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The concepts of gross vehicle weight, curb weight and maximum permissible vehicle weight. Gross vehicle weight What does the curb weight of the vehicle mean?

Car with a full trunk and the maximum number of passengers (provided by the design).

In other words, it is the maximum permissible vehicle weight. Subtracting the curb weight from the total mass, you can get the carrying capacity of your car.


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See what "Gross vehicle weight" is in other dictionaries:

    Gross vehicle weight - 3.12. The total mass of the vehicle is the sum of the curb weight of the vehicle and the combat crew transported by it, including the driver, fire fighting equipment, fire-fighting equipment, declared by the manufacturer of the PA in the normative technical documentation. A source:… …

    full mass - 3.29. Gross weight: The mass of the AL in a fully fueled state, equipped with fire-fighting technical weapons (PTV), tools and a spare wheel with a combat crew and a driver. Source: GOST R 52284 2004: Fire ladders. Are common… … Dictionary-reference book of terms of normative and technical documentation

    The sum of the curb weight of the PA and the personnel of the combat crew transported by it, fire extinguishing agents, PTV, declared by the manufacturer of the PA in the ND. Source: GOST R 12.2.144 2005 EdwART. Glossary of terms and definitions for security and ... ... Emergency Dictionary

    Full weight of PA - 2.33. The total mass of the PA is the sum of the curb weight of the vehicle and the combat crew transported by it, including the driver, fire extinguishing agents, fire-fighting equipment, declared by the enterprise by the manufacturer of the fire vehicle in the regulatory ... ... Dictionary-reference book of terms of normative and technical documentation

    gross weight of the fire truck - 3.9. the total mass of the fire engine: The sum of the curb weight of the PA and the personnel of the combat crew transported by it, fire extinguishing agents, fire-fighting equipment, declared by the manufacturer of the PA in the ND. Source: GOST R 12.2.144 2005 ... Dictionary-reference book of terms of normative and technical documentation

    Car for passenger cars The mass of the equipped car (with fuel, oil and water and equipment with a spare wheel, tool) with a driver, passengers and cargo (at the rate of 10 kg for each seat); for other vehicles ... ... Big Encyclopedic Polytechnic Dictionary

    Fire truck full weight - The total mass of a fire engine: the sum of the curb weight of the PA and the personnel of the combat crew transported by it, fire extinguishing agents, PTV, declared by the manufacturer of the PA in the ND ...

A question from a reader:

« Good day. Help me deal with the weight of the car! There are many different indicators, the head is spinning, and two are indicated in the TCP! For example - what is the permissible vehicle weight? What is no load? And the last thing is the curb weight of the car? Thank you in advance. Luda»

The question is really interesting. I will try to explain in simple words, read our article ...


To begin with, it is worth noting that this is a very important characteristic. With this value, it is possible to calculate the fuel consumption as well as the dynamic characteristics of the vehicle. For example, a car with the same technical component (engine power and identical transmissions) may differ in dynamics due to the weight of the car. Even a difference of 20 - 50 kg can greatly affect the dynamics of the car, the difference can be 1-2 seconds, and this is significant. That is why everything unnecessary is removed from racing cars in order to lighten the body as much as possible, and accordingly increase the dynamics of the car. Also - the lighter your car, the less it consumes. If the car body is light, the engine does not need to push the heavy body at high revs, medium revs are enough and the speed is reached, therefore the consumption is less.

As you can see, mass influences a lot. Therefore, manufacturers are trying to lighten the bodies of modern cars as much as possible, using stronger and lighter materials such as aluminum alloys, carbon, etc.

But as you rightly noted in the TCP, and in the car operation book, there are many different masses. Let's go in order.

Dry weight of the vehicle

Such a term is rarely used in everyday life; it is mainly used by manufacturers on test benches. "Dry" is the mass of a car, without equipment that is not rigidly attached, and also without oils (engine and transmission), without fluids (cooling, brake, washer fluid), without fuel, without tools, without passengers and without any cargo ... That is, almost a "naked" car.

Unladen mass (if fully - the mass of the car in the "curb" without load) sometimes also the curb mass of the car

Is in the designation in the TCP. No load (but in running order) is the mass of the car, without a driver and passengers, without cargo, but with a full supply of fuel, the necessary tools and spare consumables (jack, pump and spare wheel) and full equipment with fluids. That is, both gasoline and all oils and fluids (cooling, brake, washer fluid) are all there.

Permitted maximum weight (in TCP it is indicated as permissiblemax mass)

This is the maximum permissible mass established by the manufacturer with the driver and passengers, with cargo, with all liquids, with fuel, with tools, as well as with towing devices that affect the mass (trailers, motorhomes).

With this maximum mass, the car retains its technical properties, if you exceed it, then the movement may not be safe. The suspension may simply not be able to withstand. It should be noted that manufacturers take into account the driver and passengers weighing 75 - 80 kg.

These are the masses of the car. I hope my article was useful to you.

In the automotive industry, there are terms such as gross weight and unladen weight. These terms are the ones that driving schools are sure to talk about in theory. But, today, even many drivers with great experience do not remember or do not know about it. The curb weight of the car is the total weight of the car with the necessary equipment, all materials that are needed during the operation of the car, a full tank of fuel, the weight of the driver, but excluding the passenger weight and the weight of the cargo.

The total mass is the mass of the car, which is extremely possible and consists of: the weight of the driver and passengers, the mass of the equipped car, as well as the weight of the goods.

What is the difference between curb and gross vehicle weight

If you look at the differences between these concepts, then the whole point boils down to what exactly can be included and summed up in the general criterion of mass. Compared with the value of the curb weight of the car, in the indicator of its gross weight still appears the weight of the driver, and the weight of all passengers, as well as the weight of the carried baggage.

Gross vehicle weight \u003d vehicle weight + weight of all people in the vehicle + cargo in the luggage compartment.

Curb weight \u003d vehicle weight without additional loads.

Of course, each person's weight is different. The same can be attributed to luggage. Therefore, drivers use terms such as “gross vehicle weight”. Each car has its own highest permissible indicator, everything will depend on the manufacturer, the materials from which the car is made, as well as the shape of the car body, etc.

Do not overload the machine. If this is not observed, then during the use of the car, deformation of the body, bridge systems, and also other parts that need to be fixed to the suspension of the car will occur with it. And do not forget that under the condition of the full curb weight of the car, the fuel will be consumed in large volumes. Also, weight is always taken into account when using a two-post lift.

All of the above tips for motorists are quite important information, especially if the driver does not have sufficient driving experience behind him. They should not be neglected or ignored. Because sometimes even experienced drivers and chauffeurs perform certain actions that may not seem at first glance ridiculous and trifling, but which can lead to consequences. Therefore, be careful and careful when driving.

Many requirements for the design of a car can be realized only if certain inertial (weight) indicators are maintained. These include the mass and moments of inertia of the vehicle, as well as the position of the center of mass.

Curb weight

Depending on the state of the car, its mass can vary within a fairly wide range (for a truck, when loading, the mass increases by more than 100%).

Three interrelated mass indicators:

unloaded vehicle weight, that is, the mass of the vehicle without equipment (tools, spare wheel) and refueling. This indicator makes it possible to judge the consumption of materials, but it cannot give an idea of \u200b\u200bthe behavior of the car in real operating conditions.

curb weight, that is, the mass of a car with refueling and equipment, but without a driver and passengers. With this mass, an assessment of the maximum possible acceleration dynamics is made.

gross vehicle weight - the total mass of the equipped vehicle, payload, driver and passengers. Assessment of the basic performance of the vehicle. The specified values \u200b\u200bare estimates.

Due to the presence of the suspension, some elements of the vehicle structure have the ability to move relative to each other. The part of the structure of a motor vehicle that is separated from the wheels or axles by elastic suspension elements is called sprung... Parts of the chassis structure of a motor vehicle, the mass of which is not taken up by elastic suspension elements, are called unsprung... The lower the ratio of the mass of the unsprung parts to the mass of the sprung part of the structure, the better the smoothness of the vehicle. Consequently, with the same curb weights, a car will be more comfortable if the unsprung parts of the structure have less mass.

The payload of a truck is called carrying capacity and is indicated in his passport data in just one digit. Cars and buses are designed to carry passengers and their luggage, therefore, they are not characterized by a carrying capacity, but passenger capacity. At the same time, for cars, the number of seats is indicated, including the driver, and for buses - the number of seats, the total number of seats and the total number of seats for transporting people during rush hours. Since the mass of passengers and their luggage is unknown, they are set by some conditional values \u200b\u200bthat can be used to calculate the total load. In our country, the mass of a passenger is taken equal to 75 kg, the mass of luggage is 10 kg per passenger in a car, 5 kg per passenger in a city bus and 15 kg per passenger in an intercity bus.

Center of mass position

From the standpoint of the implementation of a number of performance characteristics incorporated into the design of the vehicle, not only the indicators of the vehicle's own weight and payload are important, but the distribution of normal reactions over the wheels of the vehicle. This distribution is determined by the position of the center of mass.

The center of mass of the car is usually located in the longitudinal plane of symmetry, although its slight deviation from this position is possible when the load of the car changes. Obviously, the closer the center of mass is to any of the axles of the car, the greater the load on it. Mass distribution affects on the stability and controllability of the vehicle, its cross-country ability, braking qualities and smooth running. In this regard, the reference literature indicates the values \u200b\u200bof the masses falling on different axles of the vehicle. These indicators can be presented in absolute terms or in the form of a ratio (usually percentage) of the mass. From the point of view of ensuring cross-country ability, the mass of the car on the drive wheels is of particular importance. This indicator is called adhesion mass.

In most countries, in order to ensure the safety of roads, maximum permissible axle loads are regulated. Therefore, the characteristics of the mass distribution are also the basis for deciding on the possibility of using the vehicle in specific operating conditions. The use of more than two axles in the structures of heavy vehicles (trucks, and sometimes buses) is usually determined by the need to reduce axle loads to permissible values. Vehicles that exceed the permissible axle load are classified as off-road vehicles. Center of gravity position in height car influences on its handling, braking properties, rollover stability, while the absolute advantages from these points of view are cars with a lower center of mass.

Moments of inertia

With the same position of the center of mass and equal masses, cars can have different values \u200b\u200bof the moments of inertia. In general, the inertial properties of the structure, along with the above-mentioned mass indices, can be characterized by three values \u200b\u200bof the moments of inertia (relative to three mutually perpendicular axes passing through the center of mass). Moment of inertia about the vertical axis has a great influence on the car's handling and its stability against skidding. Moment of inertia relative to the horizontal transverse axis affects the smooth running of the vehicle. Moment of inertia relative to the horizontal longitudinal axis may affect the stability of the vehicle against lateral rollover.

During the design process, the designer has the ability to influence the values \u200b\u200bof the moments of inertia of the car, mainly due to changes in its layout.

Very often in the automotive world, you can find two terms that relate to the mass of a car - the curb weight of the car and its permissible gross weight. What kind of masses are they and, as they say, what they are eaten with, we were told in detail in a driving school. However, over time, all concepts are forgotten, and confusion begins. To put everything in its place, explaining what the curb weight of a car is, my article today will help.

To begin with, the indicators of the mass of the car are one of the determining factors in the fuel consumption of the car and some other characteristics of the car, and also have a significant impact on the operation of many systems of the car. And you can easily find the values \u200b\u200bof the curb weight of the car in the technical characteristics of the model of your car, as well as in its data sheet.

In general curb weight - this is the mass of the car without the driver and passengers, but includes its standard equipment, consumables, for example, engine oil, engine coolant, and also includes a full tank of fuel.

The curb weight of the vehicle must be distinguished from the gross vehicle weight and dry weight. Dry weight of the vehicle less equipped by the amount of fuel, consumables and some equipment. In other words, it is the mass of an unloaded and unladen vehicle.

Permissible gross vehicle weight - this is the mass of the maximum loaded car provided by the manufacturers. It is also often called the permitted maximum mass. If you want your car to serve you for a long time, then it is better not to exceed this indicator, since excessive overloading negatively affects the car body and suspension parts.

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