where to go to get vehicle weighed.
 

so? where? I was coming up with a homebrew solution for weighing some cars involving a level and a bathroom scale, a yardstick, a bit of level road and a bit of inclined, and some circus midgets, and thought maybe I should ask first where people go to get their vehicles weighed (and what sorts of costs are associated with it).

Thoughts?

Race tracks and drag strips usually have a scale large enough for cars(although I've seen a few cases of cars not fitting).

If you have a mechanic's shop near by thats particularly advanced they might be able to do it. . .or if you have a really talented one who knows his lift very well he can tell you.

you're local airport might(freight) or large shipping center(like a Fedex HUB not a terminal) you would have to call and ask if you could use theirs. . .I know our local airport does but they won't let anyone use it for anything.

Your local garbage transfer station has scales and they are generally free.

When I weighed the ForkenSwift, I drove it up to the waste transfer station, as Big Dave says. Explained what I was up to and they did it for me no problem.

(I actually had to drive onto the scale to get to their little both to ask them what it weighed, so it would have been kind of silly for them to say "no, we won't tell you what's on our little LED readout.")

If you want to get a really accurate number, although not free, any speed shop that does race car tuning or preparation should have a nice set of scales that enable them to do corner balancing and stuff. Dunno what they would charge, but if you had a hookup, most race car enthusiasts/mechanics do side work on the weekends.

You can probably get it for free at some kind of truck weigh station, but they are meant to weigh stuff that is 5-10 times heavier than your car. Or more! Dunno how accurate they would be at only a ton.

Happy hunting!

Feed and grain elevators.

Around here some of the big truck stops have them. I know they aren't free but I don't think they are outrageously priced.

I suggest a flat driveway and digital bathroom scales.

Put each wheel on the scales in turn. Then add the numbers up.

Scrap yards are accurate within a few pounds, they are required to have a label saying when the last time the scale was checked and how accurate it is, any place like a scrap yard or gravel pit that is buying or selling has to be checked by the weight and measures people, bath room scale is required to be labeled as not being leagle for trade for the exact reason if it not being accurate.

I don't know what it's like in your state, but here in BC the public can use the commercial truck scales for free after hours. The scales have large displays outside, so nobody needs to be present to operate them.