Weight of body

[Rainer S.]

What is the approximate wheight of the 63 SWC body and related parts,including: seats, interior,glass, dash ?
I want to do the alignment of the suspension, while the body is off the frame. My intention is to put the approx. missing wheight on the frame, to simulate what is not installed. It would be so much easier, to do the alignment without the body.

Rainer

[John H.]

Re: Weight of body

Rainer -

I doubt if you could ever simulate the front/rear body weight distribution on the frame close enough, even if you knew what the body weighed; for a correct alignment you'll have to take it to an alignment shop anyway when it's done.

[Rainer S.]

Re: Weight of body

John,
I guess you are right. I wanted to get it close, and when the car is done, will go to have it aligned using the professional equipment at an alignment shop.
Thanks for your advise.

Rainer

[Art A.]

Re: Weight of body

Rainer, Years ago at Chevrolet Engineering we had to do a weight analysis of a complete vehicles components and the computer print out was about 2 inches thick---and that was single spaced 14X18 computer paper.
It would be a very difficult thing to do outside GM, short of just weighing a body.

Art

[mike cobine]

Re: Weight of body

The only way you can do this practically is to get someone with a similarly equipped '63 coupe put it on four wheel scales and take the readings from all four wheels.

Even then, the weight difference on a full tank, half tank and empty tank of gas will upset things a little. Of course, that is a variable you live with daily so try for a half tank to split the differences.

With the four wheel weights, then load your chassis until your four wheels weigh the same.

Don't forget to roll the chassis back and forth and to bounce the suspension some after you load it, because it needs to move the tires and suspension to a natural condition before attempting to align.

Just ballpark so you know how much weight to gather, you will be slightly under 800 lbs each front corner and slightly over 800 each rear corner. However, each corner can vary greatly so that you may have a greater difference both front to back and side to side.

Good luck.