Good ways to reduce the unsprung weight

[2mAn]

"Simplify, then add lightness" - Colin Chapman

Looking for tips that you guys are using. I will update the list as the good ideas roll in. If you have weighed the parts, that would be incredible.

So far this is what I have:

-Lighter wheels (I have 16x7 SSR Type Cs = 11#)
-E30 M3 Aluminum Control arms VS regular Steel Control Arms
-Aluminum calipers( ie Wilwood) VS Steel calipers
-Floating rotors or Drilled rotors
-???

Im sure a coilover setup would be lighter than a spring/ strut setup

Another idea I have thought about lately is the early model struts VS the late model. Smaller strut = less weight?

Anything else?

[dsm2002]

upside down rear shocks

[Jb325is]

I have e46 m3 PFC direct drive rotors on my e30, they are 4 lbs lighter than stock (e46 m3) rotors on each corner, which is pretty impressive. However, if you are still 4 lug with stock brakes its not gonna get much lighter than that. I work for a race team, and we were forced to switch away from the PFC DD rotors because of massive overheating. With the much heavier stock rotors back on the car it performs exactly the same, data is the same, drivers feel no difference.. And it can actually do an entire race and still have pads left at the end

As for calipers, again you'll be getting bigger probably, so not really going to save any weight there.

What is your goal here? I feel like your car is already light enough

[kingston]

Um...Titanium bolts? Not alot more weight to lose there. I personally wouldn't trade the rigidity of the later strut tubes for the tiny weight difference.

[Wh33lhop]

inverted struts/shocks help unsprung as well.

[2mAn]

upside down rear shocks

inverted struts/shocks help unsprung as well.

Tell me more about this. I am genuinely curious

What is your goal here? I feel like your car is already light enough

I am perfectly happy with the weight of my car, just curious if there is other things I can do to shed weight. Never know until you ask...

Um...Titanium bolts? Not alot more weight to lose there. I personally wouldn't trade the rigidity of the later strut tubes for the tiny weight difference.

Hmm good point, My car began life with the smaller ones, and it was just something I thought about. Again, just trying to think outside the box.

I love the idea of adding Ti bolts everywhere haha but that is totally unnecessary and way out of any kind of budget.

[whitebulat22]

I can't think of anything else unsprung to hit (and you nailed it with those wheels) but I found an interesting write up from Lotus on the importance of it.

Hub electric motors spark the question here- http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/201...y-matter-much/

College style write up from article- http://www.proteanelectric.com/wp-co...-Services3.pdf

Personally my eta has felt real nice since going from 32 lb bottlecaps to 39 lb borbets. More responsive steering and better burnouts although thats more the tire component.

[dsm2002]

Turner J stock rear bilsteins

[Feffman]

Personally if I could loose the 25 pounds I'd like, it would help a lot.

Feff

[Wh33lhop]

Tell me more about this. I am genuinely curious

Basically a standard strut/shock attaches the shock body to the spindle and the shaft to the chassis, making the shaft sprung weight and the shock body unsprung weight.

Inverted struts attach the shock body to the chassis (sprung) and the shaft to the spindle (unsprung). Bilsteins are inverted, the AST 5xxx was inverted when they were available, some Stance coilovers are inverted and maybe some other brands I'm forgetting. Inverted struts are also stiffer and will flex less under hard cornering (you won't notice unless you have lots o grip), though I'd argue that the valving is more important than inverted vs. standard.

[2mAn]

Turner J stock rear bilsteins

Hey is that 2002 yours?!? I sent you a message on the FAQ asking for a side profile shot with the centras!

Get to it!

@Feff, Im with you on that! Though I just ate a packed of Trolli sour brite crawlers

[IronFreak]

Fortune Auto also makes inverted setup on special request.

[jalopi]

it's sprung, but ditch the current battery for a miata battery

honestly going any further than that is just wasting your time man. unless you go extreme with your reductions you might net you a loss of 25-50lbs or so. you might notice the difference, but that's only a reduction of roughly 2% (that's with a generous weight guesstimate of 2500lbs)

when it comes to "adding lightness" on a car in the 2400-2800lb range,

adding power > adding lightness

slap a turbo on that m50 and you won't care about weight reduction anymore :)

[2mAn]

it's sprung, but ditch the current battery for a miata battery

honestly going any further than that is just wasting your time man. unless you go extreme with your reductions you might net you a loss of 25-50lbs or so. you might notice the difference, but that's only a reduction of roughly 2% (that's with a generous weight guesstimate of 2500lbs)

when it comes to "adding lightness" on a car in the 2400-2800lb range,

adding power > adding lightness

slap a turbo on that m50 and you won't care about weight reduction anymore :)

I guess Im done here then...

My car already has a miata battery because my car is a 84 318 and thats the only battery that fits.

Ive already weighed my car and it weighs 2450 with a full interior, 12" lukebox and a full tank.

I will never turbo my M52. I love it as is...

so like I said, I guess Im done Later plans include a CF hood and mirrors, but I might need to add A/C and that would offset what I just dropped, though if we were to get technical it would probably lower my center of gravity haha

[Wh33lhop]

Yeah from what I understand about your car you're already at the point of diminishing returns--it gets a lot pricier and/or less street friendly from here. If this is your only car, I'd spend the money on seat time.