Lighter Car Means Faster Car..... Does It?

[GNBRETT]

Makes me wonder if making my Trackhawk lighter and lighter is a good thing or bad thing. IDN Maybe cause the Plaid is AWD it just benifits from being heavier. Seems odd to me tho.....

Maybe the extra weight helps more than it hurts when trying to make more and more power on the street. Everything is fast at the track with a prepped surface but on the street it seems the extra weight helps.

 

[CobraBob]

One key is where the weight is removed from and where it's distributed. Aerodynamics can be a factor, too. You wouldn't want to remove weight over the drive wheels, because we all know that putting the power to the ground (we don't want to lose traction) is vital.

 

[Klaus]

If you were really smart you would be adding weight. Everyone knows that Trackhawks are slow because they are TOO light.

 

[GNBRETT]

If you were really smart you would be adding weight. Everyone knows that Trackhawks are slow because they are TOO light.

Well, from a dig the extra weight seems to help but not so much from a roll it seems cause traction isnt as much of an issue when a vehicle is already in motion....

But where do u draw the line? I think the benifit of rotating mass will always be there such as ligher wheels, rotors etc...

Will a 4500 lbs Trackhawk be faster than a 5000 lb Hawk I mean where do u draw the line between the benifit of extra weight for traction vs. less weight to move it therefore eating up less HP?

The extra weight definately loads Turbo's up better thats fact but I have a blower. I keep going back n fourth on the TT thing. TT's are a LOT less stress on the motor, trans or any driveline part. The pasasitic loss coming from blowers is outrageous!

 

[GNBRETT]

One key is where the weight is removed from and where it's distributed. Aerodynamics can be a factor, too. You wouldn't want to remove weight over the drive wheels, because we all know that putting the power to the ground (we don't want to lose traction) is vital.

I agree that plays a huge role. For example my Aluminum block weighs 85 lbs less than a stock iron block so that great cause its off the front of the vehicle.

This dude removed weight from everywhere essentially. I mean I guess there is a reason its able to go 0-60 in 2 seconds and not spin the tire.

And yea the fact that its no longer aerodynamic plays a role to I didnt even consider that to be honest lol that could have played a much bigger role than I or anyone else thought.

 

[tistan]

If you are going to remove 700lbs from a car, you need new spring rates to compensate. If the car is air ride, you need to reprogram the suspension or it is going to be too stiff.

 

[robvas]

The old rule is 100lbs = 10hp = 0.1 or 1 mph in the quarter

Does that apply the same to a 2800lb fox body as it does a 5000lb car?

Part of me thinks weight is weight, but then part of me thinks the heavier car won't affected as much because it's only 5% of the weight of the car and not 10%

On the other extreme, how much does adding 100lbs to a motorcycle affect the 1/4?

Would probably be easier to do something like put 300lbs of weights into the car and do a 60-130 and then do it again without any weight in the car.

 

[robvas]

Also when cleetus put the body on Leroy and took it to the wind tunnel, wasn't the aero improvement worth like 300 or 500hp?

 

[5.0 Hatch]

I never heard of anyone going faster by adding more weight. As long as the traction is there, a lighter car with the same power will always be faster. The Plaid is traction limited even at full weight

 

[black92]

If anyone hasn't seen it, Kyle did end up spending time in a wind tunnel and got the car to go 8.7's.

 

[GNBRETT]

Yea from a roll the 100 lbs = 1 tenth may not be the same.

And u cant just add 300 lbs or so cause it depends on where that weight is being added.

Adding extra weight to the rear would be different than the front. That weight would have to be distributed.

Trackhawk hooks up well from a dig cause its so dam heavy. That extra weight is one of the reasons it hooks up so well. Its not just the AWD plenty of vehicles have AWD.

I guess its hard to say cause with the new MT Bracket Radial ill be hooking way better than I was before due to the 17 and 20 inch sizes they have released so tough to say.

I guess this applies more to AWD vehicles in general vs RWD. On my RS3 all I need is good street tires that hook like the Conti's but on my Mustang I need a 15 inch with Bracket Radial to get any traction.

 

[GNBRETT]

If you are going to remove 700lbs from a car, you need new spring rates to compensate. If the car is air ride, you need to reprogram the suspension or it is going to be too stiff.

I have custom Mentzer going in I no longer have the air ride.

 

[PhoenixM3]

If anyone hasn't seen it, Kyle did end up spending time in a wind tunnel and got the car to go 8.7's.

Who's mini me in this vid?

 

[black92]

Who's mini me in this vid?

Greg

 

[PhoenixM3]

Greg

I was suggesting it was one of the more vertically challenged OGs from this forum....

 

[specracer]

That 1st video with all the panels off, will suffer BIG time because of aero drag starting anywhere from 35-50 mph. (I didn't watch either video to see if this was addressed).

 

[venom1997]

Yes power to weight is amazing

 

[blk02edge]

Only OP would think more weight=faster

 

[13COBRA]

Only OP would think more weight=faster

LOL