Less weight = more power; Have you lightened your Z?
#581
Out of hiatus
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Anyone try to mount a braille b3121 yet? What combo of brackets hooks worked for you?
I got mine today and have tried a few different configs and it just doesn't want to sit real secure. The way I drive this thing will be sliding loose in no time. I think I'm going to have to fab something up.
I did break out the postal scale and the stock battery is confirmed at 35 lbs MOL. So 14lbs savings is nothing to sneeze at.
I got mine today and have tried a few different configs and it just doesn't want to sit real secure. The way I drive this thing will be sliding loose in no time. I think I'm going to have to fab something up.
I did break out the postal scale and the stock battery is confirmed at 35 lbs MOL. So 14lbs savings is nothing to sneeze at.
#582
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At 8:30 at night? I'll let you answer your own post:
For whoever is interested...I ended up just taking the battery tray out and drilling a new hole for the rear J-hook.
Tirerack seemed to have the best price since they include the braille bracket. In nice and snug now.
13.2lb difference in battery weights with no need for a tender:
For whoever is interested...I ended up just taking the battery tray out and drilling a new hole for the rear J-hook.
Tirerack seemed to have the best price since they include the braille bracket. In nice and snug now.
13.2lb difference in battery weights with no need for a tender:
#583
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This is a great thread. I'm keeping track of my weight savings now and so far I've cut 78lbs. of fat on my car I'm actually weighing each part OEM and aftermarket to get an accurate reading. I still need to weigh a few more parts I replaced so hopefully I get close to cutting 100lbs......maybe more!
#584
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Nice job, one small issue, the plastic is only so strong, and any sort of frontal impact and you have a potential projectile. I'll snap a few pics of what I did, but basically I used the front j bolt to pull down on the battery and the rear (after a little bending) to push down on the battery. I did spend about $3.00 at autozone buying shorter j bolts. I'll try to snap a pic at liunch for you.
#585
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Nice job, one small issue, the plastic is only so strong, and any sort of frontal impact and you have a potential projectile. I'll snap a few pics of what I did, but basically I used the front j bolt to pull down on the battery and the rear (after a little bending) to push down on the battery. I did spend about $3.00 at autozone buying shorter j bolts. I'll try to snap a pic at liunch for you.
#587
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Here is what I did. basically it is the stock top brace with autozone j bolts. The front one is cut shorter and the rear one is rebent and shortened. Told you my underhood is bare.
Last edited by Lightning Guy; 01-30-2009 at 09:39 AM.
#589
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AC System
Heater core
Lightweight battery
Windshield washer reservoir
Windshield wipers
Pullies
Flywheel/clutch
Strut brace
I'll pulled a few other nick nacks as well.
#590
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There's way more weight that can be shed off the back, and most of the guys who gut their Zs end up with heavily front weight biased cars. I'm not sure what they are doing with their suspension and tire setups to accomodate for that, but back when I had my Z, I noticed that the car felt better on the track with the spare in the back. The rear tended to get too light without the spare and low gas.
#591
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There's way more weight that can be shed off the back, and most of the guys who gut their Zs end up with heavily front weight biased cars. I'm not sure what they are doing with their suspension and tire setups to accomodate for that, but back when I had my Z, I noticed that the car felt better on the track with the spare in the back. The rear tended to get too light without the spare and low gas.
but aside, C/F front fenders only save 12 pounds. which is good but not nearly enough to even help the balance.
Last edited by specialized5223; 01-30-2009 at 10:01 PM.
#592
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There's way more weight that can be shed off the back, and most of the guys who gut their Zs end up with heavily front weight biased cars. I'm not sure what they are doing with their suspension and tire setups to accomodate for that, but back when I had my Z, I noticed that the car felt better on the track with the spare in the back. The rear tended to get too light without the spare and low gas.
#593
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My roadster is gutted, bride buckets stripped trunk, top removed, all motors removed, door windows removed, and it is very front weight biased. the hood is already very light. I'm relocating the battery to the rear. washer resevoir and pumps and lines have been removed, all underhood plastics have been removed, front impact beam gone, front bumper and front fenders are off (until painted) besides CF front fenders and CF doors, I'm running out of ideas to balance it a bit better. I can think of more ways (with $$$) to lighten the rear but i'll be damned if i know what to do to even the whole thing out. once i get my cage in that will help. a little... also high flow cats and a single exhaust.
but aside, C/F front fenders only save 12 pounds. which is good but not nearly enough to even help the balance.
but aside, C/F front fenders only save 12 pounds. which is good but not nearly enough to even help the balance.
#595
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I'm old fashioned, I'm used to beig loose in the rear and throttle steering a car. IMO looser is faster if yo can drive it. If the car is pushing or nose heavy then use the lightened rear end to turn the car, do a little left foot braking to unload the rear end and modulate the throttle to get it to rotate. Next time I get to RRR I'l lweigh the car and see what the balance is like,but honestly mine ain't that bad.
Like you said, an oversteer biased car will like to come around, but with a heavily front biased car, this rule doesn't apply when it counts. You're going to be understeering into the turn, instead of being able to use the weight in the rear to rotate the car.
Then, once you pass the apex and try to accelerate, your rear is going to step out on you as you have very little weight over it. Instead of maximizing your acceleration out of the corner, you're having to counter steer and feather the throttle to bring the rear under control.
A car that has under/over tendencies tends to be hard to drive consistently fast.
A balanced car will be able to do the opposite, where the driver will be able to trail brake into the turn and use the weight in the rear to rotate the car. Because he's able to have better turn-in, he'll be able to setup a line better for acceleration. Then, with the more weight over his rear tires, he'll have plenty of grip for accelerating out of the corner.
Obviously, I'm generalizing a lot, but having more weight over the rear tires in a rwd car generally allows for more grip out of the corners.
#596
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im all about weight reduction and have followed this thread since i joined a couple months back. we covered alot on this thread(escpeially on batteries recently) but what about aftermarket seats.
who has them?
what do yall like about them?
dimentions that fit?
weight difference?
FITMENT?
best brands?
prices u paided?
carbon fiber on seats is it worth it?
ETC....
lets here it.
(im have some on the way soon so i'll comment when i get them)
who has them?
what do yall like about them?
dimentions that fit?
weight difference?
FITMENT?
best brands?
prices u paided?
carbon fiber on seats is it worth it?
ETC....
lets here it.
(im have some on the way soon so i'll comment when i get them)
#597
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im all about weight reduction and have followed this thread since i joined a couple months back. we covered alot on this thread(escpeially on batteries recently) but what about aftermarket seats.
who has them?
what do yall like about them?
dimentions that fit?
weight difference?
FITMENT?
best brands?
prices u paided?
carbon fiber on seats is it worth it?
ETC....
lets here it.
(im have some on the way soon so i'll comment when i get them)
who has them?
what do yall like about them?
dimentions that fit?
weight difference?
FITMENT?
best brands?
prices u paided?
carbon fiber on seats is it worth it?
ETC....
lets here it.
(im have some on the way soon so i'll comment when i get them)
#598
350Z-holic
iTrader: (46)
im all about weight reduction and have followed this thread since i joined a couple months back. we covered alot on this thread(escpeially on batteries recently) but what about aftermarket seats.
who has them?
what do yall like about them?
dimentions that fit?
weight difference?
FITMENT?
best brands?
prices u paided?
carbon fiber on seats is it worth it?
ETC....
lets here it.
(im have some on the way soon so i'll comment when i get them)
who has them?
what do yall like about them?
dimentions that fit?
weight difference?
FITMENT?
best brands?
prices u paided?
carbon fiber on seats is it worth it?
ETC....
lets here it.
(im have some on the way soon so i'll comment when i get them)
#599
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My BRIDE seat is a few pounds lighter than the stock seat - not by much. The stock non-electric seats are quite light. I actually put two 350Z seats into my 300ZXTT to save a LOT of weight, but the weight savings are more negligible with the non-powered seat replacement on our 350Zs. I like my BRIDE seat mostly because it has the same seat pattern as the stock seat, and has taller bolsters to hold me in during hard cornering.