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Old 08-25-2013, 06:38 PM
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BigBlue
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Default Opinions of Pros and Cons of Lightweight Flywheel?

I am interested in some of your experiences and/or recommendations of good lightweight flywheels that you may have for me to consider. I realize that my '07 stock flywheel is approx. 27.6 lbs. I've looked at 2 Competition Clutch's at 18.6 lbs and an ultra light one at 13.89. Z1 has a 13.7 lb., Exedy at 19.6, ACT has a 16.9 "Street Light" and 13.2 "pro light"., Fidanza at 15 lbs.

I've talked to guys and also read on this and other sites that going very lightweight can be a little "touchy" in lower gears and takes some getting used to, etc. The advantages could be substantial as some of these ultra light flywheels are 1/2 the weight of stock! I'm not in a rush, but when I'm ready I'll be doing a good quality clutch/flywheel combo. I've read quite a bit about these upgrades, but just wanted to see what some of you guys have to say about them. Thanks!

Last edited by BigBlue; 09-02-2013 at 05:23 PM.
Old 08-25-2013, 08:59 PM
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NoGiFighter
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when my clutch started slipping I replaced it with a jwt clutch and flywheel. the flywheel is only 13lbs as apposed to the 23 lb stock one. its a little touchy through first and second because its a swap from a dual mass flywheel to a solid flywheel. plus you can plan on some chatter. if you can deal with chatter and it being touchy then lightweight is the way to go.
Old 08-25-2013, 10:15 PM
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BigBlue
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^Thanks for the info. of the JWT combo, that's a very popular setup and a lot of good things said about it.

Last edited by BigBlue; 09-01-2013 at 07:51 AM.
Old 08-26-2013, 01:43 AM
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alby13
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great post! i'm specifically interested in the nismo flywheel. zstore says it comes in at 23lbs, 8 lbs lighter than stock, 28% lighter. may have a slight chatter, but probably not make much additional noise.

if you are streeting the car it would probably be a good idea to go with either the Competition Clutch's at 18.6 lbs or Exedy at 19.6

Last edited by alby13; 08-26-2013 at 01:45 AM.
Old 08-26-2013, 08:10 AM
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HK350 Z
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Good thread.

Atfer hitting 105K, I blew my CSC the first time,so I decided to upgrade the clutch/flywheel/slave/master.

I have the South Bend Racing Single Mass Flywheel which is pretty close if not more quiet than the factory DMF.It weighs 19lbs, which is perfect as I though the 14 and 17 lbs flywheels were a little to light for daily driving since I dont track my Z.They do have a 24lbs option , I just wanted a 'little' more performance out of the kit.

Quicker revs,close to factory noise level(if not below),only drawback is you will have change your shifting habits in the lower gears.Other than that ,which takes maybe a day to get used to, it has no drawbacks.

Last edited by HK350 Z; 08-26-2013 at 08:11 AM.
Old 08-26-2013, 08:56 AM
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BigBlue
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^^ thanks guys for the info. I don't track either, but get into spirited/high speed driving even though the car is my dd until I pick up a grocery getter haha! Yeah, I was wondering why some of these brands offer the ultra light version and a higher weight version which is still at least 8-10 lbs. lighter than stock. Don't know if the super light ones are "only" for track or if they are ok for dd?

Last edited by BigBlue; 08-26-2013 at 09:09 PM.
Old 08-26-2013, 06:58 PM
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NoGiFighter
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My 350 is my dd and I love the jwt clutch. Like others have said you have to change up your driving habits in the lower gears but other than that its perfect.
Old 08-26-2013, 07:24 PM
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Bmurray350z
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Clutch/Flywheel/Slave will be my next big purchase for my 08. Not sure what I am going to go with yet.
Old 08-26-2013, 08:08 PM
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ian99rt
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Originally Posted by HK350 Z
Good thread.

Atfer hitting 105K, I blew my CSC the first time,so I decided to upgrade the clutch/flywheel/slave/master.

I have the South Bend Racing Single Mass Flywheel which is pretty close if not more quiet than the factory DMF.It weighs 19lbs, which is perfect as I though the 14 and 17 lbs flywheels were a little to light for daily driving since I dont track my Z.They do have a 24lbs option , I just wanted a 'little' more performance out of the kit.

Quicker revs,close to factory noise level(if not below),only drawback is you will have change your shifting habits in the lower gears.Other than that ,which takes maybe a day to get used to, it has no drawbacks.
X2 on the south bend 19 lbs flywheel. My setup is noticeably quieter than the oem setup. I've also got the SB stage 2 endurance clutch, hd csc and wilwood master cylinder.

I could not suggest this combo more for a very streetable DD setup.
Old 08-26-2013, 08:16 PM
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Bmurray350z
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May be a dumb question... but will a lighter flywheel have an impact on dyno numbers? I know they say lighter wheels can, so figured it's possible...?
Old 08-26-2013, 09:18 PM
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BigBlue
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Originally Posted by Bmurray350z
May be a dumb question... but will a lighter flywheel have an impact on dyno numbers? I know they say lighter wheels can, so figured it's possible...?
I was under that impression also; lighter-better #'s. There are some very nice items on CZP/350zPerformance/Powertrain! The South bend combos, South bend/Fidanza combos and plenty more.

Last edited by BigBlue; 09-01-2013 at 07:57 AM.
Old 08-27-2013, 06:47 PM
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alby13
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Originally Posted by Bmurray350z
May be a dumb question... but will a lighter flywheel have an impact on dyno numbers? I know they say lighter wheels can, so figured it's possible...?
it's not a dumb question, i asked a dyno tuner and his response was that it really is a faster response, faster reving thing, but sometimes you do see a slight gain because of less reciprocating mass.
Old 08-27-2013, 08:29 PM
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doshoru
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Pretty sure the theory says that there will be an increase in the HP read at the wheels, but....in 5th gear it'll be such a small percentage that it falls within the error you'd have from running back to back dynos with no changes anyways -- e.g. negligible.

If you were to dyno in 1st or 2nd, you could measure it, but.....nobody does that, lol.

edit -- found the article I remembered...definitely worth the read.
http://www.uucmotorwerks.com/flywhee...heel_works.htm

GEAR M3 and 3-series "virtual"
weight lost: M5/Z8/540i "virtual"
weight lost:
1st gear 346.5 lbs. 394.4 lbs.
2nd gear 133.15 lbs. 151.7 lbs.
3rd gear 68.9 lbs. 75.4 lbs.
4th gear 46.18 lbs. 48.5 lbs.
5th gear 36.15 lbs. 37.6 lbs.
6th gear 30.04 lbs. 31.0 lbs.

GEAR M3 and 3-series "virtual"
performance gain: M5/Z8/540i "virtual"
performance gain:
1st gear 34.6 hp 39.4 hp
2nd gear 13.3 hp 15.2 hp
3rd gear 6.9 hp 7.5 hp
4th gear 4.6 hp 4.9 hp
5th gear 3.6 hp 3.8 hp
6th gear 3 hp. 3.1 hp

Last edited by doshoru; 08-27-2013 at 08:31 PM.
Old 08-29-2013, 08:32 PM
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^Good post, the article is very interesting. Sounds like the lightweight flywheels are great in lower gear accel., even similar to car weighing 10% less in 1st gear; less effective in each higher gear. I wonder how the lightweight FW's work with 3.9/4.08 fd gears since the article says that FW's are "gear dependent".

Last edited by BigBlue; 09-02-2013 at 05:28 PM.
Old 08-29-2013, 08:36 PM
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Bmurray350z
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I found a great deal on a ACT Streetlite flywheels thats brand new. may scoop it up. should any HR clutch kit work with this particular flywheel?

Kits i am looking at are:
SBC stage 2 dxd
Competition stage 2
JWT
Old 08-29-2013, 08:39 PM
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BigBlue
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^what weight/s are you looking at? ACT looks great.
Old 08-29-2013, 08:42 PM
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Bmurray350z
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The flywheel i found a great deal on is the ACT streetlite flywheel which is 16.9 Lbs
Old 08-29-2013, 08:58 PM
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BigBlue
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Yeah this looks very nice! Their Street Light is their most popular unit.

Last edited by BigBlue; 03-07-2018 at 03:52 PM.
Old 08-30-2013, 01:30 AM
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Originally Posted by BigBlue
I wonder how the lightweight FW's work with 3.9/4.08 fd gears since the article says that they are "gear dependent".
I have the JWT clutch/flywheel combo along with 4.08 gears. First gear goes by almost as fast as a free rev. I feel they both work well together.

I'd advise you to stay clear of z1 auto and go to z1 motorsports also.

Last edited by harman850t5; 08-30-2013 at 01:34 AM.
Old 08-30-2013, 04:18 AM
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I have the Z1 Mild Performance combo. The FW is amazingly light weight. I can definitely feel the difference when depressing the clutch pedal (softer). And yes, it does take some getting used to in lower gears. The RPM's do climb faster, and you'll notice changing gears quicker.

I decided on the Z1 combo because I wanted something close to stock but with some performance added. They had the best deal, the best credibility, and they're a vendor on this site which I like to support.

Oh, and I have a 2003 Touring with less than 60k miles.


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