I did a little more work tonight. On my '01 car, each factory front shock and spring assembly is 10lbs, each rear is 11lbs. A door speaker is only 1lbs. Each door trim panel is a 5lbs credit if you reattach the door handle and switch assemblies.

 

Weight saved on the tires/wheels is actually akin to 2.5x the actual static weight. Buy a newbie tire/wheel combo that is 7-lbs lighter per corner and you've essentially "dropped" 70-lbs from your car. Bear in mind wheel design (spoke location from hub, etc) has a bit to do with actual weight savings as well but this calculation is close enough. Disregard those who say the difference is 5-10x the amount (written on numerous other enthusiast boards from those who haven't done the research). I once participated in a thread (on another site) with contributions by a few (whose degrees qualified them to tackle the subject) and the general finding was a 2.5x factor. Anyone who has put lightweight 12-lb 16-inch wheels on their car can attest to the increase in performance that clearly isn't indicative of the "actual" weight decrease.
On another note, I usually run no more than a 1/2-tank of gas at all times because when I go on a trip and fill it up, I can definitely feel the difference in take-up with that extra weight (40-lbs or so). During the summer, when I'm tooling around looking to play, it's six bars or less. I drink a lot of 'Dew and it just gives me a reason to grab another 20 oz.

 

Query:

Spoon supposedly makes and sells aluminum suspension A arms. I'm sure that they are OUTRAGEOUSLY expensive.

I'm not sure of how much lighter they are, but regardless of the actual weight savings - looks like some of that weight would be "unsprung".

Any thoughts?

 

I didn't think the trim panels could weigh that much. Something for me to consider....

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Prolene
[B] I didn't think the trim panels could weigh that much.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by SteveUCI
[B]

I thought you already gutted all that out!

 

So what can go from the front of the car? Intake, AC (has anyone done this?), light battery, what else? My weight lost is biased toward the rear so far and I need to do something about it.

 

Yeah - same here. W/ the lighter wheels and brakes more is off the front than the rears, but the BIG diff. will be the 35 lbs. plus I lose off the rear from the Amuse Dual R1 Ti exhaust and the 30 lbs. plus I lose by removing the spare and tools.

REAR: (Total = 89 lbs. dropped)
Amuse Dual R1 Ti catback exhaust = 35 lbs. saved.
Pinnacle Brake system w/ "wave" rotors all around = 8 lbs less in the rear alone.
No spare or tools = 32 lbs.
Rega EVO wheels = 14 pounds

FRONT: (Total = about 39 lbs. dropped)
Spoon header = 6 - 8 lbs. saved.
Pinnacle Brake system w/ "wave" rotors all around = 18 lbs savedon the front.
Rega EVO wheels = 13.5 pounds

So - a drop in the front of 39 lbs. and 89 in the rear. Will that unbalance the car enough to cause more oversteer? I assume that the oversteer characteristic will increase, but I don't really know. I have seen conflicting views on that.

 

a weight increase to the rear will make the car head towards oversteer... and likewise an increase in front weight will increase understeer.

-jason keeney

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Russ
[B]Weight saved on the tires/wheels is actually akin to 2.5x the actual static weight.