Hello All,

I tried searching. Honestly I did.

I have a 2002 Z.

What parts are you all removing or changing on your C5's to reduce overall car weight?

 

From this sticky at the top of the General section, there is more in the sticky so this is a start. Credit Leaftye and all who gave up info for the forum!

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-g...ngths-etc.html

Weight reduction
You can achieve substantial weight reduction with the following modifications, while still having a car that's very comfortable to drive. Most of these modifications will directly increase (and decrease in a few cases) the safety of the car, while safety is indirectly improved due to the better handling and limits of a lighter car. Fighter pilots say "speed is life". Acceleration, deceleration, and lateral acceleration are all forms of acceleration, and lighter cars accelerate better in each of these ways because the tires have less mass to control....thus a lighter car is a safer car. Lighter cars have better moments of inertia which allows them to turn in more easily and roll less. Lighter cars are also easier on the tires and gas.

All the stage weight estimates are typically wild butt guesses, but it makes it easy to see what is possible. The weight listings in the separate weight posting is MUCH more reliable.

Stage I: Streetable weight reduction mods

Non-popup headlights (~40 lbs)
Braking rotors with an aluminum hat, or titanium rotors (unproven on street cars) (~20-30 lbs)
Carbon fiber hood (~12 lbs)
Z06 (thinner) windshield and side windows (~5.7 lbs)
Non runflat tires (~20 lbs)
Slicks (~30 lbs)
Z06 wheels (~4 lbs est.)
Corsa titanium exhaust (~35 lbs)
Long tube headers (~20 lbs)
Halltech aluminum alternator & bracket (10 lbs)
Carbon fiber driveshaft (~2 lbs)
Newer torque tube
Less options [HUD, elec AC, Active Stability, seat/mirror/steering wheel memory, cd changer] (~50 lbs)
Less gasoline & wiper fluid (No wiper fluid=9lbs, 6 lbs for every gallon of gas in that 18 gallon tank....~81 lbs for autocrossing)
Remove
cargo net
targa top (~20 lbs)
BCM’s
C5 "appearance mods" - exhaust plates, doorsill covers, etc.
fuel rail covers
all loose change, CD's, golf clubs, misc. items, from center console, hatch area, and glove box
Replace
stock crank pulley with aluminum aftermarket pulley
steel dampener with aluminum dampener
stock targa top with lexan piece (coupes)
water pump with electric water pump
battery with smaller battery
non-stressed fasteners with aluminum or titanium fasteners
leaf springs with coil over shocks with titanium springs
steel shifter with aluminum shifter and delrin or titanium shift ****

Empty your pockets of extra change, PDA's, cell phones, keys, lead plates, or whatever other junk you lug around
Go on a diet =p

Stage II: Hardcore semi-streetable weight reduction mods
Aluminum flywheel (~10 lbs)
Lighter clutch like Exedy or Quartermaster (~10 lbs)
Racing buckets (40-50 lbs)
Off-road x-pipe (10 lbs)
Replace stock hood, fenders, doors, roof, hatch and bumpers with aftermarket carbon fiber pieces
Remove
Tire repair kit (Z06)
Floor mats
Fog lights

Stage III: Track only weight reduction mods
Racing steering wheel & delete both airbags (~30 lbs, but get a 4-6 point harness)
Use unpadded aluminum or carbon fiber steering wheel
Run open headers
Replace stock front and rear glass with polycarbonate “glass”
Rebuild motor with Al or Ti connecting rods, Ti valve spring retainers and pushrods
Port the heads
Replace valve covers with magnesium or carbon fiber parts
Strip entire car, acid wash chassis, put car back together.
Remore
Column locking hardware
Interior – passenger seat, carpets, speaker panels, head liner, dash, center console, glove box, door panels, sun visors, rear view mirror, insulation, etc.
A/C Compressor
A/C controls and ducting
AIR pump system
Factory radio, speakers, and/or CD changer, and unnecessary wiring
HUD projector
Windshield wiper fluid reservoir and pump
Windshield wipers and motors
Stock cat back
Power steering pump
Front sway bar (drag only)
ABS, TC, AH hardware and sensors (drag only)
Fender wells
Headlight assembly, turn signals, taillights and reflectors
Shave side mirrors
Torque tunnel cover
OEM seat belts
Parking brake
Side windows and motors
Power locks and power windows
Side impact beams
Casting flash from engine, then polish

Reducing unsprung weight—not all is streetable
Forged 1-piece wheels
Use 3-piece wheels by Jongbloed, Kodiak, CCW, BBS
Skinny front wheels (drag only)
Ti fasteners on 3-piece wheels (~1 lbs per wheel)
Lighter non-runflat tires, or even track only synthetic corded slicks
Lighter calipers
2-piece, unvented or titanium rotors
Titanium wheel studs
Aluminum or titanium lug nuts
Remove tire pressure sensors
Remove rubber valve stem cap
Balance the wheels without tires or balancing weights, and then mount tires

Darion

 

Thanks man. Appreciate it.

 

Dont forget weight distribution. If you want to maintain a 50/50 ratio, you will have to also move parts around. There is more potential weight to be removed from the front, but things like relocating the battery to the trunk can help.

Example: I am not doing crazy reduction to my daily driver, but I recently went with Borla's straight pipe exhaust that replaced a 45lb Bassani system. I am looking into a few battery relocation kits to put the similar weight battery over the rear wheels where it belongs. On a rear wheel drive car, you want the weight over the rear wheels. The rear is the last place to do weight reduction. Since I did, I am putting the weight of the battery back there.

 

Ahh No

Non of those will work to STOP the race car.

titanium rotors are for show cars only. they do NOT stop race cars.
Unvented Rotors do not cool the brakes so NO


Two Piece rotors YES
ARP Wheel Studs YES
Open ended Harden Lug nuts YES

Carbon fiber body. YES
Lexon Front and Rear window YES

However, lightness costs LOTS OF MONEY

Simple wt reduction

standard not run flat tires.
Remove Radio and speakers.
remove sports seats with power and replace with C5 Z06 seats and manual sliders
Use Ti ( C5 Z06 ) exhaust

Use LTs, vs the cast Iron Headers.

These alone is almost 200 lbs removed.

Good Luck