RC Corner Weight Calculator
Enter the weight at each corner of your car or truck to see your front/rear split, left/right split, cross weight, and each corner’s share of total weight.
How to measure corner weights
- Ideally, use four scales at once — one under each wheel — with the chassis sitting level and at normal ride height, body and electronics installed as it would race.
- Only one scale? Support the other three corners at exactly the same height as the scale (small blocks or stands cut to match your ride height work well) so the chassis stays level and undamaged suspension geometry isn’t loading one corner more than it should. Weigh one corner at a time, keeping the other three supported the same way each time.
- Keep the car in race-ready trim — battery, body, wing, and any ballast installed — since corner weight is meant to reflect how the car actually sits on track, not a stripped chassis.
- Don’t adjust suspension while weighing. Corner weight reflects your current setup; if you change ride height, springs, or add ballast, re-weigh afterward rather than assuming the split stayed the same.
Laid out to match the car — front row on top, rear row on bottom.
How it works: Each split is that group’s combined weight divided by total weight. Cross Weight = (Left Front + Right Rear) ÷ Total Weight — the diagonal pairing used in motorsport corner weighting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is “cross weight” and why does it matter?
Cross weight compares the diagonal pair of corners (left front + right rear) against total weight. In full-size motorsport, adjusting cross weight is a common way to fine-tune handling balance without changing ride height, since it shifts how load is distributed diagonally across the chassis. In RC, most people focus on front/rear and left/right splits, but cross weight is worth knowing if you want to dig deeper into fine-tuning.
What’s a “normal” front/rear split for RC cars and trucks?
It varies by class and layout — 2WD buggies and stadium trucks are often rear-weight-biased due to motor and battery placement, while 4WD buggies and touring cars tend to run closer to an even split. There’s no single universal target; it’s more useful to track your own split as a baseline and see how changes (battery position, motor, ballast) shift it.
Why does left/right balance matter if the track has both left and right turns?
Most chassis have some inherent left/right weight bias from motor position, receiver/ESC placement, or wiring, even if it’s not intentional. Knowing your actual left/right split helps you understand why a car might feel slightly different turning one direction versus the other, and gives you a number to work with if you want to balance it out with ballast placement.
I only have one scale. Can I still get accurate numbers?
Yes, as long as you support the other three corners at the exact same height as the scale each time you weigh a corner. If the unsupported corners sit lower or higher than the one being measured, the chassis tilts and the suspension geometry shifts load away from a true static reading, which will throw off your numbers.
Does corner weighting apply the same way to belt-drive, shaft-drive, and direct-drive cars?
Yes — the weight distribution math doesn’t care about drivetrain layout. What differs is where the weight naturally lands: shaft and belt cars often have more centralized mass, while some direct-drive or motor-in-pod layouts can shift weight further to one end, which shows up clearly once you corner weigh them.