with the touch of a button.
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01:14 |
You can also monitor the corner weights live in real time so that you can adjust the car whilst on the scales to see exactly what your changes are doing.
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01:23 |
These scales can measure up to a combined capacity of 2800 kg or 6000 pounds which will be sufficient for most racecars.
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01:32 |
The Intercomp kit also has the function to be able to calculate aspects like centre of gravity, target weights and tuning and also boasts a 400 hour battery life which is helpful when you're using the system at the track.
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01:45 |
Another problem you can have when corner weighting your car can be that since you're the driver, taking measurements while sitting in the driver's seat can be tricky with some systems.
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01:54 |
This is one of the areas where a wireless system really comes into its own and it's easy to sit in the driver's seat with the display unit.
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02:02 |
There are also further options that work using connectivity to a mobile device or a laptop depending on your personal preferences.
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02:10 |
When communicating like this, the scales will use an encrypted data transfer system to stop any data being stolen or misused which in a motorsport industry, people can get quite sensitive about.
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02:22 |
If you're competing in something like carting or you're racing in a small lightweight racecar, then some racers have used normal bathroom scales as corner weights.
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02:31 |
Due to the scale's construction and ability to a point loading from the tyre along with their maximum weight limit, this technique is of limited use.
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02:41 |
Most bathroom scales also won't provide a continuous measurement and instead will display a reading once the weight has stabilised before shutting off which again is of very little use to us.
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02:52 |
While bathroom scales might sound like a great way to reduce costs, they really aren't suited to our purposes and with very few exceptions, you're much better to invest in a proper system.
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