Weight reduction
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 425
Likes: 0
From: Diamondhead Mississippi
Weight reduction
I would like to make this thread all about weight reduction. Like a one stop thread for anyone to make their car lighter. Unfortunately I'm not really a wealth of info when it comes to this so hopefully some of you can contribute. If you can include an estimate of how much weight is taken out per mod that would be great.
So far all I know of is:
1.exhaust, maybe 60lbs for full exhaust?
2. Aluminum flywheel, 20lbs
3. I have no knowledge about removing seats or any interior pieces. So if someone could chime in on it that would be great.
Sooo that's it. Hah again any input would be great.
Thanks
So far all I know of is:
1.exhaust, maybe 60lbs for full exhaust?
2. Aluminum flywheel, 20lbs
3. I have no knowledge about removing seats or any interior pieces. So if someone could chime in on it that would be great.
Sooo that's it. Hah again any input would be great.
Thanks
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 24,953
Likes: 2,668
From: Far NW 'burbs of Chicago
St. Jude Donor '13
Gasoline is 6 lbs/gal, so if you can run with a little less in the tank...
But except for serious racing, it will be hard to tell the difference.
A base C6 w/ driver and some gas is around 8 lbs/hp. So if you take 80 pounds out of the car, that's about like gaining 10 hp. For street use, you can ruin the usefulness of the car and gain only a little performance. But competition on a track, 'nuther story.
But except for serious racing, it will be hard to tell the difference.
A base C6 w/ driver and some gas is around 8 lbs/hp. So if you take 80 pounds out of the car, that's about like gaining 10 hp. For street use, you can ruin the usefulness of the car and gain only a little performance. But competition on a track, 'nuther story.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 16,557
Likes: 2,104
From: Peoria/Phoenix AZ
C6 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
There's a lot of info on the Z06 forum, including a recent weight reduction competition between Cartek and Halltech.
My '08 LT2 F55 coupe originally weighed in about 3260 with a slight amount of gas. On a road trip to FL, I weighed in 3210 at PBIR in street trim with the low gas warning on. Race ready, I've been as low as 2925.
So now some questions.
Are you building a track only car?
Are you willing to actually destroy the car? (never to return to street use)
How much are you willing to spend?
What are your limitations?
Other than weight reduction, what other mods do you have or planning?
What is your ultimate goal?
My '08 LT2 F55 coupe originally weighed in about 3260 with a slight amount of gas. On a road trip to FL, I weighed in 3210 at PBIR in street trim with the low gas warning on. Race ready, I've been as low as 2925.
So now some questions.
Are you building a track only car?
Are you willing to actually destroy the car? (never to return to street use)
How much are you willing to spend?
What are your limitations?
Other than weight reduction, what other mods do you have or planning?
What is your ultimate goal?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 425
Likes: 0
From: Diamondhead Mississippi
There's a lot of info on the Z06 forum, including a recent weight reduction competition between Cartek and Halltech.
My '08 LT2 F55 coupe originally weighed in about 3260 with a slight amount of gas. On a road trip to FL, I weighed in 3210 at PBIR in street trim with the low gas warning on. Race ready, I've been as low as 2925.
So now some questions.
Are you building a track only car?
Are you willing to actually destroy the car? (never to return to street use)
How much are you willing to spend?
What are your limitations?
Other than weight reduction, what other mods do you have or planning?
What is your ultimate goal?
My '08 LT2 F55 coupe originally weighed in about 3260 with a slight amount of gas. On a road trip to FL, I weighed in 3210 at PBIR in street trim with the low gas warning on. Race ready, I've been as low as 2925.
So now some questions.
Are you building a track only car?
Are you willing to actually destroy the car? (never to return to street use)
How much are you willing to spend?
What are your limitations?
Other than weight reduction, what other mods do you have or planning?
What is your ultimate goal?
Well it's a street car and I plan on keeping it that way. I'm willing to sacrifice a little I guess it just depends what it is.
As far as price I'm pretty limited at the moment. Its an ongoing project so the "budget" is not really limited it will probably take some amount of time to complete though. But having goals and things to work toward keep me motivated.
My goal is to have as fast a street car as possible. I'm going to stay here at full boltons and see how fast I can get it until I can afford some sort of forced induction then maybe a blower cam.
Pretty much the current goals are to go as fast as possible with the the amount of power I have. In the 1/4 mile.
Thanks for the help.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 425
Likes: 0
From: Diamondhead Mississippi
Oh just for info my current mods are:
Varram
Tune
Full exhaust with cutouts
Ls7 clutch with aluminum flywheel
Comp 1.8 rockers
Ti retainers and comp 918 springs and pushrods
Spin ported fast 92
25% under drive pulley
Arp rod bolts.
Zip built rear diff with 3.73's
I don't think that there are too many more hp mods I can do besides a water pump and throttle body. Now I just need to focus on weight and getting it to hook.
Varram
Tune
Full exhaust with cutouts
Ls7 clutch with aluminum flywheel
Comp 1.8 rockers
Ti retainers and comp 918 springs and pushrods
Spin ported fast 92
25% under drive pulley
Arp rod bolts.
Zip built rear diff with 3.73's
I don't think that there are too many more hp mods I can do besides a water pump and throttle body. Now I just need to focus on weight and getting it to hook.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every Model vs Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!
Joe Kucinski
5 MOST and 5 LEAST Popular Corvette Model Years in History!
Joe Kucinski
2027 Corvette Buyer's Guide: Everything You Need to Know!
Joe Kucinski
10 Things C8 Corvette Owners Hate (But Won't Tell You)
Joe Kucinski
10 Best Corvettes Coming to Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach 2026!
Brett Foote
Every Corvette Grand Sport Explained! (C2, C4, C6, C7, & C8)
Joe Kucinski
Grand Sport & Grand Sport X Launch Alongside All-New 535hp LS6 V8!
Michael S. Palmer
5 Reasons Bad Drivers Crash & 5 Ways to Avoid a Costly Mistake!
Joe Kucinski
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 27,206
Likes: 105
From: Short Hills, NJ
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,359
Likes: 6
From: Los Alamitos California
St. Jude Donor '09
Search is your friend. Start here.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-z...ight-list.html
You can lose around 60-80 pounds on seats alone (depending on what you'll settle for). C6 seats are ungodly heavy.
Headers, exhaust, brake rotors, wheels, tires, etc are all good places to save weight.
San
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-z...ight-list.html
You can lose around 60-80 pounds on seats alone (depending on what you'll settle for). C6 seats are ungodly heavy.
Headers, exhaust, brake rotors, wheels, tires, etc are all good places to save weight.
San
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 16,557
Likes: 2,104
From: Peoria/Phoenix AZ
C6 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
Your mods have already gone beyond the generally accepted definition of bolt-ons, but since you don't have a cam it'll be hard to draw comparisons to your progress with other results in the performance list.
Weight mods that are street friendly are pretty limited to rotors, exhaust system, draining w/w fluid, removing FRC's, lighter battery, and replacing some parts with carbon fiber or titanium.
Weight mods that are raceday friendly (aka reversible) include tires, wheels, removal of items such as passenger seat, carpet, door panels, sway bars.
Since you will be running quicker than 11.50, you'll need to add a rollbar and harness, so swapping the driver's seat to a light race seat will help compensate somewhat.
Weight mods that are street friendly are pretty limited to rotors, exhaust system, draining w/w fluid, removing FRC's, lighter battery, and replacing some parts with carbon fiber or titanium.
Weight mods that are raceday friendly (aka reversible) include tires, wheels, removal of items such as passenger seat, carpet, door panels, sway bars.
Since you will be running quicker than 11.50, you'll need to add a rollbar and harness, so swapping the driver's seat to a light race seat will help compensate somewhat.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 2,625
Likes: 195
From: On the east coast we drive until we die
From my limited drag racing experience but my observation of other very meticulous racers, rotational weight savings offers the best performance increase. Exhaust systems are nice in that they add power and save weight, but that's probably the only mod that offers that. The little things like no floor mats, emptying the glove box and storage bins doesn't really do anything unless you're looking for every last 100th of a second at the track. If you want to try lighter seats, you have to be willing to live with potential discomfort on the street or long drives. This will depend on the seat and your own personal comfort tolerances. Other than that, for street use, go with lighter wheels, tires, brakes, and a clutch/flywheel combo. These will make the most difference but are also the most expensive.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 1,255
Likes: 66
From: San Luis Obispo, California
There's not much left for my '12 GS 1LT, but I drained out @ 1.5 gal washer fluid, & my stock Z06 air intake is slightly lighter then the LS3 unit. I'll do non-run flat Michelins Pilot SS's & 2-piece rotors like DBA5000's which will drop @ 48lbs of rotational mass which should actually be pretty noticeable.
For other reasons I removed the XMradio module, the Fuel rail covers & intake cover (to help it run cooler), & removed the sun visors b/c they obstructed my top-down views, but that's not much weight savings.
For other reasons I removed the XMradio module, the Fuel rail covers & intake cover (to help it run cooler), & removed the sun visors b/c they obstructed my top-down views, but that's not much weight savings.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 5,078
Likes: 19
From: Cumming, GA
Oh just for info my current mods are:
Varram
Tune
Full exhaust with cutouts
Ls7 clutch with aluminum flywheel
Comp 1.8 rockers
Ti retainers and comp 918 springs and pushrods
Spin ported fast 92
25% under drive pulley
Arp rod bolts.
Zip built rear diff with 3.73's
I don't think that there are too many more hp mods I can do besides a water pump and throttle body. Now I just need to focus on weight and getting it to hook.
Varram
Tune
Full exhaust with cutouts
Ls7 clutch with aluminum flywheel
Comp 1.8 rockers
Ti retainers and comp 918 springs and pushrods
Spin ported fast 92
25% under drive pulley
Arp rod bolts.
Zip built rear diff with 3.73's
I don't think that there are too many more hp mods I can do besides a water pump and throttle body. Now I just need to focus on weight and getting it to hook.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 425
Likes: 0
From: Diamondhead Mississippi
Thanks everyone for the advice. I'll be working towards the breaks as my next weight mod and remove all of the pieces that arent necessary at the track: heavy front wheels (replace with skinnies) and passanger seat.
No, still the stock cam. I replaced the engine with another stock ls2 after my crankshaft pulley flew off of the original engine and took the threads with it. And I figured since I might spray some N2O eventually/ shift at roughly 7k rpm that the rod bolts and built valve train would give me some piece of mind. Also, since it was so easy to do with the engine out of the car I figured why not. I did add 1.8 roller rockers for a little bump in power and the TI retainers to offset the added weight of the rockers to keep everything nice and stable up top.
No, still the stock cam. I replaced the engine with another stock ls2 after my crankshaft pulley flew off of the original engine and took the threads with it. And I figured since I might spray some N2O eventually/ shift at roughly 7k rpm that the rod bolts and built valve train would give me some piece of mind. Also, since it was so easy to do with the engine out of the car I figured why not. I did add 1.8 roller rockers for a little bump in power and the TI retainers to offset the added weight of the rockers to keep everything nice and stable up top.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 16,557
Likes: 2,104
From: Peoria/Phoenix AZ
C6 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
There's not much left for my '12 GS 1LT, but I drained out @ 1.5 gal washer fluid, & my stock Z06 air intake is slightly lighter then the LS3 unit. I'll do non-run flat Michelins Pilot SS's & 2-piece rotors like DBA5000's which will drop @ 48lbs of rotational mass which should actually be pretty noticeable.
For other reasons I removed the XMradio module, the Fuel rail covers & intake cover (to help it run cooler), & removed the sun visors b/c they obstructed my top-down views, but that's not much weight savings.
For other reasons I removed the XMradio module, the Fuel rail covers & intake cover (to help it run cooler), & removed the sun visors b/c they obstructed my top-down views, but that's not much weight savings.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 11,549
Likes: 27
From: Southampton NJ
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 16,557
Likes: 2,104
From: Peoria/Phoenix AZ
C6 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 5,078
Likes: 19
From: Cumming, GA
I think people have a mis-conception of the true tire weights as I hear many talk about BIG reductions moving from OEM run-flats. 
GS/Z06 tire sizes
OEM fronts= 29lbs
OEM rears= 34lbs
Other options (OEM sizes):
(Fronts)
Michelin SS= 25lbs (-4)
Michelin PS2= 31lbs (+2)
Bridgestone run-flat= 31lbs (+2)
Goodyear G2 run-flat= 28lbs (-1)
(Rears)
Michelin SS= 32lbs (-2)
Michelin PS2= 35lbs (+1)
Bridgestone run-flat= 37lbs (+3)
Goodyear G2 run-flat= 32lbs (-2)
So the Michelin SS provides the biggest weight reduction with a four corner total of -12lbs. Twelve lbs is twelve lbs but I think many think they're dropping 20+lbs most of the time; obviously not the case.
*Just an informative post with facts for reference. Not knocking on anyone.
GS/Z06 tire sizes
OEM fronts= 29lbs
OEM rears= 34lbs
Other options (OEM sizes):
(Fronts)
Michelin SS= 25lbs (-4)
Michelin PS2= 31lbs (+2)
Bridgestone run-flat= 31lbs (+2)
Goodyear G2 run-flat= 28lbs (-1)
(Rears)
Michelin SS= 32lbs (-2)
Michelin PS2= 35lbs (+1)
Bridgestone run-flat= 37lbs (+3)
Goodyear G2 run-flat= 32lbs (-2)
So the Michelin SS provides the biggest weight reduction with a four corner total of -12lbs. Twelve lbs is twelve lbs but I think many think they're dropping 20+lbs most of the time; obviously not the case.
*Just an informative post with facts for reference. Not knocking on anyone.