Often referred to as “corner weighting” or “scaling,” corner balancing is the adjustment of spring perches on the car to obtain a balanced diagonal weight on the tires using four individual scales. A common analogy for corner balancing is a basic four-legged table. In order to distribute weight evenly, all four legs have to be the same length, but if one leg is shorter than the rest, the whole table becomes unbalanced and wobbly. A car’s wheels function in very much the same way.
Corner balancing adjusts the diagonal weight distribution (the weight that sits on each tire contact patch at rest). This means that the driver should be in the car with the fluids topped off and a proper amount of fuel in the tank to simulate race-weight conditions as accurately as possible. It is important to clarify that static weight can only be changed by physically moving weight on the vehicle. This includes relocation of batteries, lead ballast etc.