CAT weight scale accuracy

white-eagle · May 16, 2010, 04:53:03 AM

4 years ago, i had the bus weighed by the RV weight guys on individual scales that weighed each side of each axle. according to their report, and we were pretty full of black, grey and water, we had 22k drive, 5500 bogie, 11k front. a little over the gvw.
I had the bogie's re-indexed about a year later at a place where they should have known Eagles, and they assured me the adjustments they did, which i didn't think were enough based on the manual, were enough.
for anyone not familiar - Eagle says 17k drive, 10k bogie, 11k front.
yesterday, i weighed at a pilot, doing my best to get the axles on different blocks. 21k drive, 6500 bogie, 12k front. This was right after we fueled up. thinking about why i'm up to 40k, we did add 6 GC batteries, but we put them where the bus A/C compressor was, and it wasn't light.
my big concern is that the bogies weren't indexed right, now i'm going to have to find a place and the equipment to do it myself, but my other concern is that it's showing us at 40k. i can't see how we gained 2000 lbs. are these things usually accurate? We were tipping the edges of the scale rather than being centered on them since we were getting the tight space between bogie and drive on different scales.

so the short question is: how accurate are these scales? anyone know where to get a cheap scale that will weigh one side of an axle? Anyone know a good, cheap garage that can adjust axles and do alighments in N. Ohio.

yeah, i know. cheap and good don't usually go together.

JackConrad · May 16, 2010, 05:04:04 AM

Reckon it is all that food ya'll ate last winter? LOL Jack

Busted Knuckle · May 16, 2010, 06:44:56 AM

Tom believe it or not it ain't hard to "acquire" 2000 lbs in a unit you live in over say 4 yrs or so.
(unless you are very careful and do as Sean & Louise, where when they get something "new", something "old" has to go!)

And yes the CAT scales are usually pretty accurate! Truckers depend on them to NOT get overweight tickets from the DOT scales. So CAT checks and certifies them on a regular basis. You can always go into where they are and ask when they were last checked and they have to show you or tell you when the last certification was done. (and I can assure you the many drivers that use them keep them on their toes!)

BK

And I agree with Jack, all of that good food Fran & Paula fed you along with Gumpy's fudge you were supposed to have shared could be where a large portion came from.

luvrbus · May 16, 2010, 07:19:07 AM

If the place didn't use a scale on the bogies they will not be right as you know that is the starting point on a Eagle and it needs to be right.Fwiw Tom I cannot make the CAT scales work on the bogies on my Eagle.Tom you can buy the jack from www.jackxchange.com for 130 bucks with the gauge or 60 bucks without the gauge lol the gauge cost more than the jack

good luck

BG6 · May 16, 2010, 07:53:33 AM

Quote from: white-eagle on May 16, 2010, 04:53:03 AM
so the short question is: how accurate are these scales?

CAT says:

"If you get an overweight fine from the state after our scale showed you legal, we will immediately check our scale. If our scale is wrong, we will reimburse you for the fine. If our scale is correct, a representative of CAT Scale Company will appear in court with the driver as a witness."

That gives them an incentive to run the numbers a little high.

However, if they were running high numbers, that would get around the industry, and nobody would use them, because the shippers want to run full loads. If that scale were really showing a 12% error, that would be TWO TONS less freight that a truck could carry in order to show the legal 80,000 lbs.

Just Dallas · May 16, 2010, 08:07:10 AM

Removed

Busted Knuckle · May 16, 2010, 08:39:18 AM

Quote from: Now Just Dallas
How much black grey and fresh did you have at Pilot?

How much fuel did you have the first time you weighed?

250 gallons of fuel is gonna be 2000 lbs.

It looks to me like your running too close to max GVWR before fueling or adding water. Time to lighten the load a bit.

Yes Dallas, but I think the main concern is the bus not Tom.

BK

JackConrad · May 16, 2010, 09:26:15 AM

Quote from: Busted Knuckle on May 16, 2010, 06:44:56 AM
And I agree with Jack, all of that good food Fran & Paula fed you along with Gumpy's fudge you were supposed to have shared could be where a large portion came from.

Well, you know what happens when those 2 sisters get together LOL Jack

white-eagle · May 16, 2010, 09:46:46 AM

BK, you and Jack seem to have a common point that i'm not sure i agree with.

i didn't eat all the food myself! although i will admit there has been a weight gain while we've been full timing and Fran's cookin each night. Just not enough physical exercise drivin.

Dallas, i had just put tank to full at 150 gal. Black and grey and water, probably another 150 gal total. i'm gonna follow Clifford's suggestion and get that gauge/jack unit so i can do my own weighing. when i get weighed, i like to have all tanks near full so i get a worst case.

Clifford, thanks for the hint. i couldn't find the unit on a quick search, so i sent them an email.

luvrbus · May 16, 2010, 09:54:08 AM

Here you go Tom model BH 2063 for the 6 ton jack model BH 2622 for the gauge model 2123 for the 12 ton the 12 ton is the best for you only cost a few bucks more

good luck

TomC · May 16, 2010, 10:05:08 AM

Tom- Having 12,000lb on the front, isn't bad-most trucks have that. As long as you have the tires for it-your fine. Having 21,000lbs on the rear is a little over, but your axle is most likely a 23,000lb axle-so that's good too. 6,500lb on the bogies is a little low, but then your still legal, and the lesser weight will keep the bogies from wearing out so soon. Increasing the bogies by about 1,500lbs would be a good idea, but from your figures, not critical. Good Luck, TomC

busguy01 · May 16, 2010, 10:06:03 AM

No one has questioned the original weight! Those RV weight guys at rallies sometimes do not have a dead flat place to use and that will make the weight be off a bunch. Just a thought
JimH

luvrbus · May 16, 2010, 10:17:26 AM

TomC has it the 05 Eagle with 12R X22.5 is 42000 lbs the Eagles with 24.5 are less than 39000 lbs they all have the same torque tube and the 45 ft model 15 is 44,000 lbs with tire pressure adjustment on the 11r 24.5 tires if the 45 foot 15 had 12r 22.5 it is rated to 48,000 lbs the 45 footer does have a large rear axle.

good luck

rusty · May 16, 2010, 11:00:40 AM

Tom, Eagle bogies where not made to take the weight Tom C is suggesting. You are already to heavy. 5000 lbs is about the max. Your rearend will take some more weight as Clifford said. If you add more weight to the rear end it will take some off the bogies. Follow the book to set the weighs and heights it works.

Good Luck Wayne

rusty · May 16, 2010, 11:22:05 AM

Tom, I reread the above posts and Tom C is correct. I was wrong. Each side of the bogie can carry 3500 lbs for a total of 7000 lbs. I run mine up at about 4000lbs per side. After you get to 5000 lbs per side things can come apart. Sorry for any confussion.

Thank You Wayne