taws6

iTrader: (2)

I'm not compeating, (street car) but want my car a bit quicker around the bends.
I can see around 80 LB I could lose, but will I feel the difference?
I know 100 LB = 0.1 sec on the 1/4, but will it make much difference around say, a 1.5 mile circuit?

Thanks for your thoughts, I don't really want to rip it apart unless I'm sure it's worth it.

EchoMirage

iTrader: (3)

no. i took the jack, spare, and rear seats out. i think thats around 80-100lbs. you cant tell a differance. not until you start taking hundreds of pounds will you feel it stick more around corners instead of sliding. it all helps, at least a little. no one ever sat in the rear, and i have fixaflat and a plug kit instead of the spare, so its not a big deal. if its a driver, id keep the spare. mine is a weekender/racer, so its different.

theres not a whole hell of a lot more to take out, without starting to sacrifice the looks or comfort.

SIK02SS

iTrader: (11)

I disagree and say you can feel it..but only if you have a lot of seat time.

the best weight to lose is unsprung weight though

taws6

iTrader: (2)

Thanks for your opinions and replys guys.

Would I be much faster on a 1.5 mile circiut without the 80 LB?
How much time would I possably knock off ??

How can I reduce my unsprung weight?
I have stock 17 x 9 rims, 10 bolt and no SFC.

Hollow sways and k member will kill me with shipping and import dutys.
Anything else I could look at?

Thanks for the advise

EchoMirage

iTrader: (3)

again, i really doubt youd feel a differance. maybe if you were a professional racer, and did this for a living, you can fine tune yourself to be able to notice 50lbs or so here and there. but for 99% of the population, you wont feel it. if you want to do it, then do it. it all helps and adds up.....to an extent, 80lbs less will be 80lbs less on the brakes, tires, motor, steering, etc. but again, its a drop in the bucket.

you wont feel or notice a damn thing on a timed track, not until you can drive EXACTLY the same, lap after lap after lap. not until you can consitantly click off times within a few hundreths of each other all day long, will you be able to notice any weight differance. you can lose 80lbs and all of a sudden go a second quicker......because you probably took the right line around a turn, not because of the weight loss.

taws6

iTrader: (2)

Hey Echo,

I guess I won't feel a small drop in weight like that, and I understand I won't be making passes withing 0.1 of each other over a track, because well, I'm no track driver.
How much time would a track driver reduce his circuit time by in a car 80 - 100 LB lighter in weight, over say, a 1.6 mile track?
(Although my driving isn't the same, the reductions could be compairable....).

If 100 LB = 0.1 sec on a 1/4 mile (1 car length), would that = 0.7 seconds over a 1.6 mile circuit? 7 car lengths extra on a bendy road chase is waving goodbye

mitchntx

iTrader: (14)

In SCCA World Challenge, rewards weight is in 10lb increments and it will move a consistant podium finisher back in the pack

SIK02SS

iTrader: (11)

depends really...but an example is in my race class (Touring 1), the C5 Z06 Corvettes were allowed to drop 100 lbs in our cars for this year. The previous track record at Autoclub Speedway was 1:48.4, the new track record set this year is 1:47.0.

It's tough to make a good comparison in my example here as they were different drivers and obviously different track prep, but it gives you an idea of what's possible. Prior to this, the T1 guys were running within a couple tenths of the record at this track iirc, but I can try to find out for sure later. All the guys in my division have pretty much set new tracks records on every weekend this year and a couple times, reset them in the same weekend. The previous record holder is a damn good driver too. Tough to look at though when not comparing apples/apples

198esp

of course removing weight will help ,any weight that you dont have to accelerate or deccelerate ,change direction ,will reduce lap times. if that wasnt the case why do all racing classes have a min weight. Because everybody knows that if you remove any weight you will reduce your lap times and everybody would build heluim filled tin cans. Just because you cant tell a differnce does not mean sombody else wont. So dont say it wont make a improvement.

taws6

iTrader: (2)

Thanks for your replys.

I know it will make a difference, I just wondered how much. Hearing what SIK02SS said, knocking 1.4 seconds off is quiet a bit really. I know its apples to oranges, but the principal is the same.
Although I might not feel the difference, someone else should see it , esp if they're trailing me for a couple of miles....

Thanks for the info, I cant wait to get down to my local tracks

AU N EGL

I agree

take the wt off the wheels or unspring wt and you will fell a big difference

and of course take all the wt out of the truck, and car

and also under braking, there is a difference

SIK02SS

iTrader: (11)

What will drop the most time on a track regardless of finding weight savings though is seat time The more familiar you are with your car (and track for that matter) and how it reacts to what you do, the faster you will be able to go around the track.

Then when you drop the weight, you notice a big difference in how the car reacts compared to before, and your times drop more. Seat time is most important though.

Echo is right in the fact that if you aren't in the car much on the track, it's not going to make much of a difference in your times. Seat time (and good instruction) will though.

2000Z28M6

iTrader: (13)

For F bodys anything off the nose is going to help...

My car stand right over 3200lbs with no driver. The biggest advantage has been the pin on hood.

Some say you may not feel it, but it does help. I usually swap to a 14lb light weight battery when competing. I cant really tell the difference but I know its on the nose of the car and it has to help weight transfer.

Once you get to a certain point corner balancing comes into play otherwise you have a way unbalanced car.

I was previously taking out rear seats and the passenger and that never helped. Although it was weight it wasnt at the correct place.

I havent corner weighed my car but it feels really stable and predictable now. I wish I could so I could shoot for more weight reduction.

Good luck.

EchoMirage

iTrader: (3)

a battery is not unsprung weight

2000Z28M6

iTrader: (13)

lol your rite, unless its not tied down. My apologies a little too many drinks

taws6

iTrader: (2)

I will be getting some tuition & extra seat time at a couple of local tracks soon, since I got my konis on I can't wait

I'd love to reduce some unsprung weight, but I can't find any to lose (maybe alloy wheels?...) , and don't want to sacrifice too much comfort with lightening mods.

I guess maybe I could lose 1/2 stone

99ssleeper

iTrader: (98)

because we all know wtf a half stone is. lol

j/k....


im guessing 60#? i dont know why im thinking 60

EchoMirage

iTrader: (3)

depends on the size of the stone. kidney stone? rolling stone? stone cold?

EchoMirage

iTrader: (3)

although it reminds me of when i was back delivering parts. went to a shop that does alot of vettes. a guy was bragging that his $5000 titanium exhaust saved him 15lbs. yet this bloated bag of **** couldnt see his own feet if he looked down. his gut was down to his knees, and im sure havent seen his own **** without the use of a mirror in 20yrs.

15lbs of exhaust weight is something to brag about, yet you have to adjust your left side shocks to be stiffer because your fat *** makes it sit 2in lower then the right??

taws6

iTrader: (2)

LOL, 1/2 STONE = 3 KG = 6.6 LB

Not alot, but it's something for free!