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smckeown

Weight Reduction - The Next Level

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Guest BrainFluid

Nightmare. Guess it really is scraping the barrel time huh? lightening them potential? or not.

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Batfink

Get a holecutter and cut every flat part of the door. I've seen it on an old Alfa touring car and the door was flimsy but unbelievably light.

 

Certainly lighter than my fibreglass/kevlar passenger door

Edited by Batfink

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niklas

There's lots of material to grind off on the inside of the engine block, on the cylinder head and on the inside of the gearbox casing :)

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GLPoomobile

Get the whole roof fabricated from Carbon Fibre and bonded in place?

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smckeown

I'm deep in thought about how to remove the existing door locking mechanisms. I'm thinking I can use a deadlock for a security locking mechanism. With regards to closing the doors, I have seen rubber versions of these used to secure bonnets/boots before.

 

RD6000.jpg

 

Not sure if anything can be used internally as access to secure the door when sitting in the seat will be difficult. Plus securing it externally from inside is a pain with the poly screens.

 

I'll keep thinking. There would be a fe w kgs to remove if I could get it to work, both with the locking mechanisms, and the thick side metal the locking mechanisms secure to

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stu_woac

cant see your lock idea working with safety of opening the door quick from inside I think the way we have the pull cords are even better than the hand for getting out quick

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smckeown
the glass doors dont save much more weight from drilling out the thick part out the door where the hinges are, I've found this to be the only heavy point of the door

 

also sean already got fg boot and the wings are to expensive for the weight saved

 

sean just thought about the back lights units motorsports parts sell fg blanks may be worth a look I know its more off the back

 

as they are blank you can make up your own lights with lighter units like led lights

 

just a idea

 

Didn't notice this , sounds interesting Stu. I have put in some LED warning lights recently, so i'll check out which ones are suitable for external. But i'm not sure the rear clusters are very heavy really. I'll certainly investigate the suggestion..cheers

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smckeown
the wings dont need gluing back down so there a weight saving point :)

 

Superb, as i'll defo get the wing off soon, and that means i'll be able to put it back on then :(

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28CRAIG

Mabe drilling the peddles

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smckeown

Motorsportparts sell carbon fibgre floor liners, as per the subaru versions. Might give this a go if it works out a good weight saving per £. Anyone care to guess the weight of the metal removed ?

 

subarufloorliners.jpg

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calvinhorse
Motorsportparts sell carbon fibgre floor liners, as per the subaru versions. Might give this a go if it works out a good weight saving per £. Anyone care to guess the weight of the metal removed ?

eh?? surely they add weight? your tellin me your gonna cut out the floor???

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smckeown
eh?? surely they add weight? your tellin me your gonna cut out the floor???

 

of course, never heard of race cars doing this before ? magnum motorsport sell them also.

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stu_woac

if you do, do this sean love to know the results and sfety issues too but if they are strong enough shouldn't be a problem

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Batfink

if you start cutting out the floor you won't be elegible for a lot of race series

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bren_1.3

have you thought about looking into independant turreted rear suspension, and ditching the heavy beam tube and trailing arms?

 

could shave a bit more weight from the rear, and you'll get a much more planted rear end.

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smckeown
have you thought about looking into independant turreted rear suspension, and ditching the heavy beam tube and trailing arms?

Nah, thats't not for me

 

 

could shave a bit more weight from the rear, and you'll get a much more planted rear end.

 

My rear is already VERY planted indeed.

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smckeown

I think one area I might be able to shift a bit of weight is remove the existing very light carbon fibre dash and just keep the clocks with a panel for some switches. That way I can get rid of the indicator and light stalk, as well as the dash.

 

Then I can look at changing the existing fuse box for a small and lighter one. Stripping out any more wiring that can go (not a lot expected). Has anyone replaced their fuse box before ? Is this practical for a wiring novice?

 

cheers

sean

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jonnie205

I would keep the dash as it makes the car feel more car like and it also looks much nicer with it in. We make up lightweight wiring looms for the rally and race cars and junk the standard fuse box. there is considerable weight to be saved in wirng and it is aloo much neater than the horrendoes 205 fuse box. The wire itself is 50% lighter than oe

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welshpug

what kinda radiator are you running sean? IIRC a nissens alloy replacement is about 50% lighter than the o.e item

 

would you be able to run a smaller item?

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Simes

Exterior door handles, I've seen these turned into swiss cheese.

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welshpug

smaller door mirrors?

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smckeown
I would keep the dash as it makes the car feel more car like and it also looks much nicer with it in. We make up lightweight wiring looms for the rally and race cars and junk the standard fuse box. there is considerable weight to be saved in wirng and it is aloo much neater than the horrendoes 205 fuse box. The wire itself is 50% lighter than oe

 

I like the idea of going hardcore. Pus I can sell it and pay for some items I want. Good to hear the fusebox can be changed. Once I get the car back (maybe this w/e) i'll have a closer look

 

what kinda radiator are you running sean? IIRC a nissens alloy replacement is about 50% lighter than the o.e item

 

Already got nissen... Come on fella, the title of the thread is weight reduction the 'next level' Already done most of the easy stuff

 

Exterior door handles, I've seen these turned into swiss cheese.

 

Yeah good idea, will look into that. Probably more for effect that actual saving, but it's cool though

 

smaller door mirrors?

 

Yeah like shiney's. His car is lush :( Might put some spa-design convex mirrors on my xmas list :P

 

shiny_38.jpg

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Powers

Here you go for starters:

Ali hubs

Titanium wheel nuts, lower hub and wishbone nuts and bolts

Tubular wishbones

Ali strut brace

Drill through pedals and arms

Ali gear lever arm

Battery tray

Fibreglass doors (£200 each)

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TonyGTI

Sean,

 

Replace silencer with a lightweight titanium one - but not cheap!!

 

I did this on my caterham and saved about 2.5 kgs over standard silencer and very effective at keeping the noise level down plus will never rust and are repackable.

 

http://www.raceco.com/caterham.html

 

I know the guy who makes them up for Raceco.

 

Ammo who runs Raceco is a real 'weight saving' fanatic and has contibuted to threads on the Caterham club web site.

 

For example;

 

Replace horn with motorcycle one smaller and lighter

Cut excess off all bolts that are too long

Remove all unused relays and fuses

Then there's things like using aluminium bolts in low stress applications, or even gluing things rather than riveting or bolting them in place.

Get rid of rubbers on pedals and put sticky back electric sander pads on them cut to size of course!!

 

When you have a caterham that weights 500kgs then a 2 kgs saving is signiificant!!

 

 

Remember

If it's not necessary - throw it out

If its big and solid - drill holes in it :(

 

 

Tony

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smckeown
Ali hubs

Tubular wishbones

 

Never seen any of these for sale, can you actually buy them ?

 

Fibreglass doors (£200 each)

 

I'm confident my cut down doors will be light enough. But i'll do the work and weigh them and compare.

 

Battery tray

 

What about it ? Can't remove it..

 

Ali strut brace

 

Already have one :P

 

Replace horn with motorcycle one smaller and lighter

 

Good idea that, i'll do that...cheers

 

Cut excess off all bolts that are too long

 

Yes have seen a few that can be cut

 

Remove all unused relays and fuses

 

Yeah planning to do that and replace fuse box with a smaller lighter one

 

When you have a caterham that weights 500kgs then a 2 kgs saving is signiificant!!

 

I had a ride in the prototype for the caterham fireblade that weighed 360kgs :(

 

 

Thnaks for the good suggestions guys, keep them coming, remember i'm on a budget :blush:

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