weight on front axle

[tuna_fisher]

I'm 100 miles RT to a cat scale and a local Van & Storage has a scale, the problem i'm finding is I asked if they were able to weigh the front axle and they said yes , just put your front on the scale. Will that be accurate? Cat scales have seprate scales that weigh each axle, you don't see them as there under the whole scale.

[delosholly]

Thanks, I will have to check out the ones around here. Would be a very convenient way to check weight. Good tip!!

Del

[Bedlam]

Most of the WA and OR scales are left turned on even when unattended. This is when I pull in to check weights, redistribute items I am carrying and adjust my weight distribution hitch.

Here is my last weigh in for truck, truck camper and hitch weight from enclosed trailer:



GVW -


RAW -


FAW -


The trailer was loaded at about 6000 lbs for this trip and I did not not take photos of its weight or my GCW around 22k lbs.

[delosholly]

Bedlam wrote:
I do this often at closed weigh stations with good results. Remember than many scales round to the nearest 20 lbs, so individual axle weights may not exactly add up to the entire vehicle weight (should be within 20 lbs).

So I understand correctly, you are talking about the weigh stations I see along the Interstates for weighing commercial vehicles? Are those always turned on and we can drive onto them to see our weights?
In our area we see more closed scales than open ones.

Thanks,
Del

[tuna_fisher]

That's one of the questions I had, how far do you pull onto the scale to weigh the front end correctly? JIMNLIN says all the way till the rear wheels are just about to go on the scale, I was thinking till you were just before the COG was on the scale or it doesn't matter? How far?

[ISBRAM]

When I had mine weighed at a certified scale several years ago, they weighed the front axle then the whole rig and then just the rear axle.
There was only a 20lb discrepancy between the scales whole rig weight and adding the weight of the front and rear axles together. Pretty close for a rig that weighed 11,000lbs.

[JIMNLIN]

My small town grain elevator has a feed mill and platform scale. The scale is open 24/7 and costs nothing to weigh. As the CAT scale their good for +/- 20 lb.
I drive the truck up on the scale till the drivers are just about to roll on the scale for front axle load. Then pull on the scale for a gross weight if you need one.
Then pull forward till the front tires are just off the scale for a rear axle load.

I wouldn't weigh on a windy day especially with a high body vehicle like a TC or 5th wheel trailer or a enclosed trailer.

[finsruskw]

Do the gross 1st than pull the front axle just off the scale and do the rear axle.
Or, if they will cooperate, do the front, then the gross, then pull the front off and do the rear.
Then add the front and the rear and see if they total the gross.

[Wheelholder]

Yes, the weights will be accurate as long as you are not sloped front to back. That could cause a small weight shift.

Some state scales still use an axle scale for semis, and weigh one axle at a time, so I would feel comfortable with the weights.

[tuna_fisher]

Thanks guys, that's good news.

[2oldman]

close enough

[d3500ram]

The county dump where I live will do front and rear independently upon request and then I will get printout for the purposes of charging for the weight of the refuse. The F & R have always added up exactly to the total.

[Bedlam]

I do this often at closed weigh stations with good results. Remember than many scales round to the nearest 20 lbs, so individual axle weights may not exactly add up to the entire vehicle weight (should be within 20 lbs).