Post exact weights of weight reduction you have done!
Just wanted to say I've read through this thread many times - and say thanks.
I've already removed what seems like a lot. Basically everything in the cabin and trunk. Down to just a race seat! A/C is out but some lines remain, coilovers & exhaust lightened it considerably. Rear speakers, CD player, airbags; all gone. Car's race weight is about 3220 wet. Remove me and my autopower rollbar and figure it's just under 3000 at about 2985lbs with low fuel. I've still got most of the interior, all the doors intact and f/r crash beams.
Here's a pic of what I've removed in the past few days. A few brackets, some plastic crap, etc. Not pictured is all the carpet from the floorboard and what I could easily cut from under the dash - not that stuff is heavy and thick!
I do have one question. That crap on the floorboard/base of the car. I've read you need a chisel and dry ice to remove it. How do you use the dry ice exactly?
I've already removed what seems like a lot. Basically everything in the cabin and trunk. Down to just a race seat! A/C is out but some lines remain, coilovers & exhaust lightened it considerably. Rear speakers, CD player, airbags; all gone. Car's race weight is about 3220 wet. Remove me and my autopower rollbar and figure it's just under 3000 at about 2985lbs with low fuel. I've still got most of the interior, all the doors intact and f/r crash beams.
Here's a pic of what I've removed in the past few days. A few brackets, some plastic crap, etc. Not pictured is all the carpet from the floorboard and what I could easily cut from under the dash - not that stuff is heavy and thick!
I do have one question. That crap on the floorboard/base of the car. I've read you need a chisel and dry ice to remove it. How do you use the dry ice exactly?
Further weight reduction:
- Girodisc front 2-piece floating rotors
- AMS Mustache Bar eliminator
- pulled all carpet in front seat area
- pulled & cut away as much sound deadening from under the dash as I could reach
Last edited by boomn29; Sep 17, 2010 at 09:11 AM.
Its still sticky after the Heat and not clean at all. I will NEVER try it with Heat again. Dry ice was fast by far too 
Evo 9 SE front bumper cover w lip (urethane), steel bracket & hardware for securing central mesh removed – 16.30 lb.
C-West replica Evo bumper cover (fiberglas) mesh inserts removed, before paint – 12.25 lb.
After I installed it, I carved out some of the fiberglas material underneath to save more weight, but added it back on with paint. But still, over 4 pounds off the very farthest forward point of the car is a significant improvement.
Here are the exact numbers:
OEM Evo9 urethane bumper cover and SE lip: 16.30 lb.
Original weight of C-west replica bumper cover, before I did anything to it: 12.25 lb.
C-west bumper cover after modifying it to fit over the OEM bumper beam, and cutting out as much fiberglas as I felt wouldn't weaken it: 11.23 lb.
After painting (one can of primer, and FIVE cans of paint): 11.71 lb.
Two aluminum braces/bolts I asian-eered to create a little more tire/fender clearance and hopefully keep the bumper cover from cracking when I hit cones during autocross events: .21 lb.
TOTAL WEIGHT SAVINGS: 16.3 - 11.71 = 4.59 saved, but + .21 for bracing = 4.38 lb
Lighter after I cut stuff out:
The bits I cut out (.89 lb):
After spraypainting it, installed:
Last edited by EGbeater; Sep 25, 2010 at 04:10 PM.
If you're going to do this, you're better off going to a dual master cy. setup with a balance bar. The proportioning valves only reduce pressure to the rear.
I have a dual master setup on my hillclimb car, but I'm not sure that it saves much weight. The brackets that the whole assembly bolts up to aren't light.
Dave
I have a dual master setup on my hillclimb car, but I'm not sure that it saves much weight. The brackets that the whole assembly bolts up to aren't light.
Dave
the pedal assemblies are also very expensive.
the OEM brake booster is pretty heavy though. i have mine out right now for paint. i'm also planning on switching to a RS master cylinder and lines. it eliminates the need for the ABS module.
Really depends on what you consider expensive. People in here are spending $800 on a carbon hood to drop 10 lbs, and I'd bet a better optimized brake system would lower track times even more than a CF hood. Some of the high end Tilton stuff are easily $1000 before you're done, but some of the other options aren't that expesive at all.
I didn't replace any of my pedals, we used something like this:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/WIL-340-4630/
I suspect this is the newer model as it looks a bit different from my setup. But, for a proper race car (and especially a rally car), going to a dual master cyl. setup is the way to go. You can make major bias changes by sourcing the correct sized master cy. for your brake caliper piston sizes, and then you can fine tune with the balance bar while the car is moving. The often overlooked advantage of a dual setup is that if something happens to tear off or puncture your brakes on one end the of car, the other end of the car could still work just fine.
On my BMW project I picked up a set of the 600-series tilton pedals with a couple master cyl. for under $400. That's a 3 pedal setup with balance bar and funky throttle linkage stuff - hardly what I'd call expensive. In my Evo I couldn't move myself far enough backward in the car to make a floor setup work right. With the BMW we paid careful attention in the cage design to allow for me to sit 8" further back than normal, and that allows for the pedals to mount to the floor. On a RWD car on slippy stuff...I think having my heavy butt closer to the rear axles is a worthwile move.
Dave
I didn't replace any of my pedals, we used something like this:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/WIL-340-4630/
I suspect this is the newer model as it looks a bit different from my setup. But, for a proper race car (and especially a rally car), going to a dual master cyl. setup is the way to go. You can make major bias changes by sourcing the correct sized master cy. for your brake caliper piston sizes, and then you can fine tune with the balance bar while the car is moving. The often overlooked advantage of a dual setup is that if something happens to tear off or puncture your brakes on one end the of car, the other end of the car could still work just fine.
On my BMW project I picked up a set of the 600-series tilton pedals with a couple master cyl. for under $400. That's a 3 pedal setup with balance bar and funky throttle linkage stuff - hardly what I'd call expensive. In my Evo I couldn't move myself far enough backward in the car to make a floor setup work right. With the BMW we paid careful attention in the cage design to allow for me to sit 8" further back than normal, and that allows for the pedals to mount to the floor. On a RWD car on slippy stuff...I think having my heavy butt closer to the rear axles is a worthwile move.
Dave
Man I have been there and unless your building a race car and shooting for World Records just do the basics. Its not worth it. The noise, the rattles, the vibration. UGGHHH! When stuff like rotors wear out, replace them with lighter ones, etc... Suspension is a biggie, lighter wheels, brake rotors-anything rotational. Carbon hood, trunk, waste of time and money for most. Like I said, if something needs replaced then replace it with something thats lighter. Keep in mind GT3's weigh in at 3K#. I know for a fact I could've gotten my race evo down to 2200#. But no way I was gong to spend thousands on carbon doors, etc...
I've pulled out 280 pounds going off these lists. My car weighs in at 2950.
I'm to the point now where losing weight means replacing parts in almost every case. Only pieces I can really pull out is unneeded wiring, stereo (only have the stock deck and front speaker), and the heater. Everything else that can be removed without replacement parts is gone.
There seems to be a pretty big disparity in base weights of these cars.
I'm still weighing the pros and cons of the ABS system at this point. The car is a street mod car that sees some street use.
I'm to the point now where losing weight means replacing parts in almost every case. Only pieces I can really pull out is unneeded wiring, stereo (only have the stock deck and front speaker), and the heater. Everything else that can be removed without replacement parts is gone.
There seems to be a pretty big disparity in base weights of these cars.
I'm still weighing the pros and cons of the ABS system at this point. The car is a street mod car that sees some street use.
I've pulled out 280 pounds going off these lists. My car weighs in at 2950.
I'm to the point now where losing weight means replacing parts in almost every case. Only pieces I can really pull out is unneeded wiring, stereo (only have the stock deck and front speaker), and the heater. Everything else that can be removed without replacement parts is gone.
There seems to be a pretty big disparity in base weights of these cars.
I'm still weighing the pros and cons of the ABS system at this point. The car is a street mod car that sees some street use.
I'm to the point now where losing weight means replacing parts in almost every case. Only pieces I can really pull out is unneeded wiring, stereo (only have the stock deck and front speaker), and the heater. Everything else that can be removed without replacement parts is gone.
There seems to be a pretty big disparity in base weights of these cars.
I'm still weighing the pros and cons of the ABS system at this point. The car is a street mod car that sees some street use.
My 06 SE with only reduction being the spare and jack. But add a mini compressor and tool kit 3/4 tank of E85. Weighted 3300 with me in it (185lbs). Not bad for a 4 door car. My C6 Z06 came in at 3100 with me in it.
