Weight reduction on the Alero's

DOHC_tuner · 08-21-2009, 12:27 AM

Okay I've been contemplating for so time now on how to reduce weight on the N-body Oldsmobile.

I have yet to put much work into it as I've been busy with the engine build. I hope to get some rather interesting input to help us Alero modders since we have some rather heavy cars.

This is especially big for us N/A guys who are trying to squeeze out big numbers at the track.

These are just a few ideas I have gathered to help dramactically reduce weight on the Alero. Please feel free to add.

1. Remove A/C and heat systems. (A/C bypass pulley)

2. A fiberglass hood (carbon-fiber would be preferred yet not feasible)

3. Fendors are not very heavy but maybe fiberglass fenders via andys unless the weight offsets.

4. Remove the stock carpet and install an ebay carpet. The stock carpet is generally heavier with the black coating on the underside. (or simply choose to not install a carpet.... preference is key in the subject)

5. Lighter wheels.

6. Remove as much interior items as possible.

7. Our trunks are dreadfully heavy....and ideas on that?

8. Lighter seats. (install racing harness and remove factory seat belt assembly.)

9. I have plans in purchasing a lighter intake manifold as well. So those of us with the Quad 4 intake manifold should consider this an option due to its extreme weight.

10. MSD coil conversion and refrain from using the IDI cover.

99-alero · 08-21-2009, 02:30 AM

lol im sorry but this sounds like a ricer post, heavy carpet? come on a true fast street car should be able to have a full interior and AC, spare tire etc

CactusWill · 08-21-2009, 02:41 AM

They aren't light but I wouldn't say they're that heavy either. I think the title on mine said 3020 lbs with a 4 dr auto. And the 35-37 mpgs my eco could get on the freeway was pretty damn good for an auto, you can't get that kind of mileage in a sedan with excessive weight.

I wouldn't say theres alot you can do without turning the car into a track car, you might take out 100 lbs by simple things like taking out the spare tire, jack, and misc other things, anything more than that and its no longer a car for everyday use.

Daytona · 08-21-2009, 07:15 AM

A couple of usable suggestions:

1) Remove your speakers - the 2 in the door and 2 in the trunk actually add some noticeable weight. Not enough to noticeably change performance by themselves, but added in with your other weight savings it'll help.

2) Not sure what sound dampening materials there are in our cars, but my buddies at Cartek shaved 100 pounds off their 10-second test mule Firebird by removing all of the dampening materials from inside their car, yet the interior still looks stock.

3) This might not necessarily be a weight saver, but inflate the rear tires to 40 pounds. They are not drive wheels so no issues there. Plus, the increased inflation reduces the contact area on the tires = less rolling friction. If you can find thinner taller tires that fit onto the wheels, just as good. But the easiest thing is just overinflating the rears.

4) Lower profile front tires do 2 things: reduce weight (over stock tires) and increase the effective gear ratio of your drve axle. You can get DOT and regular slicks that'll work here and they're guaranteed to be lighter than stock DOT's.

cherrington17 · 08-21-2009, 07:50 AM

get a lightweight driver. easy way to loose 100+ lbs depending on your size.

having alerogirl drive ion's car... the driverseat loses 200lbs easy.

BlackJack · 08-21-2009, 07:56 AM

is this going to be track only, limited daily driver, or full-on daily driver?

if you can handle the noise, Daytona is right, you can shave a significant amount of weight by removing sound-dampening material (looks like squares of black tar) under the carpet, in the doors, trunk, etc.

If you're going to delete accessories, chuck the power steering assembly and the rack. Go with a Flaming River lightened rack-and-pinion. I'm about to research if any of the models they have will fit or can be adapted.

Any accessories you delete, get rid of it all, ie: A/C, ditch the radiator exchanger, all lines, core, compressor, condensor, interior pieces, etc.

Get a thicker all-aluminum radiator core that's half-width of your stocker.

If you're going track only, ditch the bumper supports and cross-beams, front and rear. DO NOT DO THIS ON A STREET DRIVEN CAR.

Electric water pump (reduces rotational drag on engine) and get adapter plates made for where the pump used to go.

That being said, you can get it down to where the crank only drives the alternator. Very low rotational drag overall.

[ion] C2 · 08-21-2009, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cherrington17

get a lightweight driver. easy way to loose 100+ lbs depending on your size.

having alerogirl drive ion's car... the driverseat loses 200lbs easy.

this is true, you can make your car gain 0.2 sec in the 1/4 mile easy, as long as they drive it the same way.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 99-alero

lol im sorry but this sounds like a ricer post, heavy carpet? come on a true fast street car should be able to have a full interior and AC, spare tire etc

If that's what you dictate is a "true" street car, fine. Removing the carpet is for true "race" cars maximizing their power to weight ratio. I would never do it but a lot of the old muscle cars running really low times are doing all the weight reduction they can get... I didn't know they were ricers.

Bad99Olds · 08-21-2009, 09:51 AM

take the fat chick out of the back seat

BlackJack · 08-21-2009, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bad99Olds

take the fat chick out of the back seat

Yes definitely. Inflatable sheep are much lighter, and you don't have to tell them to stop calling you repeatedly.

Bad99Olds · 08-21-2009, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlackJack

Yes definitely. Inflatable sheep are much lighter, and you don't have to tell them to stop calling you repeatedly.

And they dont nag, or get preggers. WIn win.

BlackJack · 08-21-2009, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bad99Olds

And they dont nag, or get preggers. WIn win.

Did I ever tell you I like your style? Damn, the world couldn't handle the two of us in one state ROFLMAO

Bad99Olds · 08-21-2009, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlackJack

Did I ever tell you I like your style? Damn, the world couldn't handle the two of us in one state ROFLMAO

haha oh it would be an experience. We need to go bar hopping before we both get too old and die. now THAT would be an experience.

worknprog.99 · 08-21-2009, 11:20 AM

bad99olds^^ is there ever a thread that you dont start crapping on?

Bad99Olds · 08-21-2009, 11:27 AM

You can also pull the back seat, that SOB is heavy. Stripping the trunk down to bare metal, so carpet, insulation, etc. Spare tire and jack obviously.

[ion] C2 · 08-21-2009, 11:34 AM

The back seat weighs less than 2 pounds I'd guess on a coupe. lol.

Bad99Olds · 08-21-2009, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by [ion] C2

The back seat weighs less than 2 pounds I'd guess on a coupe. lol.

Oh disregard. I thought he had a sedan for some reason.

bkathsalero · 08-21-2009, 02:53 PM

Take the motor out, its a lot of un needed weight, then cut holes in the floor pan to stick your feet threw while still removing weight, then its just like running and you have a light car! GENIOUS!!

DOHC_tuner · 08-21-2009, 03:40 PM

Thanks for the positive input. As for the other guys with negative input, you are just hurting the community. Im posting this as an aid to help those of us who are actually increasing the performance of our vehicles and are looking for bigger numbers.

Thus is why I rarely spend time on this forum since most of the Alero owners (excluding BlackJack, ion, daytona, oldmans, to name a few) are not providing positive and helpful information to prompt forward thinking.

I could only desire the length of knowledge given from this forum was in the vicinity of vast information provided for j-bodys on jbody.org. Never the less I still refuse to give up on the Alero and swap my build hybrid LD9 into a cavalier.

08-21-2009, 03:55 PM

If you have a coupe theres a thread on grandam gt about fiber glass doors and lexan windows ill try to find it,that will be a big reduction in weight but im not sure if its street legal.

bkathsalero · 08-21-2009, 03:55 PM

shit man sorry thought you could take a joke.. sounds like somebodys got a case of the mondays on a friday!

And my post was alot nicer then what i was thinking. To me IMO what your doing is what some 16yr old kids did back when i was in high school. Like "OH JUST PULLED MY HOOD OF, LETS RACE AGAIN". The truth is the common rule is 100lbs for -1/10 sec. So I ask why not make the power rather than fake it. if your lucky enough to take 300lbs out of the car thats .3sec for a completely stripped car. dosn't mean shit in my book. I once too stripped my whole car. hence why I now have a g.a. interior. It looks like shit and is loud. SOOO to stop going on a speal it seems like a complete waste of time. give it a shot of nitrous or something.