Corner balancing on the cheap

Brilliant.... 16 Ikea scales. $6 each.

Link to trackhq forum where I found that bit of internet genius

From the dude with the drool-worthy garage, no less.

That's not bad.

nice to know it can be done for a reasonable price

you can do the same thing with 4 scales, some 2X4's, and a working knowledge of what "leverage" is..

I'm surprised Jack didn't do it with 4 scales and fabricated levers,as novaderrik suggests. Maybe the extra scales are cheaper than buying more steel to make accurate levers.

novaderrik wrote: you can do the same thing with 4 scales, some 2X4's, and a working knowledge of what "leverage" is..

I've been doing it that way for years (steel, not wood) but it cost time and money to make my own version of ruggles scales. Just thought this was a cool, simple answer.

So how'd he get it up there?

carguy123 wrote: So how'd he get it up there?

He has a lift built into the floor. I can't find the link but it is one sexy garage

I'm going to go for "fat dude" scales from amazon to do my MG. Scale capacities are allegedly 550lb each, so my ~1500 lb car should be fine.

$31.67 each from amazon.

Jack's garage thread.... http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=55006&highlight=gauge+garage

It makes a very good read. Some really clever ideas and details.

Nicely done on finding cheap scales and on those tire cradles - though I'd be a little concerned that the load is too concentrated on each small foot for a $6 plastic scale. Depends how it's made I guess.

I tried something similar with 2 scales per corner (I have one corner that is over the scales' limit by about 60 lbs - but that's what design margin is for, right?). I used 2X12's on the scales with stacked 2X12's adjacent to be able to roll on and off. Worked ok, but repeatability wasn't perfect.

Also tried the lever scale method, again with 2X12's - found it too aggravating to get placement correct enough for repeatability - plus needed more space adjacent to the car than I had easily available in the garage.

But, yeah I'm a fan of that guy's work. Time to go clean up my garage...

DeadSkunk wrote: Jack's garage thread.... http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=55006&highlight=gauge+garage It makes a very good read. Some really clever ideas and details.

Didn't read that entire thread, but I wonder why he needs about 100 C-clamps?

In reply to kb58:

Read the thread! He does an amazing amount of varied work in that small garage.

the score there is the $6 scales. I was trying to do the same thing for my kart, but couldn't find any decent scales for less than $20 each. Ohh and as a note, digital scales with an auto cutoff are no beuno. By the time you've got the car settled on the scales, they'll already have turned off. Also note that manual scales move just a little bit. Just enough to throw off corner weighting a go kart.

carguy123 wrote: So how'd he get it up there?

and how does he unbind the suspension when he sets the car down?

One cheap/easy way to uncouple the scales from the ground to allow movement when the suspension settles is to place them on some 1" wooden dowels, or pieces of EMT conduit, etc.
But you may have to use a couple of ropes from the car to a wall to keep the whole assembly from slowly rolling away if the floor is not dead level. ;)

Couldnt you just put the scales on two plates with salt betwen them? That would let the scale AND suspension move.

Or maybe, put the plates with salt on top of the scales?

Rob R.

Set the plates onto mesh bags full of old tennis balls?