If I weigh the front axle, then the back, add them together does this equal the total? Is it really that simple?

 

No. That's like standing on your right foot and weighing then standing on your left foot then weighing and adding them together for a total.

 

Huh? Please and explain why the sum of the front and rear axle weights would not equal the vehicle weight.

 

Unless you cut the truck in half and measure each half individually, you are going to have weight transfer throughout the truck. You must weigh the entire item to be weighed to have a true measurement.

 

OOOOOkay....assuming the scale and vehicle are on level ground when weighing axles individually, there will be no issues. At the very least, I know the DOT will not share your opinion.

 

That would only hold true if the truck shifted it's weight to the axle not being weighed, as to keep from falling over - weigh either axle, then the other and add for the total weight - if you weigh 200lbs and stand on two identical scales, each will indicate 100lbs, long as you don't shift your weight for balance

 

And even if you shift your wieght it will still add to 200 ie scales at each corner for racing set up.

 

That would be true if the scale was higher or lower than the surrounding area the truck was one. IE if it had to drive up on the scale so the front end was higher than the rear, then drove the rear up so it was now higher than the front. As long as the scale is on flat ground (doesn't even have to be level), the sum of the axles will equal the total.

 

Yes, I can't believe anyone would think otherwise. I've never seen a scale on an incline, but the axles weigh the same whether you are on flat ground, climbing or descending. If that were not the case the whole vehicle would weigh more going uphill than down and there would be no need for exhaust brakes. The only weight shift would be the fuel in the tank, but that wouldn't be much and the total weight would remain the same.

 

Crazy thread . . . . if you weigh the axle and there isn't anyone around to read the scale, does it really weigh anything?

 

It seems close if not exact. 7350lbs or there abouts if weighed in this manner.

 

When you weigh in at DOT scales you put the steering axle on then the drivers and then the trailer axles. That then gives you axle weight and total weight. Yes you can weigh each axle add them together to find the total.

 

Yes, weight them individually. The surface simply needs to be flat.

One piece of advice... don't set any breaks while weighing (come to a stop and release the brakes). This prevents any kind of suspension binding that can shift weight.

This is how semis are weighed.

 

Not to add any confusion to this, but many of the weigh stations I see are "rolling" stations . . . . the semi never stops. Is there just a long portion of the road that is the scale?

 

I drove a Semi 43 yrs and that is the way ya do it.