Sway bars, why? Mufflers, heavy?

mhanksii · Sep 6, 2007

OK so I am headed back to the track because I can't leave my mustang with a best run of 13.5 in the 1/4. Will taking the sway bar off help that much and two other questions about that: can I drive it to the track like that and how hard is it to take off and put back on?
Also does taking the mufflers off do anything for me with full stock exhaust to this point? Last time I took them off just for fun I noticed that my gas mileage went to poop and when I rev it up it takes a fairly long time to come back down.

Any advice besides loosing the spare tire ( I already took it out) would help and be appreciated. Thanks guys

SpartaPerformance · Sep 6, 2007

I don't think sway bar removal will make that much difference at the track, however it wont hurt to try they are easy to remove. A tip though becarefull with the front end licks they are flimsy ball & socket type and could break with constant take on take off.

anticubicle · Sep 6, 2007

Leave your mufflers on. The stock mufflers are one of the things Ford paid a lot of attention to. If anything get a mid-pipe.

There is nothing wrong with a 13.5, you're not driving a Corvette ya know. And from the looks of your sig you don't have 4.10's, get those and some DR's and you'll see your times drop into the very low 13's / high 12's. Take into account the weather.

If you want to really reduce your weight, take off the front sway bar, remove the back seats and passenger seat and dont eat for 2 days. Just be happy you're not me running a 13.8 w/ DR's in 85% humidity.

kooldawg6 · Sep 7, 2007

When I went to the track, I was running faster than some of the new GT manuals with the pass. seat, and all of the trunk goodies removed. Also ran faster than a MACH 1(newer)with the seat and trunk goodies removed. I ran with the Shaker1000 sub box, pass. seat, spare tire, jack, 2 lawn chairs(in trunk)and my son's car seat

StonePony · Sep 7, 2007

When I went to the track, I was running faster than some of the new GT manuals with the pass. seat, and all of the trunk goodies removed. Also ran faster than a MACH 1(newer)with the seat and trunk goodies removed. I ran with the Shaker1000 sub box, pass. seat, spare tire, jack, 2 lawn chairs(in trunk)and my son's car seat

That is nice.
He is asking what HE can do to improve his time, not how fast can you go if you leave your car seat in the trunk.

Lower your rear tire pressure
Remove the spare, jack and trunk liner
remove front sway bar
remove rear and/or passeneger seat
practice launch technique (brake torque for auto or clutch release for stick)
get some sticky tires ( M/T ET Streets come in 17" size and fit stock rims.

Hoboattacker · Sep 7, 2007

Take out your back seat (it's easy) and take out the spare, jack, trunk carpet stuff, and all of the CD's/random crap in your car (including floor mats) and you'll drop about 100 pounds from the car. Should be able to pull 13.3's with a good driver and perfect conditions.

anticubicle · Sep 7, 2007

Anyone have any idea what the back seat and passenger seat actually weigh? Once I get to a point where I'm near the 12's I'll be looking to shed some weight on the car (and myself for that matter).

stang8urimport · Sep 7, 2007

The removal of the sway bar is more to help with weight transfer then actually weight savings. With the swaybar gone, the front end will rise faster and raise higher without having a big bar connecting both sides.

DarkFireGT · Sep 7, 2007

PoopDawg said:
The removal of the sway bar is more to help with weight transfer then actually weight savings. With the swaybar gone, the front end will rise faster and raise higher without having a big bar connecting both sides.

Beat me to it.

BTW, I believe the rear seat weighs about 45LBs back and top combined.

kooldawg6 · Sep 7, 2007

If it doesn't get rained out, I might just have to pull "stuff" from my car to see how close to the 12s I can get in a few weeks. If the back seat weighs near 45 LBS and removing the pass. seat, jack/spare and Shaker1000 sub box. That could be well on its way to 100 LBS overall. If I don't waste it spinning out of the hole, could it be good enough for a <13.20 It sounds really tempting

mhanksii · Sep 7, 2007

Hoboattacker said:
Take out your back seat (it's easy) and take out the spare, jack, trunk carpet stuff, and all of the CD's/random crap in your car (including floor mats) and you'll drop about 100 pounds from the car. Should be able to pull 13.3's with a good driver and perfect conditions.

How do you like your shorty headers? BTW I just pulled the spare, jack, trunk carpet, and loose crap out and ran back to back bests
1st - @121 degrees - 13.401@105.26 w/ a 60' of 2.049
2nd - @120 degrees -13.393@104.78 w/ a 60' of 2.008

Does that look like about the best I am going to get out of my mods? and would a light weight flywheel, light twin disk clutch&pressure plate, Drive-shaft, and 3.90 or 4.10 be enough for something in the 12.7-12.9 range? Thanks for all the advice and keep those 281'a singing :Track: they are an impressive power plant.

anticubicle · Sep 7, 2007

So 121 degrees.....where the hell do you live?

kooldawg6 · Sep 7, 2007

If the track is in Maryland, I take them as being track surface temps not ambient temps. The highs for today were only supposed to be high 80s-90.

mhanksii · Sep 7, 2007

Yes they are track temps, not air temperatures. It wasn't bad tonight when the sun went down something like 83-85. That's what my jeep told me anyway.

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m280/mhanksii/besttimeslips.jpg That is a link to my timeslips

Five Oh Brian · Sep 7, 2007

DarkFireGT said:
Beat me to it.

BTW, I believe the rear seat weighs about 45LBs back and top combined.

The rear seat back and top weigh 20 lbs and only takes 3 bolts to undo the backs (the bottom comes out with no tools).

DarkFireGT · Sep 8, 2007

Five Oh Brian said:
The rear seat back and top weigh 20 lbs and only takes 3 bolts to undo the backs (the bottom comes out with no tools).

I wonder what weighed 46 lbs then... Ok, well thanks for the correction.

kooldawg6 · Sep 10, 2007

I will be removing items on the 22nd, I will weigh the items and report here the weights of each and the total ...if not done by another and reported first of course My Crutchfield buddy was guessing in the neighborhood of 30 LBS for the Shaker1000 sub box.

Sway bars, why? Mufflers, heavy?

mhanksii

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SpartaPerformance

anticubicle

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kooldawg6

mine works really well and can take a fair amount

StonePony

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Hoboattacker

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anticubicle

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stang8urimport

Autozone Junkie

DarkFireGT

Playing with my wife's really makes me want one.

kooldawg6

mine works really well and can take a fair amount

mhanksii

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anticubicle

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kooldawg6

mine works really well and can take a fair amount

mhanksii

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Five Oh Brian

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DarkFireGT

Playing with my wife's really makes me want one.

kooldawg6

mine works really well and can take a fair amount

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Sway bars, why? Mufflers, heavy?

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