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Alpine Center of gravity

H

Hillman

Platinum Level Sponsor
Just bought a symmetrical 2-post lift. I'm now planning where in the garage to install it. My garage ceiling is only 10 feet so there may issues at full height. I might want to winter the Alpine above the daily driver for the winter. So, my garage has trusses at 24 inch centers. I'd like to position the lift such that a top-down Alpine windscreen would fit between the trusses.

Anybody know where is the center of gravity (balance point) or the front/rear weight distribution for an Alpine is (I'm guessing close enough to 50/50). If 50/50, I want the center of the lift uprights to be at the center of the wheel base, I think.

Am I missing anything?
 
If you Google center of gravity for a Sunbeam Alpine, this thread is the first link to appear. Google is waiting on an answer!
 
Well you didnt specify what motor and trans is in the mix (this is after all the modified section).

Unless you have installed a really lightweight engine, you are not going to hit 50/50.
The stock alpine engine puts the weight more to the front perhaps 52/48.
The V6 has more up front yet.

I'd set your first guess about an inch or so towards the rear and see how that sets.
 
The only time I remember seeing balance mentioned is in the "Nissan in Alpine" thread started by bashby. While the weights won't be the same because A. Bill Ashby's mods are, in a word, extensive, B. Um... it's a Nissan motor... uh... in an Alpine, and C. His car weighs about 500# over stock. But from his findings, one can make a few assumptions. Assumptions I'd want to stand under in your garage? Perhaps not.

I also did a google search on "site:sunbeamalpine.org weight corners" and found another thread that gives weights and balance percentages on less modified cars. For some reason, people with unmodified cars don't seem to care about their weight -- or that of their cars ;0).
 
How about starting by placing a floor jack under cruciform and raise it up. I'm guessing it would be close.

Bill
 
My SV is by no means stock but almost perfectly balances when I place a jack on the center of the cruciform. My car weighs 2,502 pounds (~300# over stock) and is 48.5% front and 51.5% rear. The Nissan motor is lighter, the transmission, differential, wheels, tires, roll bar, exhaust, fuel etc. weigh more.
Bill Ashby
 
A poster on the CAT forum quotes period magazine articles (R&T, Motor Trend) that put the stock Alpine IV weight distribution, front to rear, at 49/51, while the Tiger barely tipped the scale in the opposite direction at 51/49.

At just 51/49, people consistently refer to the Tiger as "nose-heavy." Even the CAT member on Jay Leno's garage video said so. Everyone mistakes the understeer resulting from the compromised steering geometry for excess front end weight.
 
Thanks guys.

Yes, this is a 'stock' car (SII with 1725). I' guessing even 54/48 wouldn't move the center more than an inch or two from center of wheelbase. Typical error when eyeballing the parking job.
 
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