weight reduction options

[Topdown]

you could save a sh*tload of weight if you go with carbon fiber doors... I think the CF doors weigh 20lbs versus the massive bricks that are attached to your car right now... CF hood and trunk lid might save you some weight as well... really high-end forged wheels can save you 20lbs per corner...

[rally yellow ss rs]

Originally Posted by jpizzle007

Slim faxt and P90x

Theres a lot of fat joke refrences going in here...are you?If so, yeah lose weight is cheaper, healthier, but keep in mind...the better you look the more you will have girls wanting to go fast in your car with you. You lose 50 and get cut, and now a 110lb girl is in the mix.

[BlissStreet]

Originally Posted by rally yellow ss rs

Theres a lot of fat joke refrences going in here...are you?If so, yeah lose weight is cheaper, healthier, but keep in mind...the better you look the more you will have girls wanting to go fast in your car with you. You lose 50 and get cut, and now a 110lb girl is in the mix.

Strange logic....yet makes sense. Hood and trunk then, lol.

[Doc]

Compared to what CF body panels cost, you'll get a much better bang for the buck spending that on reducing unsprung rotating weight. The best places to start are lighter wheels, brake rotors and driveshaft. For the wheels and rotors the effect of removing just 5 lbs per wheel is like removing 100 lbs of sprung weight.

Wheels are a very personal choice and investment but keep in mind bigger = heavier and the ratio works in the other direction too... adding 5 lbs on the wheels has the same effect as adding 100 lbs to the car. Bigger wheels also require bigger tires which add weight too. Even if you get a bigger wheel that weighs the same as the stock wheel (which will cost a lot btw) you'll still see a slight penalty because the farther away from the center the weight is, the more power it takes to get it moving and stop it.

Dropping from a 20 to a 19 or even an 18 will get you a thumbs-down from the "looks" crowd, but you'll gain quicker acceleration, shorter braking distances, and better cornering. The race crowd will know what you've done and take you more seriously because a serious performance driver knows the advantages of reduced unsprung weight.

There's a terrific set of brake rotors from Racing Brake that are for the SS Camaros, look killer, perform killer with no brake fade even under repeated hard stops, and they weigh about 6 lbs less than the stock rotors. Removing a total of 24 lbs of weight like that has an effect you notice immediately. The car feels lighter and accelerates quicker; especially if it's already rolling.

Take another 5-10 lbs off each corner with lighter wheels and tires, and the car responds like you removed 200-300 lbs from the car.

I'm working on getting a CF driveshaft which hopefully I'll have in the next 4 weeks or so and I'll be able to tell you what the actual performance benefit will be and I'll get a dyno to have some hard numbers to show.

Those three areas are the easiest to address and will make the most noticeable difference. Get the rear cradle and diff bushings upgraded too while you're at it. Doesn't change the weight really, but it makes a world of difference in the way the car handles and performs.

Start there. You can always replace body panels later if you still want to reduce weight and still have money left. Don't compromise car safety though; the doors are designed to handle side impacts and protect you in a collision. Make sure an upgrade is truly an upgrade and not just a ricer mod.

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by Doc

Compared to what CF body panels cost, you'll get a much better bang for the buck spending that on reducing unsprung rotating weight. The best places to start are lighter wheels, brake rotors and driveshaft. For the wheels and rotors the effect of removing just 5 lbs per wheel is like removing 100 lbs of sprung weight.

Wheels are a very personal choice and investment but keep in mind bigger = heavier and the ratio works in the other direction too... adding 5 lbs on the wheels has the same effect as adding 100 lbs to the car. Bigger wheels also require bigger tires which add weight too. Even if you get a bigger wheel that weighs the same as the stock wheel (which will cost a lot btw) you'll still see a slight penalty because the farther away from the center the weight is, the more power it takes to get it moving and stop it.

Dropping from a 20 to a 19 or even an 18 will get you a thumbs-down from the "looks" crowd, but you'll gain quicker acceleration, shorter braking distances, and better cornering. The race crowd will know what you've done and take you more seriously because a serious performance driver knows the advantages of reduced unsprung weight.

There's a terrific set of brake rotors from Racing Brake that are for the SS Camaros, look killer, perform killer with no brake fade even under repeated hard stops, and they weigh about 6 lbs less than the stock rotors. Removing a total of 24 lbs of weight like that has an effect you notice immediately. The car feels lighter and accelerates quicker; especially if it's already rolling.

Take another 5-10 lbs off each corner with lighter wheels and tires, and the car responds like you removed 200-300 lbs from the car.

I'm working on getting a CF driveshaft which hopefully I'll have in the next 4 weeks or so and I'll be able to tell you what the actual performance benefit will be and I'll get a dyno to have some hard numbers to show.

Those three areas are the easiest to address and will make the most noticeable difference. Get the rear cradle and diff bushings upgraded too while you're at it. Doesn't change the weight really, but it makes a world of difference in the way the car handles and performs.

Start there. You can always replace body panels later if you still want to reduce weight and still have money left. Don't compromise car safety though; the doors are designed to handle side impacts and protect you in a collision. Make sure an upgrade is truly an upgrade and not just a ricer mod.

This advice is good!!

[nolimits76]

Originally Posted by Doc

Wheels are a very personal choice and investment but keep in mind bigger = heavier and the ratio works in the other direction too... adding 5 lbs on the wheels has the same effect as adding 100 lbs to the car. Bigger wheels also require bigger tires which add weight too. Even if you get a bigger wheel that weighs the same as the stock wheel (which will cost a lot btw) you'll still see a slight penalty because the farther away from the center the weight is, the more power it takes to get it moving and stop it.

Dropping from a 20 to a 19 or even an 18 will get you a thumbs-down from the "looks" crowd, but you'll gain quicker acceleration, shorter braking distances, and better cornering. The race crowd will know what you've done and take you more seriously because a serious performance driver knows the advantages of reduced unsprung weight.

All the advice given by Doc was great.

In particular is the wheel advice. However, proceed with caution if you go down in size and DON'T address the brakes. I believe the Brembo's big size makes it difficult to go with much smaller wheels. At least that is what I have been reading for guys wanting to swap to a different set of wheels/tires for the winter time (right now I'm searching for the perfect Camaro to buy).

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by nolimits76

All the advice given by Doc was great.

In particular is the wheel advice. However, proceed with caution if you go down in size and DON'T address the brakes. I believe the Brembo's big size makes it difficult to go with much smaller wheels. At least that is what I have been reading for guys wanting to swap to a different set of wheels/tires for the winter time (right now I'm searching for the perfect Camaro to buy).

Check the offset, but I want to say that a normally-proportioned 18" have fit fine for most guys around here.

[woodside783]

can you guys name some wheel companys? and the size that would work with the stock ss breaks?

[Doc]

Originally Posted by woodside783

can you guys name some wheel companys? and the size that would work with the stock ss breaks?

Talk with Nineball or Indpower on the forum; they'll be able to hook you up with just about any style/size wheel you like and they know what fits an SS.

[woodside783]

ok thaanks doc

[sr71bb]

Originally Posted by rally yellow ss rs

Theres a lot of fat joke refrences going in here...are you?If so, yeah lose weight is cheaper, healthier, but keep in mind...the better you look the more you will have girls wanting to go fast in your car with you. You lose 50 and get cut, and now a 110lb girl is in the mix.

Unless she is a bonafide SPINNER, I see VERY few 110 pound girls!!! The norm is more to the 135 pound range.