Reducing your car weight

[P_T]

I've searched the forum and I couldn't find any thread about reducing car weight, so I hope it's ok to create this thread.

Anyway, I want to ask what you guys have done to reduce your car weight. Carbon fibre bonnet/boot/doors/dashboard/body kit? Lightweight front bucket seats? What else can you reduce without going too hardcore and take out the backseat?

Do those aftermarket mods like CAI, headers, exhaust, etc. increase the weight of the car or are they lighter than the stock parts?

How much weight do you save by changing steel rims to alloy? From what I've read, some alloy rims aren't actually lighter than the steel ones.

Any input is much appreciated, thanks guys.

[thestig]

I have put on racing wheels, Enkie gtc 01 they save about the same weight as a normal adult. I can definantly notice the difference.

[Lukeywunda]

Empty your glovebox, take out your spare tyre and tools, remove the cover on the hatch (mine rattled, so it is gone), remove the sound deadening from inside all the doors and under the bonnet, loose 20kg yourself, remove the cover from the Cat converter, lightweight battery, drill holes in non vital panels and trim, I'll sell you a straight pipe so you can remove that heavy rear muffler ( very loud but I think sounds better than most cannon exhaust), use shaved tyres, take out your golf clubs etc etc. My ideas for your mission.

[Kenshin X]

...loose 20kg yourself...

i need to loose 20 kgs myself... <_<

[Lawz]

What's your purpose of weight reduction?

First would be your own weight. Take a dump before you get in and drive... would be a start. Lighter rims, small dry cell battery, space saver spare wheel.

If you want to go bit further and don't care about luxuries... take out floor carpet, remove all trims, sound deadening, cataliyic converter, etc.

[P_T]

Me lose 20kg? I only weigh 70kg. lol

I was asking what you guys have done to reduce weight coz I thought it's all about kW per tonne, right?

Edited May 28, 2011 by P_T

[ben yip]

Me lose 20kg? I only weigh 70kg. lol

I was asking what you guys have done to reduce weight coz I thought it's all about kW per tonne, right?

I am going to Wakefield on 13/6.

I have removed back seat, very easy, saving 15-20kg, if you want to put it back, it is also very easy as well..

I have removed spare wheel and jack, and the tools at the back, very easy, but please make sure you buy a can of tyre gas to pump up the car in the petrol station in case of flat tyres. Please also put back the spare tyre in long trip. it saves 20kg

I will buy a light weight battery, my preference is odyssey pc680, it is expensive, but it will last for 8-12 years. That saves me 10kg, but you cannot use any large output audio system

Remove all the plastic at the back

I will never use 17 or 18 wheels coze they are too heavy, our zre output is not high, heavier wheel will be slowing acceleration. I use 16

I cannot remove the front seat coze the seat belt sensor is hardwiredm otherwise 15 kg can be saved

The end result is very prominent and noticable, especially your tank is 1/4 full, using the power to weight calculator in

http://www.ajdesigner.com/phphorsepower/horsepower_equation_power_to_weight_ratio.php You will have 3-4 kw increase

You better have a coilover because the balance of the car will be gone..

I won't use any aftermarket anti roll bar because I want the front to be soft, otherwise, too much understeering.. The rear suspension is already hard enough. If the track has too many S cornering, I might consider an anti roll bar, otherwise, they just increase weight, and I do not ride on bumps on the track, a hard suspension is good enough to resist excessive body roll

I played a lot of computer games simulation in the past (GTR2 and rfactor), it gives me a lot of insights of setting up a car in the track

This old mazda saves 4 seconds in 0-100 run, decreasing from 11.5 seconds to 7.9 seconds, but you won't remove that much because you still want the car to be practical

http://www.topgear.com/uk/photos/how-fat-is-your-car

As the article suggest, the track time does not increase because the car is out of balance. Because I am using a coilover, I soften the rear suspension

http://www.planet-9.com/cayman-boxster-competition/19670-lightweight-deka-battery-track.html

http://www.importmodifications.com/integraweightreduction.html

A good article of tuning an integra.. The power to weight ratio is the most important part.

Download the wheel weight data in here

http://www.wheelweights.net/wheel-weight-weight.xls

Light weight wheel will only save 1-2 kg per wheel, you have to judge whether it worth it, With Enkei GTC, the 17x7 weights 7.93kg, the stock mx5 16x6.5 is 8.18kg (this one contains many spokes), with the less spoke ones, it wights 7.27kg...

http://www.miata.net/faq/wheel_weights.html wheel weight for mx5

Below shows all the tire spec, including weight and treadwear, basically, a 16 inch tire weight 10kg and 17 inch for 11kg, it got good review as well

http://www.tirerack.com

Edited June 8, 2011 by ben yip

[SuperDave]

I have put on racing wheels, Enkie gtc 01 they save about the same weight as a normal adult. I can definantly notice the difference.

A normal adult weighs? Stock Sportivo rims are about 8kg each.

[ben yip]

I have put on racing wheels, Enkie gtc 01 they save about the same weight as a normal adult. I can definantly notice the difference.

A normal adult weighs? Stock Sportivo rims are about 8kg each.

17x7 for Enkei GETC is 7.93 each, so you save 0.07kg per wheel

[Hiro]

I have put on racing wheels, Enkie gtc 01 they save about the same weight as a normal adult. I can definantly notice the difference.

A normal adult weighs? Stock Sportivo rims are about 8kg each.

Depending on width you might save some more weight in the tyres too.

As an aside, remember that lightening your flywheel can make a significant difference as it is reducing the rotating mass of the drivetrain and is worth much more than its reduction in mass might imply - a kg or two in flywheel mass may equal a couple of kw of extra power as far as acceleration is concerned.

Also, reductions in unsprung mass (ie wheels, tyres and suspension components) are worth more in handling terms than the same reduction in sprung mass - granted you can't remove too much weight from your hubs or struts, but lightweight rims and brake calipers can add up too.

[Hikaru Sorano]

Hi there!

If you are planning to go to the track to test times, be sure to have only the necessary amount of fuel in the tank. you might save up to 45~50kgr, depending on the tank size.

Cheers

AB

[Hiro]

Hi there!

If you are planning to go to the track to test times, be sure to have only the necessary amount of fuel in the tank. you might save up to 45~50kgr, depending on the tank size.

Cheers

AB

Must be a pretty big tank to save 50kg, fuel is only about 3/4 the density of water so you'd need to remove about 65L of fuel. I'd recommend not running any lower than 1/4 tank when at track too, gives you a nice safe buffer as far as surge/starvation is concerned in the tank (drags are a different story as you don't have the rapid change in direction and acceleration/braking as you do on the track).

[Hikaru Sorano]

Yes, I meant by track, a drag race (wrong words!)

Thanks Hiro for the correction!

Cheers

AB

[clifton]

How would some light 15's like 949 6UL's look on a Sportivo?

As mentioned above, lightening unsprung mass is worth alot more then sprung mass.

Here is what my friend has done to his Golf GTI.

It might give you some ideas where weight can be lost :).

Lightening

----------------------------------

Antenna: -20g

Golf Manual: -818g

Tool kit: -3.78kg

Parcel tray: -1.82kg

Rear floor: -1.62kg

Rear seat bottom: -4.96kg

Rear single seat back: -6.46kg

Rear double seat back: -17.48kg

Spare wheel: -14.34kg

Rear wiper assembly: -1.02kg

License Plate surround + fog light block-off panel -300g

Rear floor matts: -572g

Osir carbon bonnet -6kg

Rear boot trim panel: -1.74kg

Rear boot trim: -2.57

Amplifier cover: -170g

Undertray: -880g

Exhaust heatshield: -560g

Oil filler neck -35g

Battery box -646g

Fog Lights -420g

Rear fender lining: -1.5kg

Front brake heat shields: -720g

----------------------------------

+10.80kg (H&R swaybars/Cross Coilovers)

-3kg (Miltek Turbo Back Exhaust)

-200g (Neuspeed Turbo Discharge kit)

+1.2kg (Forge Twintake)

- 12kg (Advan RZ + Toyo R888)

+395g (Kics lug nuts)

+1960g (H&R + ECS Wheel Spacers)

- 464g (new MKV rear hatch mechanism)

- 4.58kg (Odyssey Battery)

+ 400g (Unibrace)

- 1393g (Neuspeed pulley kit)

- 1kg (BSH billet mount package)

- 10.5kg (Brembo brakes)

----------------------------------

= -84.61kg

Edited May 29, 2011 by clifton

[Kenshin X]

How would some light 15's like 949 6UL's look on a Sportivo?

As mentioned above, lightening unsprung mass is worth alot more then sprung mass.

Here is what my friend has done to his Golf GTI.

It might give you some ideas where weight can be lost :).

Lightening

----------------------------------

Antenna: -20g

Golf Manual: -818g

Tool kit: -3.78kg

Parcel tray: -1.82kg

Rear floor: -1.62kg

Rear seat bottom: -4.96kg

Rear single seat back: -6.46kg

Rear double seat back: -17.48kg

Spare wheel: -14.34kg

Rear wiper assembly: -1.02kg

License Plate surround + fog light block-off panel -300g

Rear floor matts: -572g

Osir carbon bonnet -6kg

Rear boot trim panel: -1.74kg

Rear boot trim: -2.57

Amplifier cover: -170g

Undertray: -880g

Exhaust heatshield: -560g

Oil filler neck -35g

Battery box -646g

Fog Lights -420g

Rear fender lining: -1.5kg

Front brake heat shields: -720g

----------------------------------

+10.80kg (H&R swaybars/Cross Coilovers)

-3kg (Miltek Turbo Back Exhaust)

-200g (Neuspeed Turbo Discharge kit)

+1.2kg (Forge Twintake)

- 12kg (Advan RZ + Toyo R888)

+395g (Kics lug nuts)

+1960g (H&R + ECS Wheel Spacers)

- 464g (new MKV rear hatch mechanism)

- 4.58kg (Odyssey Battery)

+ 400g (Unibrace)

- 1393g (Neuspeed pulley kit)

- 1kg (BSH billet mount package)

- 10.5kg (Brembo brakes)

----------------------------------

= -84.61kg

Wow that's not bad... I reckon I can take out 80kgs of stuff in my car including the passenger front seat :)

Or... u can do this... LAWLLLLL