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Gains from weight reduction?

15K views 22 replies 16 participants last post by  modd1uk 
#1 ·
Hi everyone,

I am considering trying to shed weight off my stock FN2. However, I will only go ahead if the gains will will be worth my time/money.

So far I'm considering:

  • Remove rear seats
  • Remove spare tyre
  • Lighter weight tyres and rims,
  • Lighter weight battery
Can anyone suggest if the car will feel any quicker or lighter if I go ahead with these moves? What sort of acceleration gains can I expect?


Not expecting anything big, just want to see if it's a waste of time or not.

Thank you!
 
#2 ·
IIRC Rear seats weigh somewhere in the region of 40kg
Front seat has got to be about 15 - 20
Lightweight battery can save you a few kg

Will deffo give you a tangible weight reduction saving - comparible to the difference you have when you don't have someone sitting in the passenger seat
 
#4 ·
Front seats are about 25kg each i think, so if you can replace those with seat rails and lose half or a bit less. Job's a good en.

Depending on which light weight, some are almost 1k..... But a standard battery is summat like 12kg.... The 1k one is summat like 1.6kg or summat lol!!

Maybe look at removing sound deadening also, costs nothing but your spare time. :)

Also consider removing your a/c aswell, i didn't think the type r had a spare wheel???

Sent from my 4.2.1 Jellybean Galaxy Nexus
 
#5 · (Edited)
Drivers seat is 27 and passenger 25.

Aircon is 15-16kg including pipework and condensor , and you can get a super light weight lithium ion battery that weighs much less than a kilo for less than a K ;)



Fits in your hand, designed to start V8s and can be charged off normal alternators and trickle pack. Total drain possible too . Full of win
 
#12 · (Edited)
You should consider your car 1400kg with driver and some fuel in the tank.

So if you save 100kg the power to weight will increase by.
((1400kg / 1300kg) - 1) * 100 = 7.7% quicker acceleration/deceleration + better handling + higher cornering speeds.
Same as adding 7.7% power/torque to the engine at all rpm and fitting bigger brakes and suspension upgrades at the same time.

Unsprung weight from the brakes/tyres/wheels and anything hanging off the springs is a different matter.
The effect is compounded as the wheel has the same effect as a lightened flywheel on an engine.
It absorbs energy to accelerate it and brake it.
It is also sluggish to compress and rebound on the shocks as weight increases so wont follow the road on a bumpy surface = less grip.

Mugen say unsprung weight savings is worth 2x the same kerb weight saving.
Audi drag strip testing say 5x equivalent kerb weight saving on 1/4 mile times.
 
#14 ·
ive shifted probably 100kgs from my car by removing rears seats(trackday only), replaced front seats with lightweight buckets, removed aircon, lightweight wheels, lightweight bbk, probably a bit gone by replacing oem bonnet with j's vented bonnet too. does make a difference.
 
#15 ·
Take the weight of the car standard and divide it by ten. Divide your power by ten. Loosing that tenth of the weight is like gaining that tenth in power as a power to weight ratio. So for an easy one. A car weighing one tonne with 100bhp has power to weight of 10 horse power per 100 kg. Lose hundred kg andIt becomes 110bhp per tonne. I think that's right ?Plus better braking and better handling.
 
#17 · (Edited)
Hi everyone,

I am considering trying to shed weight off my stock FN2. However, I will only go ahead if the gains will will be worth my time/money.

So far I'm considering:

  • Remove rear seats
  • Remove spare tyre
  • Lighter weight tyres and rims,
  • Lighter weight battery
Can anyone suggest if the car will feel any quicker or lighter if I go ahead with these moves? What sort of acceleration gains can I expect?


Not expecting anything big, just want to see if it's a waste of time or not.

Thank you!
If you can drop 50kg it will feel like 6bhp / 0.05 seconds off your 1/4 mile.

Wont be terrorising those M3's just yet, but you might get slightly better fuel economy I guess.
 
#18 ·
Fair bit of weight to be saved by changing the exhaust manifold and catback for a single exit one too... I always think my car is noticably faster with just me in it - so if you can save enough weight then you can take a passenger for 'free'! :)
 
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