Weight Reduction List

[murphster]

Here is a list of more things I've seriously considered:
- Replace heavy stock carpet (maybe) -10lbs?
- lighter battery (mini ones don't last long and poor CCA, my current one is heavy though) -15lbs?
- replace spare tire well with aluminum sheet (maybe) -10lbs?
- lighter driveshaft (nope, I won't replace my Dennys 3.5") -10lbs?
- remove wiper assembly (nope, still drive it on the street, seems risky) -7lbs?

Just an update......car weighed 3195lbs with me last time at the track with helmet, fire jacket, fire pants, a duffle bag and laptop.

- I purchased a new carpet without the rubber insulation to replace my stock carpet. Estimated weight loss is 8lbs.

- I got an Al spare tire well sheet. Spare tire well will be cut out and replaced with this. I've read that it could save as much as 12lbs. We'll see.

- After some reading I bought a Deka ETX30L battery to try out. It weighs in a 22lbs and is about double the output of the last light battery I tried, an Odyssey PC680. It was only $100 so I'll give it a shot. My current Diehard PC1500 battery weighs in at 53lbs. I'm also going to ditch my Moroso battery box that weighs over 5lbs. Battery should save 31lbs and the box another 5lbs.

- I'm going to upgrade my XFI to internal logging. My laptop and Al stand weighs in at 7lbs and I won't need it to log a pass.

- My duffle bag that I keep in the car weighs in at a little over 5lbs even without my helmet and suit in it.

Thats 68lbs right there that would put me at 3125-3130 with driver. I'm also going to make sure I'm only running 4 gallons of gas or so in my fuel cell for each pass, which should shed a few more lbs. I'll update final weights when they are scaled.

 

[pacecarta]

not sure how much this weighs but i might just add something that might make the car heavier
i want it sown onto the kirkey cover
http://www.amazon.com/FIVE-STAR-FS8812-10-MOTOR-MASSAGE/dp/B003QMUX2O

 

[sackracing]

Check out the Braille batteries on Summit racing site. Under 20 pounds on a 475 cca battery.

 

[murphster]

I was going to go with a Braille but upon researching it everyone says its just a rebadged Deka battery like the one I bought. Dimensions, weight, and looks are exactly the same. Some people say the Dekas are underated and the Brailles overated and they test the same. So for half the price I got the Deka. Tried it out this past weekend driving it to the track for my chassis cert. Worked fine, started it up a bunch of times. On my last mini battery the voltage would drop quick and would start resetting the XFI box if it didn't start quick. No issues on this one.

I will keep it on a battery tender all the time to make sure its always fully charged. Might get one of those one pound Li-ion jumper batteries to be safe though. So far so good.

 

[sackracing]

I have a high compression motor and I'm wondering if it will be enough cca to turn it over. I'm using a red top optima now and it's 600 CCA at 38 pounds.

 

[murphster]

Here's its temp installation:

 

[sackracing]

I just can't believe that little battery works

 

[murphster]

I have a high compression motor and I'm wondering if it will be enough cca to turn it over. I'm using a red top optima now and it's 600 CCA at 38 pounds.

I just replaced my Diehard PC1500 880CCA 50lb battery with it lol. Cheap 30lbs compared to other stuff.

 

[TT/Ameasap]

The pc680 works like a normal battery. It helps me do wheelies

 

[trixdout]

The pc680 works like a normal battery. It helps me do wheelies

I just replaced my Diehard PC1500 880CCA 50lb battery with it lol. Cheap 30lbs compared to other stuff.

Do they last add long as a normal large battery (5-7 years )?

 

[2QUICK2B6]

I haven't had a normal batt A/c delco last me 3 yrs?

 

[sackracing]

Those look like the batteries I used to put in my SeaDoo.

 

[TT/Ameasap]

I have been hitting my PC680 with 15.2v at WOT and running the fan constantly while car is on and off. There is no reason for it to last 5-7 yrs. Like mentioned above....My regular batteries never last past 3yrs.
trickle charge it and it should live. Im on year 2 without an issue. Even started my BBC with it a few times.

 

[murphster]

The PC680 did seem to work well for me, its just that the voltage dropped fast on startup and my XFI didn't like it. Especially if it had been sitting for any length of time without a charge or if it was colder out. Rated only at 170 CCA so not surprising. For 5lbs more the Deka is rated at 400 CCA so I'm hoping it holds up better. Being at the track and having multiple startups in a row for track cleanups while in the staging lanes is what has me worried.

I just bought a 1lb Powerall Li-ion jump starter battery that I'm going to keep handy. If it works well, who knows I may try a lighter battery out. If I had something rigged so I could plug it in while in the car that would be cool.

 

[pacecarta]

old optima yellow top and trunk mount battery box hardware and the cables 56.6 lbs
new deka 21.3lbs
reused the battery hold down bolts and top plate and made new battery cables with small hole ends rather than run adapter posts ..
. 23 lbs in .. 56.6 out .. for 110 bucks thats cheap
after the rack that shed 46 lbs , the fuel cell , +4 lbs for the ic relocate kit and +15 lbs for the full exhaust dual 2 3/4 " .. I should be at 3318 lbs (with driver ,laptop and safety gear)
have plans for more reductions and should end up at 3098

 

[pacecarta]

update
after last changes car was at 3350 with about 4 gallons in the cell

new mickey pro 275s on 10" wide welds (added a few #s there but worth it)
swapped the turbonetics 72P for a 71 HPQ -H ( was three bolt .85 exh but I converted it to a 3.5 v-band 4bolt .86 exhaust housing ) .. weight diff i didnt check but shouldnt have been much
strange 4piston rear disc 23.5#... moser torino drum setup that came off the 9" 60.5# ...lost 37lbs!
griffin alum rad 20.5# ..........f body rad 11.2# ..also uses 1/2 gal less fluid (3#) ...lost 12.3 lbs
ac box /hvac control and GM radio 42lbs ..........ac delete plate 3lbs ...lost 39lbs
door bars , frt concert spkrs , rubber strip at bottom ...lost 31lbs

result last night at Racewayparks scale... 3260 with 8 gallons , full cage , laptop, all safety equipment needed to run 9s ...and driver
front weight is 1780 (54%frt /46 rear)

car only 3085#

now if i remove seats and go with a kirkey (17lbs)
pwr driver seat (46), pass seat ( 36# ) rear seat (30)
i could shed another 90+ lbs bring the race weight to 3170 , car weight just under 3000!!

 

[pacecarta]

got the kirkeys and pulled power driverseat out ..46lbs
kirkey pro (41900 18") with cover and mounting... 17lbs

shed another 29 lbs .. should be at 3232 race weight

removing the rear seat is 30lbs ... 3202

if i do the passenger with the other kirkey the pass seat is 36lb so ill shed another 17 lbs ... 3185
or i could just run without a pass seat ..3166

 

[pacecarta]

did the spare tire well , doesn't weigh as much as most claim on the web ..7.5 lbs for the tub removed by drilling out the spot welds . the panel to cover in steel was 3.0lbs..net 4.5lbs
removed the tail pipe frame hangers (-2.6lbs for the pair )
removed the rall axle bump stops from the moser rear 1.7lbs
ditched the 165 metric ( 30lbs pair) and went with safer sportsman S/R radials 26x6.0 up front (37lbs pair)

added an aluminum seat brace to the kirkey driverseat..??
removed the rear seat and the little seat belt ends ..29.7lbs

and the result with driver and I had 13lbs of stuff i dont normally need to have to race (alky jug 3.5 , 2 co2 bottles filled 6lbs , winter jacket 3.5lbs),
car only ready to race should be 3000lbs

on side note the deka cranked the car fine but it was really cold and the voltage dropped down into the low 10v and the XFI is a picky SOB and needs the voltage to be higher or it shuts down the injectors and disconnects the comm , just wouldnt start without getting a jump even though the motor was cranking just fine and spinning fast

 

[murphster]

Finally got the spare tire well cut out and cover installed and the new carpet, along with some other small things. The old carpet was super heavy as it apparently had some water absorbed into the insulation from who knows when. Moved the fuel pump over closer to the tank and got rid of some fuel line too.

The old carpet was 35lbs!! and the new carpet minus some insulation was 7lbs.
The spare tire well and trunk carpet came to 11.4 lbs, new Al cover 1.6lbs.
Also removed some various odds and ends on the car that are no longer needed..... some extra wiring, antenna brackets, etc.

All told removed around 58lbs from the car. I took some pics of the spare tire well cover. Looks great and the suspension looks cool from behind the car without the stock gas tank and spare tire well hanging down.

 

[murphster]

And more importantly, I got a new weight last night. This is with me in the car......