whats the deal with lightweight flywheels?
06-22-2003, 07:04 AM
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whats the deal with lightweight flywheels? i hear people talking about how they bog after installing one but what is the reason for getting one in the first place? i would think lightweight would have less rotating inertia and would not bog but rather give the opposite effect. and what are the advantages to steel? i dont know much at all about this 
so im asking for as much info as you guys are willing to give 
so im asking for as much info as you guys are willing to give 
06-22-2003, 07:25 AM
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Re: whats the deal with lightweight flywheels? Steel flywheels will store more energy, and help you launch the car when you dump the clutch by transferring that energy to the transmission. It makes the car easier to drive as well, because the flywheel is going to resist slowing down as you release the clutch pedal.
A lightweight flywheel doesn't store as much energy, so it resists changes in speed much less. So, you'll tend to bog off the line more. The benefit is quicker acceleration throughout the RPM range, because less power is spent accelerating the flywheel.
As for which will make the car ultimately faster, it's a question of the rest of the package. Since a drag race is really won at the starting line, a heavier flywheel will get the car moving faster -- and thus attain a better ET. If you're road racing, coming out the corners is more important than standing starts. This is where a lightweight flywheel can be a benefit.
A lightweight flywheel doesn't store as much energy, so it resists changes in speed much less. So, you'll tend to bog off the line more. The benefit is quicker acceleration throughout the RPM range, because less power is spent accelerating the flywheel.
As for which will make the car ultimately faster, it's a question of the rest of the package. Since a drag race is really won at the starting line, a heavier flywheel will get the car moving faster -- and thus attain a better ET. If you're road racing, coming out the corners is more important than standing starts. This is where a lightweight flywheel can be a benefit.
06-22-2003, 12:38 PM
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Re: whats the deal with lightweight flywheels? Exactly, lightweight flywheels are more the 4-banger import cars. F-bodies should have heavier flywheels. Unless you want your car to rev faster?
