What is corner weighting

[NRP/MN]

I have corner balanced sedan type road race cars. The method used was to match the cross weight of the RF/LR to the weight of the LF/RR. This does not yield equal weights on thr RF/LF or the LR/RR. The target is to achieve similiar cross weights to create a neutral chassis balance durng aggressive cornering. Example-a higher weight percentage on the RF/LR cross favors left hand turns. Keeping the cross weight similiar generates a setup that turns right and left with similiar handling characteristics, no oversteer or understeer when turnng right or left. However this is all fine if your spring and sway bars are perfectly chosen as they also impact "tight or loose" Performing this on a Backdraft may be a pain the #%ss as you only have coil over adjusters on the front. The rear spring is conventional (seperate from the shock). This would require spacers placed under the spring. In addition to balancing the cross weights, you also have to maintain correct ride heights, not as easy as it sounds. This can be a half days work. In addition our scales are on setup stands that are laser leveled with each other. The surface of the shop floor is not accurate to do this.

[NRP/MN]

I should have added this is done with driver or similiar weight in vehicle and sway bars disconnected. It is almost mandatory to have some form of adjustable sway bar link to reconnect without disrupting the scale work performed.

[Bernica]

Originally Posted by NRP/MN

In addition to balancing the cross weights, you also have to maintain correct ride heights, not as easy as it sounds.

Bingo!
I had one shop try it years ago and although in their minds they had it balanced, the ride height was all messed up. As stated above, not as easy as it sounds. You are wrestling with two variables. Height and balance.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Bernica

Bingo!
I had one shop try it years ago and although in their minds they had it balanced, the ride height was all messed up. As stated above, not as easy as it sounds. You are wrestling with two variables. Height and balance.

I would rather set the corner weights than set the valves. Provided you have a flat garage floor, and the nice digital weight scales, you just put sand bags in the seat, loosen the sway bars, and take your time with the coil over adjustments. There's no magic to it, you can let your mind wander, and you're never going to get it perfect anyway. You can go as slow as you want, it's impossible to accidentally break anything, screw anything up badly, or drop a tool down your engine. It's really a nice little weekend job.

[FatBoy]

It possibly needs re-stating that you're not trying to get all four wheels to show an equal weight. If you have a front or rear weight bias, no amount of corner balancing is going to change that.
Instead, the idea is to get the sum of the weights of the diagonal wheels to be equal i.e. LF + RR = RF + LR.
As Pat just said, it isn't rocket science, but it can be frustrating and you'll be surprised how little adjustment you need to make a big difference to the registered weight.
Get your ride height and tyre pressures set first though before you start messing around with the corner weights.
You really need to have all four wheels on the scales at the same time i.e. one under each wheel. You can't just weigh one corner at a time because you'll chase your tail forever.

Paul

[lovehamr]

Originally Posted by NRP/MN

Performing this on a Backdraft may be a pain the #%ss as you only have coil over adjusters on the front. The rear spring is conventional (seperate from the shock). This would require spacers placed under the spring.

Just pointing out that though BDRs don't have coil-overs in the rear, they do have a threaded adjustment on the spring mount so that spacers are not needed. It's really pretty easy.

[NRP/MN]

Lovehamr, thats good to know. I have been doing service work on a customers BDR in the past and only noticed the shock/ spring arrangement. That simplifies thing greatly!