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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:
Weight scales of sufficient
capacity to measure the vehicle
weight at each wheel.
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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