Center Of Gravity (Cg) - Chevrolet Tahoe 2008 Owner's Manual

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The weight and number of passengers you intend
to carry in your vehicle.
•
The total weight of any additional cargo you intend
to carry in your vehicle.
When planning your vehicle equipment installation
remember not to exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR) or the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) of the
front or rear axles. To keep the available load weight less
than the vehicle capacity weight, you may need to limit
the number of passengers you carry in your vehicle or
change your choice of additional equipment.

Center of Gravity (CG)

A vehicle's center of gravity is an imaginary location
inside the vehicle and is a balance point for the vehicle
mass as it moves down the road. The police vehicle's
center of gravity, before you add a load and passengers,
is approximately midway between the center of the
axles, up from the ground to just below the front window,
and between the driver and passenger.
Equipment location and weight on the vehicle's center of
gravity is important to keep in mind when planning an
installation. Heavy equipment should be positioned as
low and as far forward in the rear load compartment as
possible. Try to mount the equipment below the bottom of
the side windows. Refer to the Loading Zone chart and
diagram to help with your installation plan.
A procedure to make the necessary measurements and
formulas to calculate the vehicle longitudinal, lateral
and vertical position of the center of gravity can be found
in the GM Coachbuilders Manual. Equipment required
to conduct the measurements for calculating the
center of gravity are:
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Weight scales of sufficient capacity to measure the
vehicle weight at each wheel.
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A post-type hoist or other means to safely elevate
the front of the vehicle to at least an angle of
20 degrees above horizontal.
See your GM dealer to get more information about this
coachbuilder procedure.
Keeping the center of gravity midway between the axles
is also important to provide proper braking performance.
About half the total vehicle weight on each axle is
recommended.
Weigh your vehicle after the additional equipment has
been installed to determine the actual weight of
your vehicle. Weigh the vehicle with a full tank of fuel
and without passengers. You may need to put a limit on
how many people or other equipment you can carry
inside your vehicle after the additional equipment
has been installed.
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