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Jason's C7 Z06 weight reduction/2018 season modifications
My C7 Z06 needs to go on a serious diet. I competed in the SpeedRing at M1 Concourse last year and won my class (TrackMod RWD) on street tires. I was up against gutted race cars, yet I could have driven home from the track in my full interior car with the AC on. I set a personal best lap time of 1:10.2. The track record for street tires is within reach at 1:09.xx, but I want to go beyond that. The track record overall is 1:03.49 and I don't think it's that far fetched to chase that time with more grip, more power and less weight.
The car has TONS of power, but it's doing a lot of work moving itself around the track. Especially on my home track of M1 Concourse. Reducing weight will just be so much easier on the car and tires.
I have a new street car on order , so once that comes in it's time to make the Z06 a little more of a hardcore track car. The plan is to reduce mass, especially unsprung, and even more unsprung rotating mass. I'm reminded of this historic thread: https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...atio+challenge
How much of this I do really depends on how things go this year and how much I can set aside in my slush fund. Also input from key partners.
Here is the baseline:
3541lbs with a full tank and no driver. Let's call it a dry weight of 3445.
I'll post some of the plans here. Others I'm working on will be surprises as they become certain.
First round:
1. ARP wheel studs. Not really a weight reduction as I already have the Katech titanium lug nuts. I just think the car should have them at this point.
2. DSC Sport RT shocks. I already have the DSC Sport controller and it's been great, but I feel I'm maxing out the stock shocks. Turns 10a/b at M1 Concourse is a long right handed downhill sweeper that just murders the LF tire. I think with some better shocks I'll be able to go through that corner much faster. Currently I'm doing about 65-70mph through it. I'm not sure if these shocks are any lighter, but maybe there will be a weight saving bonus in there too.
3. ZL1 Add Ons titanium tow hooks. I already have ZL1 Add Ons tow hooks, but they are heavy. I just ordered the titanium ones and I'll sell my current ones.
4. Shorai lithium-ion battery. I know it's in the absolute worst spot for weight savings, stashed far in the right rear corner, but I could really use the overall weight savings for acceleration and braking.
5. Camber kit. My stock eccentric bolts keep moving. I'll add a camber kit and put some serious camber in the car.
Later phases:
-Forgeline GS1R wheels with Pirelli slicks
-Titanium bolts
-2017 supercharger upgrade
-AC delete
-Lexan
-Race seats/interior removal
-Clutch
My C7 Z06 needs to go on a serious diet. I competed in the SpeedRing at M1 Concourse last year and won my class (TrackMod RWD) on street tires. I was up against gutted race cars, yet I could have driven home from the track in my full interior car with the AC on. I set a personal best lap time of 1:10.2. The track record for street tires is within reach at 1:09.xx, but I want to go beyond that. The track record overall is 1:03.49 and I don't think it's that far fetched to chase that time with more grip, more power and less weight.
The car has TONS of power, but it's doing a lot of work moving itself around the track. Especially on my home track of M1 Concourse. Reducing weight will just be so much easier on the car and tires.
I have a new street car on order , so once that comes in it's time to make the Z06 a little more of a hardcore track car. The plan is to reduce mass, especially unsprung, and even more unsprung rotating mass. I'm reminded of this historic thread: https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...atio+challenge
How much of this I do really depends on how things go this year and how much I can set aside in my slush fund. Also input from key partners.
Here is the baseline:
3541lbs with a full tank and no driver. Let's call it a dry weight of 3445.
I'll post some of the plans here. Others I'm working on will be surprises as they become certain.
First round:
1. ARP wheel studs. Not really a weight reduction as I already have the Katech titanium lug nuts. I just think the car should have them at this point.
2. DSC Sport RT shocks. I already have the DSC Sport controller and it's been great, but I feel I'm maxing out the stock shocks. Turns 10a/b at M1 Concourse is a long right handed downhill sweeper that just murders the LF tire. I think with some better shocks I'll be able to go through that corner much faster. Currently I'm doing about 65-70mph through it. I'm not sure if these shocks are any lighter, but maybe there will be a weight saving bonus in there too.
3. ZL1 Add Ons titanium tow hooks. I already have ZL1 Add Ons tow hooks, but they are heavy. I just ordered the titanium ones and I'll sell my current ones.
4. Shorai lithium-ion battery. I know it's in the absolute worst spot for weight savings, stashed far in the right rear corner, but I could really use the overall weight savings for acceleration and braking.
5. Camber kit. My stock eccentric bolts keep moving. I'll add a camber kit and put some serious camber in the car.
Later phases:
-Forgeline GS1R wheels with Pirelli slicks
-Titanium bolts
-2017 supercharger upgrade
-AC delete
-Lexan
-Race seats/interior removal
-Clutch
Jason, is there any chance of doing a NA 7 liter engine for this car? You guys have got that setup making more power than the stock LT4 and it would certainly move a good bit of weight off the front of the car.
Jason, is there any chance of doing a NA 7 liter engine for this car? You guys have got that setup making more power than the stock LT4 and it would certainly move a good bit of weight off the front of the car.
I'm looking forward to this!
No chance on this car. I love my supercharger too much and I've got so much invested in the cooling system.
Lighter seats and wheels and a titanium x pipe will drop a lot of weight. LHTperformance made their own even lighter than akrapovic
Seats and wheels, yes.
X-pipe I've been looking into. I've never heard of LHT Performance. I didn't see anything on their website. Was this something custom? Where did you see it?
I'm curious, was that full tank with E10 oe E85 and is there a weight difference in the fuels? I expected yours to be a little heavier with the extra cooling bits and wing. Maybe it was offset by the KT1 wheels?
I'm curious, was that full tank with E10 oe E85 and is there a weight difference in the fuels? I expected yours to be a little heavier with the extra cooling bits and wing. Maybe it was offset by the KT1 wheels?
E10 is in the tank for winter storage. Gasoline is 6.3lb/gal, pure ethanol 6.6lb/gal.
Yes, the additional cooling, aero, and fuel surge tank adds weight, but the car also has other weight reducing modifications:
Headers
Katech lightweight flywheel (-24.5lbs)
Katech KT1 wheels
Jason
I’m in the same boat as you, making lots of power, good aero and cooling, at this point the car’s weight is the bottle neck to lower lap times. So far I’ve changed to lithium battery and dropped 33lbs, and headers 27lbs. Race seats helped too be I’ll have to go find my notes on the weight savings.
I rear sub 10lbs saved
I’ll be getting reweighed in a few weeks and I’ll post.
Pull passenger seat? And lightweight race seat would help alot, plus you could sell a kit on how to get the airbag light off and or mount the airbag to the new seat.
Ive been wanting to try out the shorai matbe Katech can make a battery mount for it.
Front and rear carpets weigh about 25lbs
Could throw in weathertech liners in the front to cover the wiring.
Last edited by Pacembellum; 03-25-2018 at 04:30 PM.
Pull passenger seat? And lightweight race seat would help alot, plus you could sell a kit on how to get the airbag light off and or mount the airbag to the new seat.
Ive been wanting to try out the shorai matbe Katech can make a battery mount for it.
My C7 Z06 needs to go on a serious diet. I competed in the SpeedRing at M1 Concourse last year and won my class (TrackMod RWD) on street tires. I was up against gutted race cars, yet I could have driven home from the track in my full interior car with the AC on. I set a personal best lap time of 1:10.2. The track record for street tires is within reach at 1:09.xx, but I want to go beyond that. The track record overall is 1:03.49 and I don't think it's that far fetched to chase that time with more grip, more power and less weight.
The car has TONS of power, but it's doing a lot of work moving itself around the track. Especially on my home track of M1 Concourse. Reducing weight will just be so much easier on the car and tires.
I have a new street car on order , so once that comes in it's time to make the Z06 a little more of a hardcore track car. The plan is to reduce mass, especially unsprung, and even more unsprung rotating mass. I'm reminded of this historic thread: https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...atio+challenge
How much of this I do really depends on how things go this year and how much I can set aside in my slush fund. Also input from key partners.
Here is the baseline:
3541lbs with a full tank and no driver. Let's call it a dry weight of 3445.
I'll post some of the plans here. Others I'm working on will be surprises as they become certain.
First round:
1. ARP wheel studs. Not really a weight reduction as I already have the Katech titanium lug nuts. I just think the car should have them at this point.
2. DSC Sport RT shocks. I already have the DSC Sport controller and it's been great, but I feel I'm maxing out the stock shocks. Turns 10a/b at M1 Concourse is a long right handed downhill sweeper that just murders the LF tire. I think with some better shocks I'll be able to go through that corner much faster. Currently I'm doing about 65-70mph through it. I'm not sure if these shocks are any lighter, but maybe there will be a weight saving bonus in there too.
3. ZL1 Add Ons titanium tow hooks. I already have ZL1 Add Ons tow hooks, but they are heavy. I just ordered the titanium ones and I'll sell my current ones.
4. Shorai lithium-ion battery. I know it's in the absolute worst spot for weight savings, stashed far in the right rear corner, but I could really use the overall weight savings for acceleration and braking.
5. Camber kit. My stock eccentric bolts keep moving. I'll add a camber kit and put some serious camber in the car.
Later phases:
-Forgeline GS1R wheels with Pirelli slicks
-Titanium bolts
-2017 supercharger upgrade
-AC delete
-Lexan
-Race seats/interior removal
-Clutch
Jason
As you know, through all the work Katech has done I've always looked to drop weight while increasing HP.
Chuck
X-pipe I've been looking into. I've never heard of LHT Performance. I didn't see anything on their website. Was this something custom? Where did you see it?
Is katech still doing the lightweight exhaust for the z06? I dont see it on the site just the carbon tip
It was fine on the Stingray, but we had trouble getting the carbon fiber to live on supercharged cars. I did a test on the chassis dyno and measured 1200F at the muffler. Now I'm pursuing a titanium tip but it's hard to find a titanium welder willing to do it. Now considering building an argon box and doing it in house.
Jason your first round, I’ve done exact item for item, great minds I guess.
I did machine the ARP wheel studs, the closest match are about 3/8 long for me, plus I undercut the threads the first 5/16 like the OEM to make the nuts go on easyer.
I made up a cad drawing if you want it.
Not much power made but saved 28lbs with LT headers, no CATs.
Replaced both seats with OMP’s not only saved weight, but improved lap times.
Ive done the Tracitive Shocks, made huge diffrence.
Jason your first round, I’ve done exact item for item, great minds I guess.
I did machine the ARP wheel studs, the closest match are about 3/8 long for me, plus I undercut the threads the first 5/16 like the OEM to make the nuts go on easyer.
I made up a cad drawing if you want it.
Not much power made but saved 28lbs with LT headers, no CATs.
Replaced both seats with OMP’s not only saved weight, but improved lap times.
Ive done the Tracitive Shocks, made huge diffrence.
It would be awesome if Katech would offer ARP studs machined down to stock length since ARP doesn't offer them that length.
03-24-2018, 01:00 PM
Jason's C7 Z06 weight reduction/2018 season modifications
, so once that comes in it's time to make the Z06 a little more of a hardcore track car. The plan is to reduce mass, especially unsprung, and even more unsprung rotating mass. I'm reminded of this historic thread: https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...atio+challenge
