ProSoundWeb Community

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

Pages: 1 [2]  All   Go Down

Author Topic: Tongue scales  (Read 3965 times)

Bob Faulkner

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Online Online
  • Posts: 1497
  • Raleigh, NC
Re: Tongue scales
« Reply #10 on: July 10, 2018, 02:47:56 PM »

WOW ! The price went way up !

http://www.etrailer.com/Tools/Sherline/5780.html
Nice trailer! 

Interesting the price is that high on etrailer.  If I buy directly from Sherline, it shows $142 for LM2000 (2000 lb).

Thanks for the info!

Bob,

I used to live 30 miles from the nearest scales, and never had even thought (or heard) of a tongue scale  :-[.
To determine tongue weight, I've used a length of square tube as a lever, putting one end on a jack stand, the other end on a jack stand on a 2"x12" "foot" cut to the size of a bathroom scale, the trailer tongue in the middle of the square tube. The 2x12" is needed to spread the weight evenly across the scale. The weight of the jack stand, tube and "foot" are noted before the tongue is lowered, and added to the weight.
Center loading leverage action reduces the weight by half, so a 300 lb scale could take (almost) a 600 lb tongue weight. For heavier tongue weight, the trailer tongue could be placed for a larger (3/1, 4/1 etc) reduction.

If you don't have all the hardware laying around, a tongue scale looks pretty nice ;^).

Art



Had heard of using bathroom scales before, but needed something more "portable"... which led me to finding these types of scales.  Though, I think it would be good to see how much everything weighs (van and trailer with gear)... maybe one stop at some scales somewhere.
Logged

GenePink

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 80
Re: Tongue scales
« Reply #11 on: July 11, 2018, 03:41:17 AM »

... I think it would be good to see how much everything weighs (van and trailer with gear)...

Slightly off topic, but if you want vehicle weights by axle, find a bottle jack with a shaft o.d. of 1-1/8"". Make sure it has a bleed plug on the high side.

!-1/8"" dia is the magic number, it is almost exactly one square inch of area (0.994, close enough)

Thread a pressure gauge in the bleed plug hole. Use a flexible hose like a brake line, because as we all well know, the gauge will always end up facing down when tight.

This is direct reading. Jack up an axle from the center, when you see daylight under both wheels, the PSI gauge reads the weight directly, no math involved. You made a hydraulic scale.

Note that you are not supposed to lift a truck by the differential, but I have never broken an axle tube weld, yet.

Gene


Logged

Bob Faulkner

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Online Online
  • Posts: 1497
  • Raleigh, NC
Re: Tongue scales
« Reply #12 on: July 11, 2018, 09:01:35 AM »

Slightly off topic, but if you want vehicle weights by axle, find a bottle jack with a shaft o.d. of 1-1/8"". Make sure it has a bleed plug on the high side.

!-1/8"" dia is the magic number, it is almost exactly one square inch of area (0.994, close enough)

Thread a pressure gauge in the bleed plug hole. Use a flexible hose like a brake line, because as we all well know, the gauge will always end up facing down when tight.

This is direct reading. Jack up an axle from the center, when you see daylight under both wheels, the PSI gauge reads the weight directly, no math involved. You made a hydraulic scale.

Note that you are not supposed to lift a truck by the differential, but I have never broken an axle tube weld, yet.

Gene



Yeah, I've seen where people have done this.  Looks like it works pretty good.  Though, my tinkering days are over; I'm at the point where I would buy something like that before I would even attempt to create it myself.  Maybe 20 - 30 years ago, I would have tried it, but not now. 
Logged

Bob Faulkner

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Online Online
  • Posts: 1497
  • Raleigh, NC
Re: Tongue scales
« Reply #13 on: July 11, 2018, 09:13:48 AM »

And slightly off topic...

How (or when) do you all setup your trailers to be level with the your tow vehicle receiver?  Do you ensure the trailer is level when it's empty... or when it's loaded? 

Between the coupler and receiver, my setup dictates about a 5" drop.  This yields a level trailer... when empty.  When the trailer is loaded, it drops about another 3" on the tongue.

I'm thinking it would be safer to have the trailer level when it's loaded (possibly using a 2" or 3" drop). 
Logged

Jeff Bankston

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2568
Re: Tongue scales
« Reply #14 on: July 11, 2018, 04:11:08 PM »

And slightly off topic...

How (or when) do you all setup your trailers to be level with the your tow vehicle receiver?  Do you ensure the trailer is level when it's empty... or when it's loaded? 

Between the coupler and receiver, my setup dictates about a 5" drop.  This yields a level trailer... when empty.  When the trailer is loaded, it drops about another 3" on the tongue.

I'm thinking it would be safer to have the trailer level when it's loaded (possibly using a 2" or 3" drop).
I have load leveler air bags and adjust for the coupler being 1" lower than the back of the trailer.
Logged

Dave Pluke

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1782
  • Northwest GA, USA
    • BIGG GRIN Productions
Re: Tongue scales
« Reply #15 on: July 11, 2018, 05:45:54 PM »

I'm thinking it would be safer to have the trailer level when it's loaded (possibly using a 2" or 3" drop).

That would be preferable, IMHO.

Does the trailer always carry the same load or does that vary by gig?

Dave
Logged
...an analog man in a digital world [tm]

Flying direct to nearly everywhere out of ATL

Bob Faulkner

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Online Online
  • Posts: 1497
  • Raleigh, NC
Re: Tongue scales
« Reply #16 on: July 12, 2018, 07:46:13 AM »

That would be preferable, IMHO.

Does the trailer always carry the same load or does that vary by gig?

Dave

It varies sometimes.  Heaviest load is close to 4000 lbs., majority of shows could be close to 2500 lbs.; events are between 2500 and 3000 lbs.  Anything less can usually fit in my 3/4 cargo van.
Logged

Dave Pluke

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1782
  • Northwest GA, USA
    • BIGG GRIN Productions
Re: Tongue scales
« Reply #17 on: July 12, 2018, 10:09:13 PM »

It varies sometimes.  Heaviest load is close to 4000 lbs., majority of shows could be close to 2500 lbs.; events are between 2500 and 3000 lbs.  Anything less can usually fit in my 3/4 cargo van.

Without knowing how much your hitch height travels under the heaviest load, I might suggest trying to get it level at the average (3000-ish)?

Dave
Logged
...an analog man in a digital world [tm]

Flying direct to nearly everywhere out of ATL

ProSoundWeb Community

Re: Tongue scales
« Reply #17 on: July 12, 2018, 10:09:13 PM »


Pages: 1 [2]  All   Go Up
 



Site Hosted By Ashdown Technologies, Inc.

Page created in 0.025 seconds with 23 queries.