Suspension and Chassis Questions about your suspension? Need chassis advice?

Where is the center fo gravity on these cars?

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Old Jun 1, 2006 | 12:57 AM
  #1  
TransAm12sec's Avatar
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From: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Car: 1982 Trans Am
Engine: LG4
Transmission: 200C
Axle/Gears: 3:73
Where is the center fo gravity on these cars?

I know it varys car to car, but where's a general idea?
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Old Jun 1, 2006 | 07:47 PM
  #2  
AlkyIROC's Avatar
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From: 51°N 114°W, 3500'
Car: 87 IROC L98
Engine: 588 Alcohol BBC
Transmission: Powerglide
Axle/Gears: Ford 9"/31 spline spool/4.86
Go find a scale. Drive with your front wheels on the scale, get a weight. Put the back wheels on the scale, get a weight. Put the whole car on, get a weight. The front and rear weight should equal the total or be within a few pounds.

Once you have a front and rear weight, you can calculate a weight ratio. Lets say it's 55% nose heavy and only 45% of the weight is on the back.

Third gens have a 101" wheel base. 55% of 101 is 55.5 so 45.5" back from the front spindle is the "front to rear" center of gravity. The higher the front to rear ratio is, the more the center of gravity is moved forward.

To check the top to bottom center of gravity takes a lot more work since you need to have the back wheels on the scale and you need to jack the front of the car up to a measured height to see how much weight is transfered to the rear.

As a ballpark figure, you can use the camshaft centerline height which for most people, will be close enough.

My car, although it has a race weight of 3085 pounds, is still nose heavy with a 60/40 weight ratio. that's just because my back end is so light. The nose weight isn't much more than a fully loaded SBC street car. My center of gravity is almost 40-1/2" back from the front spindle.

Last edited by AlkyIROC; Jun 1, 2006 at 07:53 PM.
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Old Jun 1, 2006 | 08:52 PM
  #3  
sofakingdom's Avatar
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I think you'll find that it's REAL NEAR the radio. About between the shifter **** and the radio face plate is typical.
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