Anyone use a clinometer?

Video Guy · **Posted:** Fri Mar 02, 2007 5:05 pm

I was thinking that a clinometer might be handy when I go wheeling in the mountains of Tennessee in a few weeks. Are there any good clinometers on the market for mounting on the dash? I've heard the $20-50 ones aren't any good because they don't read while the vehicle's moving.

What are your thoughts?

T.J.

BVCRD · **Posted:** Fri Mar 02, 2007 5:59 pm

Never used one on my Jeep. I have one on my sailboat. I don't rely on it much. I have had the boat heeled over to the rails and common sense told me that was far enough.

Mango~Ridge · **Posted:** Fri Mar 02, 2007 6:02 pm

I use a hand held one at work to shoot quick grades. It's a Suunto clinometer/compass What are you looking for, something to prevent rollovers? Check out the ball type clinometer here.
http://www.warrenind.com/WKClinometers.html

State owned vehicles used them years ago. Usually road designers to measure the super (degree) of a curve on a roadway.

I trust my gut feeling when wheelin. :shock:

tommudd · **Posted:** Fri Mar 02, 2007 6:22 pm

I have always used a puckermeter :lol:

I can always tell by that just how far I am over!

SnowgodCCR · **Posted:** Fri Mar 02, 2007 6:24 pm

I've been considering getting/making one for my jeep. My current impression is that I could build a gyroscopic one that will be more reliable and accurate than any on the market for a comparable price. I have no idea where I would put it though, that's the only thing that's stopping me (I have a JK, so there isn't much in the way of guage real estate). A gyro operated one would be best to use while in motion though. It would be wicked easy to build too. Basically, you need an electric gyro, a box to put said gyro in, and then measure graduatuations (to whatever degree you want) onto the casing. The Ball type one could work super easily as well, but it would be more prone to wiggling around and thus keeping you from getting an accurate reading.

SnowgodCCR · **Posted:** Fri Mar 02, 2007 6:26 pm

tommudd wrote:

I have always used a puckermeter :lol:

I can always tell by that just how far I am over!

LMFAO!

BVCRD · **Posted:** Fri Mar 02, 2007 6:32 pm

SnowgodCCR wrote:

I've been considering getting/making one for my jeep. My current impression is that I could build a gyroscopic one that will be more reliable and accurate than any on the market for a comparable price. I have no idea where I would put it though, that's the only thing that's stopping me (I have a JK, so there isn't much in the way of guage real estate). A gyro operated one would be best to use while in motion though. It would be wicked easy to build too. Basically, you need an electric gyro, a box to put said gyro in, and then measure graduatuations (to whatever degree you want) onto the casing. The Ball type one could work super easily as well, but it would be more prone to wiggling around and thus keeping you from getting an accurate reading.

Or you could get a gimble mounted cup holder from West Marine and put a bottle of your favorite (unopened) beverage in there with some magic marker lines on it. J/K

jason thompson · **Posted:** Fri Mar 02, 2007 7:21 pm

tommudd wrote:

I have always used a puckermeter :lol:

I can always tell by that just how far I am over!

I agree with the puckermeter
The problem that I have found with them is that the seem to need recalibrating every now and then
I found thi out when wheelin with one of my buddys over the weekend and when we started to lean a little he got "scared"
just like the nubies but some one on the out side of the rig said that it looked bad I told them
"it did not feel bad" they then showed me the line I took and yeah it was that bad but the good ole "puckermeter" did not let me flip so I felt safe but I am thinking it may be time to recalibrate befor I have another "oops"

RespectMyLibertay · **Posted:** Fri Mar 02, 2007 9:19 pm

...the dice hanging from my KJ's mirror...

SnowgodCCR · **Posted:** Fri Mar 02, 2007 9:19 pm

BVCRD wrote:

Or you could get a gimble mounted cup holder from West Marine and put a bottle of your favorite (unopened) beverage in there with some magic marker lines on it. J/K

I like yer thinkin' ther! :lol:

tarkus · **Posted:** Sat Mar 03, 2007 1:12 am

I won this at a local Jeep shop open house. It really is a piece of junk. But it makes a good conversation starter.

KJ04 · **Posted:** Sat Mar 03, 2007 6:23 am

tommudd wrote:

I have always used a puckermeter :lol:

I can always tell by that just how far I am over!

Tom,
I have the voice acctivated, ( Oh stinky poo! ) model puckermeter, that measures those occasional extreme degrees of camber. :wink:

Skyjump136 · **Joined:** Tue Jul 05, 2005 6:50 pm **Posts:** 1633

Only problem with a Clinometer is that you don't have a point of reference until you roll the Jeep the first time...I guess after that it could be useful. :twisted:

dirtykj · **Posted:** Sat Mar 03, 2007 10:29 am

SnowgodCCR wrote:

(I have a JK, so there isn't much in the way of guage real estate). A gyro operated one would be best to use while in motion though.

A-pillar?

SnowgodCCR · **Posted:** Sat Mar 03, 2007 10:35 am

dirtykj wrote:

SnowgodCCR wrote:

(I have a JK, so there isn't much in the way of guage real estate). A gyro operated one would be best to use while in motion though.

A-pillar?

What A-Pillar? The windshield folds :lol:

. I've actually figured out where I could put it- I'm going to be getting the Garmin Jeep Trail Guide installed, and the cradle for it mounts permanently over the radio console, and it bulges a bit. I could put it in one of the sides of the cradle...problem solve-ed.

Video Guy · **Posted:** Sat Mar 03, 2007 10:19 pm

Oh well, I had to ask. I won't waste my money. Thanks, guys!

LostRenegade · **Posted:** Sat Mar 03, 2007 10:33 pm

tarkus wrote:

I won this at a local Jeep shop open house. It really is a piece of junk. But it makes a good conversation starter.

I have one of those. Bought it on e-bay for about $20.

Guest · **Posted:** Sun Mar 04, 2007 11:49 am

I owned a 1988 Dodge Raider (Mitsu Montero) It had a fluid filled attitude (incline & sideslope) indicator that worked fairly well. Jumped around a lot when going fast over bumpy roads, but otherwise worked fine.

A gyro would be most accurate, but you have to be able to calibrate the gyro to level each time it spins up. Aviation Attitude gyros have the mechanisms do this automatically, using the precession properties of a gyro, but they are quite expensive.

gopherbeats · **Posted:** Mon Mar 05, 2007 10:16 am

LostRenegade wrote:

tarkus wrote:

I won this at a local Jeep shop open house. It really is a piece of junk. But it makes a good conversation starter.

I have one of those. Bought it on e-bay for about $20.

I've got one of those... Its pretty amusing.. But I find it actually pretty useless on the trails while under way. there is no damping in the mechanisms, so the gauges are constantly bouncing around. It works nice when you are stopped at a obstacle while people are furiously stacking rocks so you don't rip you bumper off...

Edwin · **Posted:** Mon Mar 05, 2007 3:59 pm

Skyjump136 wrote:

Only problem with a Clinometer is that you don't have a point of reference until you roll the Jeep the first time...I guess after that it could be useful. :twisted:

That's kind of what I was thinkin

Anyone use a clinometer?

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