Mini shell weight

[KILLA]

Does anyone know the approximate weight of a body/shell w/stripped subframes and full-braced rollcage? I'm trying to calculate towing weights.

[steve]

2 healthy guys can cary a stripped MK1 or 2 shell(add about 100 pounds for doors, boot lid, hood), so maybe 400 pounds for the complete body. the subbies weight about 75 pounds together, and a cage can vary from 40 to 150 pounds. Later shells ar quite a bit heavier. So figure 600 pounds for everything mentioned, or 700 for later model, on average. not much to tow anyway.

[KILLA]

Thanx. With a Honda Element, I'm kinda limited to what I can tow for an 1100 mile trip.

[mini marc]

Estimate the weight of your car without using scales.
1

Slide the 2 pieces of paper under a tire from front to back, till it barely snags under the tread patch. Measure this distance with the tape measure, and write it down. Then slide them under side to side, again measure the distance and write it down. Multiply the 2 numbers together, this gives you the surface area of the tread patch for that tire in square inches.

2

Use the tire gauge to read the pressure in the tire. This will be in PSI (pounds per square inch). See where we're going with this yet? Multiply the pressure in PSI by the surface area of the tire for estimate weight in pounds that tire is supporting.

3

Repeat steps 1 & 2 for the other tires on the car, and add the sums together. This will yield a good ball park figure for the weight of the vehicle. It will be a little lighter than actual because of the rigidity in the side walls and belting of the tires.

[steve]

Hmmm, Haven't actually done that before, as The tires could probably support 75 to 100 pounds of weight each, without any air in them, maybe 400 pounds or more, for 4 tires, depending on size and construction type. Do you subtract for the open areas of the tread pattern? I think in the above stated case, there are no tires on the shell.
I will have to try that some time, and compare to actual measured weight, to see how close it works out. Maybe a general error percentage factor could be calculated, to improve acuracy. But then, I think I will just drive down to a shop that has weight scales.

[mini marc]

Steve,
You are right... I should have created a new thread for this. I'm going to try this today and let you know what my findings are. One thing of importance... make sure the tires have correct pressures.

[joakwin]

i weighed my steel doors fully built up ready to bolt onto the shell and they were 40lbs ea
steel door shell was 25lbs