Adding lightness

[jackh707]

Recently had our 1990 supersprint corner-weighted and it came in at a tubby 585kg.

I am looking to cut some weight out of the car on the cheap but with the most value for money per kg... where would you start?

Its a zetec with a cast iron bell housing on the type 9 box, I was thinking alloy bell housing would be good.

Also perhaps change clams to newer cycle wings with some newer smaller front light fittings?

any suggestions appreciated

[Toaster]

jackh707 said:

Recently had our 1990 supersprint corner-weighted and it came in at a tubby 585kg.

I am looking to cut some weight out of the car on the cheap but with the most value for money per kg... where would you start?

Its a zetec with a cast iron bell housing on the type 9 box, I was thinking alloy bell housing would be good.

Also perhaps change clams to newer cycle wings with some newer smaller front light fittings?

any suggestions appreciated

Add Titanium bits and Carbon Nose, wings and dash, indicator pods. etc If you have a heater remove it ( I believe with water they weigh around 20Lbs)

Might be better to sell yours and buy a super light with all the bits !

[Aeroscreens]

I have a '93 de Dion Supersprint with Zetec conversion, roll cage, side impact bar and cycle wings and mine comes in at 550kg with 1/4 tank of fuel.

The change to an aluminium bellhousing will save you 6kg. The heater has been removed from mine, driver's side is a Tillett, I have 5 3/4" headlights and aluminium radiator. Other than that it is pretty much standard with carpets and rubber mats i.e. no drastic weight saving measures. I guess the Brooklands probably weigh less than the windscreen.

[CycleSi]

For your reference, my 2002 R300 Superlight has a claimed kerb weight of 490kg according to Caterham.

I had it corner weighted & set up recently by Centre Gravity and it weighed 530kg "wet" including 1/2 tank of petrol.

[BBL-Sean]

I believe the single biggest gain can be made in replacing the standard Banner battery with the AGM type, or you can lighten further (wallet as well!) by going with a Lithium Ferrous Phosphate (LiFePO4) battery. There are other benefits to modern battery technology as well, but they don't cope well with parasitic drain, so a battery master switch is a good idea with these.

[jimmyslr]

I'm a bit out of touch, but wheel/tyre combo used to provide weight saving options

[mickrick]

Get rid of those solid cast iron discs, and go for alloy disc bells. Carbon prop shaft could save quite a bit too. Gun drilled drive shafts. Alloy dampers.

Unsprung weight and rotational inertia is where it´s at.

[Dr Slotter]

Yep, unless cost is the primary constraint, the ideal order of lightening things is:

1: rotating unsprung masses
2: non-rotating unsprung masses
3: rotating sprung masses
4: sprung masses

In all cases, you would generally start with the masses furthest from the CoG of the car.

[Red Seven]

Replace the standard Triumph steel calipers with aluminium ones like HiSpec, but keep the lighter and cheaper standard triumph discs, for a significant reduction in unspung weight.

[Mike Biddle]

Dr Slotter said;

Yep, unless cost is the primary constraint, the ideal order of lightening things is:

1: rotating unsprung masses
2: non-rotating unsprung masses
3: rotating sprung masses
4: sprung masses

In all cases, you would generally start with the masses furthest from the CoG of the car.


So, first, unless your car has them already, go straight to a set of 13" wheels and lighter tyres. A year after I bought my car in 1996 I changed the 16" alloys fitted with Michelin pileups to 13" three piece units from image wheels and fitted them with Avon ACB 10"s. I forget what the weight saving was, but it was massive, and was best value to date as well.

Second weight saving mod was Hi Spec racing 4 callipers and 280 MM grooved discs with aluminium bells. Massive, more controllable stopping power and 1Kg per side over standard set up saved as well.

Sprung masses weight saving, ditch the heater first ( lowest cost) , and the screen and wiper motor (heavy), next lightweight seats.

There's a long list of possibilities, with ever decreasing value per KG.

For instance Carbon prop is a rotating sprung mass weight saving, but the cost is very high.

[BBL-Sean]

BBL-Sean said:

I believe the single biggest gain can be made in replacing the standard Banner battery with the AGM type, or you can lighten further (wallet as well!) by going with a Lithium Ferrous Phosphate (LiFePO4) battery. There are other benefits to modern battery technology as well, but they don't cope well with parasitic drain, so a battery master switch is a good idea with these.

Edit - Meant to say biggest "bang for the buck" rather than outright gain!

[jackh707]

It's on 14s at the mo, so 13s are certainly a consideration.

The brake calipers are shockingly heavy, a pain in the arse when changing pads.

Has heater, obviously can be removed.

Seats are cloth, would like tillers more for side support than anything.

Battery is a big old deep cycle, which I like because it's hardy.

Half shafts are fking heavy... They'd be worth looking at...

Carbon prop shaft... funnily enough the family business is manufacturing carbon tubes... Have made a few with torsional strength in mind for oil drilling, it's the fittings either end and how they join the tube that's difficult.

[iguana]

Does seem heavy, my 2.0vx was 515kg wet but under 1/4 fuel, that was with the aero screen tho.

Was a live axle tho which is I belive a lot lighter, had tillets, dry sump, proper roll bar.

[g7jhp]

Do you need to reduce the weight of the driver?

[jackh707]

Haha already done that, lost 20lb.

Made a hell of a difference on the motorbikes.