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Weight reduction

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OK, I know we have a 3600+ lb car so small weight savings take a while to add up. However, the relatively minor changes I've made (especially for track days) seem to have made an arguably significant dent.

Enkei PF01 wheels/Hoosier R6 295/315:
Front 60 street vs 45 - 15 lbs each x 2 = -30 lbs
Rear 58 street vs 49.2 - 9 lbs each x 2 = -18 lbs
Corsa Extreme axle backs (pair) 54 lbs stock vs 24 lbs = -30 lbs
Kooks Off-Road H-pipe 32 lbs stock vs 17 lbs = -15 lbs
Side pipe delete 5.5 lbs each = -11 lbs
Kooks LT headers vs stock manifolds = + 3lbs
Roll bar, mounts & harness bar +69 lbs.
Rear seat delete kit +12 lbs.
Remove rear seats and belts and factory mounts -54 lbs
Swap to the Tiger Hood -17 lbs
Remove washer bottle incl fluid -8 lbs
Remove flat repair kit -5 lbs
Sparco race seat 35lbs versus stock seat 46lbs = -11 lbs
302S tow hooks +2 lbs
FRPP air-to-oil cooler +8 lbs
1-pc DSS aluminum driveshaft vs stock -21 lbs
DS saftey loop +10 lbs
Trunk liner -7 lbs
Passenger seat -46 lbs (track only)
Watts link versus panhard bar +15 lbs
Rear axle weights -5 lbs
Battery relocation kit +25 lbs
Remove A/C condenser, compressor, lines and belt -21 lbs.

Total weight savings so far is 116 lbs with passenger seat and 162 without it.

With a curb weight of 3630, I'm at 3514 to 3468 with or without the passenger seat.
 
pufferfish said:
please help me understand how ^this^ is legal anywhere? its not enclosed. its not separated from the driver in any way. and its not externally vented. are oddyssey batteries legit for open air mounting in the cockpit?

First, the trunk in that Subaru does have a sealing panel that cuts off the truck from the cockpit, it's just not installed in that picture.

DSC_3307-M.jpg

Next, most road racing sanctioning bodies and events (SCCA, NASA, ACCUS, PPIHC, USAC) allow dry cell and AGM batteries (like the Odyssey) to be used without a box as long as the positive terminal is shielded and the battery securely mounted.

That Subaru mount was a last-minute job as we were pressed for time before the event. We will likely do something as nice as the original Odyssey mount when we change to a larger battery and move it to the trunk.

We do take safety seriously. ;)
 
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steveespo said:
Completed Steeda light weight radiator support. Stock part 21 lbs, Steeda part 7 lbs. 14 lb savings off of front end. Took 2 hours to swap with hand tools.
Steve.

Thanks for sharing this information, is what I looked for, but is that part really strong enough for tracking (not drag strip)? If yes then this looks like a fast and easy weight saver.
http://www.steeda.com/store/2011-up-mustang-lightweight-radiator-support.html
 
Orange said:
Thanks for sharing this information, is what I looked for, but is that part really strong enough for tracking (not drag strip)? If yes then this looks like a fast and easy weight saver.
http://www.steeda.com/store/2011-up-mustang-lightweight-radiator-support.html

Here's another one I saw that allows the front sway bar too.

http://www.jpcracing.com/2005-2013-bmr-radiator-support-for-sway-bar/
 
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DGRacing said:
Here's another one I saw that allows the front sway bar too.

http://www.jpcracing.com/2005-2013-bmr-radiator-support-for-sway-bar/

You are right but the one from BMR weights 12lbs instead of only 7-8lbs if those figures hold true, which indicates that the BMR sway bar might be stronger than the one from Steeda.
 

steveespo

Lord knows I'm a Voodoo Child
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Orange said:
Thanks for sharing this information, is what I looked for, but is that part really strong enough for tracking (not drag strip)? If yes then this looks like a fast and easy weight saver.
http://www.steeda.com/store/2011-up-mustang-lightweight-radiator-support.html
I ran the Steeda part all last season, 11 events 14 track days, almost 2000 track miles no issues. This winter I changed front sway bar and no visible damage or deformation on the assembly. Good weight savings on the front end.
Steve
 
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steveespo said:
I ran the Steeda part all last season, 11 events 14 track days, almost 2000 track miles no issues. This winter I changed front sway bar and no visible damage or deformation on the assembly. Good weight savings on the front end.
Steve

Great feedback, in this case I will go with the one from Steeda. :)
 
Orange said:
You are right but the one from BMR weights 12lbs instead of only 7-8lbs if those figures hold true, which indicates that the BMR sway bar might be stronger than the one from Steeda.

Is it really 7-8 lbs? That seems like a big jump for an item that looks (and is priced) so similar to its competitors. Kenny Brown's is 14 lbs, BMR is 12 lbs., but Steeda shaves even another 5 lbs off? Unpossible! :eek:

Just kidding, I know it's possible, I would just like verification from somebody who actually weighed the thing. Thanks for your review Steve.
 
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8,135
FWIW the dragster guys figure 100 pounds = 1/10th of a second in acceleration. (as a reference) it's cheap speed because it will also improve handling significantly.
 

unrealford

Mustang owner since 84
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Re: Re: Weight reduction

NFSBOSS said:
Maybe FRPP will make this battery relocation kit available.

boss302s25.jpg
Nice, that would be cool.
 

NeuRon

2012 500A #1626
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I do love the OEM look of the FR bracket above. But this would look nice in it's place, too.

This is polished but I think the satin looks better. More function, less show.
120101-main-pp_zps8baf0e0d.jpg


I used the bracket above, from Detroit Speed & Engineering, to relocate the battery in my '55 Bel Air hot rod. It's designed to hold an Optima battery and it does so very well. ;) Granted, it's got some hot-rod bling, and the price to match, but it works well. If interested, you might want to contact them about which model will work best. It seemed pretty universal to me when I used one 10 years ago. And go for the satin, if you don't want to be polishing your battery holder! ;D
 
Good stuff on this thread!

If one is willing to spend the $$$, there's up to 30+ lb weight reduction possible with an ultra-lightweight (2 to 6 lb) battery. Most of these are Li-ION, but a few area actually lead acid. Several links to some interesting possibilities:

http://www.neukin.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=FASTBATTERY&Show=ExtInfo
http://www.performancedistributors.com/batteries.htm
http://www.kronospark.com/index.php/products-page/mikroh-racing-battery/
http://www.braillebattery.com/index.php/braille/product_series/micro_lite

Some these batteries are very pricey (although a few are actually reasonably affordable) and may not be suitable for normal DD street use. But for serious track rats and racers where every ounce counts and cost is no object...
 

steveespo

Lord knows I'm a Voodoo Child
Moderator
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I used this Taylor box with an Optima AGM Red Top battery. Meets NHRA rules and has vent provision (even though you don't need with the AGM) to prevent acid fumes and corrosion in the trunk area.

http://www.jegs.com/p/Taylor/Taylor-Aluminum-Battery-Boxes/969832/10002/-1

895-48100_zps96276326.jpg

Steve
 
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I found this Braille battery http://www.braillebattery.com/index.php/braille/product_batteries/gu1r, which is light, I think strong enough also for DD and not to expensive (at Jegs for 499.--). What do you guys think?
 
Orange said:
I found this Braille battery http://www.braillebattery.com/index.php/braille/product_batteries/gu1r, which is light, I think strong enough also for DD and not to expensive (at Jegs for 499.--). What do you guys think?

As long as they are more reliable than the ones Boeing used.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2013/mar/26/boeing-787-dreamliner-test-flight

Boeing has completed the first successful tests of its troubled Dreamliner 787 since the jet was grounded following battery fires.

The company said the tests went "according to plan", and Boeing is now planning a second test to gather data for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which has to give its approval before the 787 is allowed to fly commercially again.

Boeing had delivered just 50 of the jets when lithium-ion batteries on two of the planes caught fire. The two incidents, one in the US another in Japan, triggered a global grounding for the Dreamliner.

Investigators in Japan and the US are now looking into what went wrong and have so far concentrated on the planes' battery systems. It is the first time that lightweight lithium-ion batteries have been used so extensively on a large passenger jet.

"During the functional check flight, crews cycled the landing gear and operated all the backup systems, in addition to performing electrical system checks from the flight profile," Boeing spokesman Marc Birtel said in a statement.

The two-hour flight on Monday carried six crew members: two Boeing pilots, two instrumentation engineers, a systems operator and a flight analyst, Boeing said.

Boeing is believed to be testing a new casing for the battery and a venting system that would dispel potentially flammable gases. On 7 January one of the 787's batteries burst into flames while the plane was parked at Boston's Logan airport. That battery is now the subject of investigation but the National Transport Safety Board (NTSB), which has concluded in an interim report that short circuits across its eight cells may have triggered the fire. The NTSB has, however, not yet identified a root cause for the fire.

On 16 January, in Japan, the battery on a second 787 triggered a smoke alarm while in flight leading to an emergency landing. Japanese investigators have yet to identify the cause of that fire.

The NTSB will hold a meeting on lithium-ion batteries in April, where the controversial technology will be discussed by airline and freight executives as well as safety experts and scientists. Lithium-ion batteries have caused fires in smaller planes, cars, computers and mobile devices in the past. Freighting the technology by plane is also carefully regulated.

Robert Mann, founder of airline consultant RW Mann, said it was a positive step that Boeing was testing the 787 but added: "Until there is a conclusive root-cause analysis a lot of folk will be circumspect about the Dreamliner.

"At this point, it is not clear to anyone except Boeing exactly what they are testing. We don't know what the cause of the incidents were. I assume that they are testing the enclosure of the battery bit if it subsequently turns out that that was not where the issuer started, we haven't learnt anything."

Boeing is losing an estimated $50m a week while the 787 is grounded and has told customers it expects to have the plane back in the air this spring. Rival Airbus has dropped lithium-ion battery technology from its A350 passenger jet.
 
Corner weighed the Boss today with a FULL tank of gas:

With Driver
LF 1068 RF 976
LR 874 RR 818
Total 3736

Front 54.71%
Rear 45.29%

Left 51.98%
Right 48.02%

Cross LF/RR 1886 lbs 50.48%
Cross RF/LR f1850 lbs 49.52%

Weight without driver is 3559 lbs and with half tank of gas approximately 3499 lbs.
 
cloud9 said:
Corner weighed the Boss today with a FULL tank of gas:

With Driver
LF 1068 RF 976
LR 874 RR 818
Total 3736

Front 54.71%
Rear 45.29%

Left 51.98%
Right 48.02%

Cross LF/RR 1886 lbs 50.48%
Cross RF/LR f1850 lbs 49.52%

Weight without driver is 3559 lbs and with half tank of gas approximately 3499 lbs.

Nice. Are you considering using any ballast?
 

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