How to Weigh Individual Wheel Positions

[Ridgerunner3]

Have any of you weighed individual wheel loads on a two axle AS trailer? Is there room on a CAT scale to move over to one side and have one trailer wheel on one scale pad and the other on a different scale pad? I have been to the CAT scale many times but I never looked to see if this is possible.

What about weighing individual wheel loads with a Sherline scale? Anybody had any success with that?

[wmarsha]

almost any serious car racer will have a set of wheel scales. Just find a roundy round racer (even some drag racers) and ask around. Somebody will have a set. With the appropriate and correct geometry, a simple set up will allow you to weigh each wheel. It will be eye opening. When I used the cat scales, I split the trailer axles over the scales and found that the front axle was carrying way more wt. than the rear. On a tandem axle airstream, that means you have to increase the tongue height! I know counter-intuitive, but while raising the tongue you have to keep an eye on the total tongue weight as well.

[markdoane]

Call the local police department. My neighboring PD has a Tahoe with a full set of scales in the back. Don't know if they will let you use them, unless you know somebody or buy a ticket to the Policeman's Ball.

[newroswell]

Originally Posted by wmarsha

When I used the cat scales, I split the trailer axles over the scales and found that the front axle was carrying way more wt. than the rear. On a tandem axle airstream, that means you have to increase the tongue height! I know counter-intuitive, but while raising the tongue you have to keep an eye on the total tongue weight as well.

This makes absolutely no sense to me. If the trailer is level you will have equal weight on both axles, unless something is really screwy with the way they are mounted. You can (and will) have more weight left vs right. I can only imagine that your weight numbers are off due to method used to weigh them. Did you weight the front axle by pulling on the scale with just one axle, then measured the rear by pulling off the scale? In other words, did you use the front and rear edge of the scale pad?

[TG Twinkie]

newroswell
My trailer has more weight on the street side tires than on the curb side.
Because the heavy stuff like the refer, battery, water heater are all on the street side. Plus there is more cabinet space in the galley on the street side.
This weight will NOT balance out across the trailer equally.
If the heavy stuff was right down the middle, it would balance out.

[newroswell]

TG, I agree. I said above you can and will have more weight on one side, left vs right... Not on front axle vs rear as long as the trailer is level.

[TG Twinkie]

Guess I misread it.
If you are using a long scale. Made to weigh entire semi trucks. Measuring at the extreme ends of the scale will not be accurate.

[BlackAces]

Originally Posted by Ridgerunner3

Have any of you weighed individual wheel loads on a two axle AS trailer? Is there room on a CAT scale to move over to one side and have one trailer wheel on one scale pad and the other on a different scale pad? I have been to the CAT scale many times but I never looked to see if this is possible.

What about weighing individual wheel loads with a Sherline scale? Anybody had any success with that?

This reference has a lot of good info with printable charts to follow.

http://www.trucktires.com/bridgeston.../WeighForm.pdf

BA

[outofcontrol]

Originally Posted by newroswell

This makes absolutely no sense to me. If the trailer is level you will have equal weight on both axles, unless something is really screwy with the way they are mounted.

If you have a torsion axle (not leaf springs) like all airstreams since 1961? The rubber cords can be frozen in place or lacking in movement. Especially if they've been sitting for a number of years. Imagine if your trailer was parked on uneven ground, or blocks under one axle, for 10yrs and the rubber hardened in place. This would put more weight on one axle than the other.

To the original post: Yes, you can drive to a scale and isolate one tire at a time. But it's not going to be super accurate. Some of the truck scales around here measure in 50lb increments, and as stated, they're less accurate near the edges. Not unlike my bathroom scale!

-Kevin

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by wmarsha

almost any serious car racer will have a set of wheel scales. Just find a roundy round racer (even some drag racers) and ask around. Somebody will have a set. With the appropriate and correct geometry, a simple set up will allow you to weigh each wheel. It will be eye opening. When I used the cat scales, I split the trailer axles over the scales and found that the front axle was carrying way more wt. than the rear. On a tandem axle airstream, that means you have to increase the tongue height! I know counter-intuitive, but while raising the tongue you have to keep an eye on the total tongue weight as well.

This is the way we weigh all of our trailers, even heavy equipment trailers...eye opening is an understatement!

Aaron