Side to side weight balance

[Rafe Hollister]

I'm relocating my battery to the trunk of my 56 PowerHawk. Word on the street is to put it on the right side to counter the weight of the driver. But I would think automotive engineers/designers would have already compensated for that. And it seems I read the Hawk motor is a bit off center side to side. Is this true? Which side? Why did they do that? Does anyone know the side to side weight balance of my car?
Inquiring minds want to know,
Rafe Hollister
PS I plan to use the ultra strong mounting method seen in posted image.

[jts359]

Back in the day Drag Racers put them in the trunk to help with traction and counter the effects of engine torque, I think it was the right side , Also they make nice battery boxes and trays for that purpose, Ed

[64studeavanti]

IIRC, the engine offset is to clear the steering gear.

[IndStudenut]

I agree with 64Stude ....... I believe the engine was offset to the passenger side of the vehicle to provide clearance for steering shaft on the drivers side. I have no info on the side to side weight loading if there is any. I doubt the weight of the battery will matter much. The battery mount securing method is super high tech.... but more than that the important question is....... is the blue strap color coordinated with the car... that is a must!

My 2 cents

[Rafe Hollister]

My car is a bit of a rustomod, so I'm looking for a frayed camo colored strap with an untieable knot in it.
Rafe

[tsenecal]

Make sure that the new battery cables running to the trunk are heavy enough to do the job, and route them where the hot side has no chance of wearing through the insulation. Dead shorts on the battery are bad news.

[Rafe Hollister]

I just got some 2 gauge from my local salvage yard (not 0/2)... this is marginal so I'm gonna double them up. 30' cost 25.00! Way less than then 100.00+ for new correct stuff.
Rafe

[StudeRich]

Remember that there is the Driver, the Steering Gear and the Battery on the Left.
The slight offset to the Right of the Power Train only helped a tiny bit.
What they did is, Mount the Front end of the Rear Leaf Springs one side lower than the other using the Two vertical holes in the Frame Bracket to level the Car.

Weight balance did not seem to be much of a concern.
I remember the '57 and '58 Scotsman Sedans when they were fresh off of the Haulaway Truck, sitting with the Right Side clearly at least an inch or more higher than the Left. remember these were some of the Lightest Cars they EVER built, completely gutted of anything not required, even the Climatizer Heat and Defrost System was replaced with a light, simple Box Heater like the aftermarket type that Allstate, Montgomery Wards, Western Auto or Pep Boys sold.

So the bottom line there is, their "Process" used on all models would not work on a car that light.

[bensherb]

Thom , the engine is offset to the right (passenger side) 3/4". As Rich mentioned the left side rear spring is preloaded with its front mount positioned about 1" lower than that of the right side via upper and lower mounting holes (left in lower hole, right in upper hole).

[Rafe Hollister]

3/4 " isn't much. Makes me wonder if it was really because of steering gear?
Rafe

[bensherb]

Probably, there are holes to move the engine off center to the left too, right hand drive anyone?
3/4" is far enough to make it tough to center things up in the hood if you need to. With your smooth hood 3/4" off center might not be obvious, but with a normal Hawk hood with the "scoop/bulge" running down the center it's off by a mile and super obvious. That "bulge" is barely 14" wide where the carb is.

[DEEPNHOCK]

And to add...
In the olden days.... A good alignment shop would put 125# or so on the floor by drivers seat.
Then they would align the front end.

[J_Cole]

Cars weighting side to side isn't 50/50 and it's due to a number of reasons. Most street cars don't matter if it's 52/48 or 57/43

1. Driver Placement


In LHD cars (like in the U.S.), the driver sits on the left, and the average driver weighs 150–250 lbs. That alone skews weight to the left, and it’s enough that some race cars are actually balanced with a driver inside. So the imbalance is intentional, based on assuming someone’s behind the wheel.

2. Component Layout


Critical components—battery, fuse boxes, fuel system, exhaust routing, steering column, brake master cylinder, turbochargers—aren’t mirrored on both sides. It’s packaging efficiency. You can’t fit everything evenly.

3. Manufacturing Cost vs. Benefit


Perfect side-to-side balance is expensive and often unnecessary. Street cars don’t need perfect symmetry. Manufacturers aim for good-enough weight distribution without overengineering it. In racing, where every pound matters, you'll see efforts to balance both sides—but even then, 50/50 is rare.

4. Fuel Tank and Fuel Level


If a fuel tank is offset to one side, that shifts weight around as fuel burns off. Engineers balance that into the overall dynamic weight bias, but it still means side-to-side isn’t static.

5. Exhaust and Driveshaft Routing


Exhaust and driveshafts usually run along one side due to floor pan design, which adds asymmetry too.

[Rafe Hollister]

Nice job muddying the waters with more parameters, J.Cole! I had a hot rod builder friend in Las Vegas who occasionally worked on race cars. He had 4 scales, one for each wheel. It was surprising how far off equal they were. He used the info, not to balance the car, but to adjust the suspension.
Rafe

[8E45E]

I agree with 64Stude ....... I believe the engine was offset to the passenger side of the vehicle to provide clearance for steering shaft on the drivers side. I have no info on the side to side weight loading if there is any. I doubt the weight of the battery will matter much. The battery mount securing method is super high tech.... but more than that the important question is....... is the blue strap color coordinated with the car... that is a must!

My 2 cents

I wish BP was still with us!

He was the ultimate authority on battery holddowns!!

Craig

[Dick LeRoux]

You beat me to it, Craig. I was just about to conjure up what BP would have to say about Thom's set-up

[Rafe Hollister]

Who the heck is PB?! And what did I miss?
Rafe Hollister

[Noxnabaker]

Bob Palma, a legend with knowlage, now gone not long ago.

[Rafe Hollister]

As legendary as Radio Roy? If so, terrible loss to all of us.
Rafe