light weight cars wheres the gain?

ADRENLN

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NJ

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#1

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• #1

when a car is lightened. of course we are talking a 150-180 lbs. under stock

where would notice the gains?

in low gears and low speeds

in higher gear aat higher speeds.

or both or neither?

from experiance lighting the car at a modderet level. it seems to have the same low end, but once in the higher gears 3 ,4 gears....it seems like that is where i notice this. what are others of you experiangs performance wise as far excelaration?

 

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007

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Broke

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#2

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You should notice it at lower speeds and of course when cornering.

Power:weight ratio is better at low speeds, and wind drag isnt huge. Less inertia = faster acceleration.

At high speeds you are fighting the drag of the air which hasnt changed. Power vs drag will determine your cars max speed (ignoring gearing etc.).

 

K

Kilgore Trout

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I read somewhere that for every six pounds you gain one HP.

 

timeless2

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the Shadow Gallery

Sep 4, 2005

#4

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As stated above, your enemy in changing speeds and direction is inertia. Inertia has a direct, positive correlation with mass. More mass, more inertia. Lighten your load and you'll get more of a response. How well that response suits you for regular movement is another thing.

 

MyEarsHurt

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I would imagine that you would see the gains throughout all speeds and rpm. Maybe I am wrong, but to me it seems like, if you weigh less, you will accelerate faster, corner better, have less weight to move around at higher speeds. And I have heard what Kilgore said as well, that every 6 lbs or so is like adding 1hp.

 

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007

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Kilgore Trout said:

I read somewhere that for every six pounds you gain one HP.

Click to expand...

Hp Equivalent of Weight Saving (Power Weight Ratio) = Power*Weight Removed/Cars Initial Weight

So for a 3000lb, 300hp car, removing 10lbs is equivalent to gaining 1 horse.

 

J

jimfitzgerald

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Roughly, a 100 lb reduction in weight is worth 0.10 second reduced 1/4 mile ET. That would vary somewhat based on a lot of factors.

 

Chili

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#8

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ADRENLN said:

when a car is lightened. of course we are talking a 150-180 lbs. under stock

where would notice the gains?

in low gears and low speeds

in higher gear aat higher speeds.

or both or neither?

from experiance lighting the car at a modderet level. it seems to have the same low end, but once in the higher gears 3 ,4 gears....it seems like that is where i notice this. what are others of you experiangs performance wise as far excelaration?

Click to expand...

It's going to improve acceleration all around because you're pushing less weight. Where will it be most notable? As jimfitzgerald said it can save you about a tenth. Personally, I don't feel a tenth difference in the 1/8th so you may not feel it at all. BTW.. It should improve stopping distance also.