[rollinlexus]

I think its worth .1 second on my 0-60 time to have a spare tire, just me.
And just to note:

3527/306 = 11.526
3427/306 = 11.199 (losing 100 lbs)

3527/316 = 11.1614 (keeping weight and adding 10hp)

If you let the numbers do the talking, you should probably just try to tack on 10hp rather than gutting you're car, but that's just me.

 

[Knightshade]

I think its worth .1 second on my 0-60 time to have a spare tire, just me.
And just to note:

3527/306 = 11.526
3427/306 = 11.199 (losing 100 lbs)

3527/316 = 11.1614 (keeping weight and adding 10hp)

If you let the numbers do the talking, you should probably just try to tack on 10hp rather than gutting you're car, but that's just me.

10 hp won't knock nearly .4 seconds off a 1/4 mile time by itself, all other conditions being equal.

Now, add 10 hp, run the car on a stickier track, and make it 40 degrees colder out at a lower altitude, that's another story.

 

[utfiero]

Cross drilled rotors to reduce weight

Using forged cross drilled rotors reduced a few pounds from my IS. See my thread concerning DiscItalia rotors under stop, drop, and roll.

I've pondered a Plexiglas moonroof too. Any ideas for a supplier?

not attempting to rip the is350 apart. let's try to keep to keep the car as stock as possible without ripping out things like seats, stereo, etc.

I'm looking for CREATIVE ways to address some weight reduction. So far, I've got a decent list of the following mods:

1. Wheels (would anyone go with 18s over 19s for additional savings?)
2. Ceramic disc rotors that replace oem (not only will this reduce weight, but will also increase stopping performance when driven harder)
3. Light weight battery (looking for something with great performance and will not die after a couple of days from sitting. a loss of at least 10 pounds is preferred)
4. considering removing the spare tire and using fix-a-flat. i've not had experience with it though. any thoughts on this???

 

[Knightshade]

Using forged cross drilled rotors reduced a few pounds from my IS. See my thread concerning DiscItalia rotors under stop, drop, and roll.

I've pondered a Plexiglas moonroof too. Any ideas for a supplier?

Using drilled rotors also weakens your rotors and reduces their capacity for heat... not a great trade off for the couple of total pounds of removed mass.


On the moonroof, I'd be just as happy without it entirely, but sadly not an option in the US unless you get the X-package, which gives up a lot of other options I liked.

 

[LagunaTL]

shaving 100 lbs. is not going to have big improvement in acceleration. if you can shave 200 lbs, that might make some difference, but still will not make your car run mid 4 seconds. if you are that inclined to get to the mid 4 seconds, get a different car.

 

[LagunaTL]

The IS350 is a heavy lady with a curb weight of 3527 pounds. I'd like to get some more performance out of her with some creative ideas. Moreover I want to reduce my 0-60 to the mid fours. As we all know, power to weight ratios mean a lot in regards to a vehicle's performance (take the lotus elise for example).

I'd like to see if anyone can come up with some unique ways to shed some weight off of our 350s and still retain the interior features (ie I'm not removing my nav etc). Let's set a goal for 100 lbs.

I'll start. The current wheels weigh approximately 26.5 for the rear and 26 for the front. Using the F sport wheels (20.5F and 21.5R) as a swap, I can shed approximately 21 lbs from my 350 (you could go with volks for a little more to shed if you prefer). This has an added bonus of shedding unsprung weight as well, but that's a different story.

So, we've got 79 pounds left to go. Let's hear some ideas...

i hate to shatter your dream, but your plan is completely unrealistic.

using the ISF as an example. its weight to power raitio is about 9.1 lbs per horse. the IS350 stock is ~ 11 lbs per horse. if you want the IS350 to get to 9.1 lbs per horse to achieve 0-60 of 4.5 seconds, your IS350 needs to lose at least 750 lbs to get close to 9.1 lbs/ horse. even if you removed back seat, changed to carbon fiber panels, lightweight wheels, eliminate spare, and other engine compartment lightweight upgrades, you still could not lose 700 lbs. not to mention the cost involved and what kind of car you will end up with. and even if you could eventually get to that point, you still have to upgrade brakes, suspension to handle the car right.

if you care so much about 0-60, your most sensible approach is to get a different car.

 

[awdboost]

IS-F lotta car for a lotta money

EVO - my fat ass dont fit! Well the ass does, the duty belt does not. And given all the brake problems Mitsubishi had with the release of the previous eclipse (three recalls within 6 months, the last of those being spontaneous failure of the brake booster assembly) I really dont feel that great about putting people I like or love in one. My personal preference.

I would never compare the POS Eclispe to the Evo.. They are apples and oranges. Evo is awesome for that stuff.

-side note lets focus on how to help.. I think it’s a great idea

Back on topic:
Getting light rims will help.. Rotational mass makes the biggest difference. Also getting rid of the spare and going to a smaller battery. Removing crash supports in the front and rear, pulling the tar and sound material out.

A good rule of thumb for rotational mass. For every pound is 3 pounds off the weight of the car.

It all depends on how crazy you would like to get.

 

[kkilmore89]

Hi everyone I am new to this site! My name is kyle wanted to say hi and comment a little on this thread.

People keeping saying that if they want there 0-60 to be low do this and this to get mid 4 seconds. Seeing as these cars come stock 0-60 in 4.9 seconds as tested by motor trend(I think) wouldn't take much. Note the evo x does 0-60 in 4.9 as well and quater in 13.6 where I think motortrend tested our cars to be 13.5!!!

I own a 3000gt and have done a lot of time trying to get the weight down as much as I could possibly. I did everything from gutting the car to light weight parts. Now I dont suggest gutting the car since 1.its a lexus(why buy a lexus to loose the comfort?) or 2. unless you want this as a track toy!

The biggest things I noticed when i did my weigh in after loosing roughly 400lbs! was hood! The hood on a 3000gt is somewhere around 50-60lbs give or take forget the true weight and the hood I bought was light enough to straight arm one hand! The lexus hood I believe seems a little bigger(if anyone knows the weight please feel free to add that), so you could imagine by going carbon fiber hood you could loose significant weight. Could probably drop at least 30 plus lbs with a hood.

Another big weight lose is exhuast system. You would be surprised how heavy a full exhuast actually weighs compared to aftermarket! On a 3000gt depending if its non turbo-turbo you could loose somewhere around 50 lbs. For the lightest obviously a single shot exhuast will be lightest.

Other things are like stated intake, wheels are gunna be the best, hell even a flywheel makes a few lb difference plus it makes the car rev happy. Not to mention full exhuast intake probably looking at a extra20-30 hp give or take depending on the cars habits with exhuast/ little more with a single shot exhuast and intake. Plus you get that little extra sound.

If wanting lower et times go with exhuast and intake loosing weight and gaining power at the same time will be the best thing you cna possibly do to still retain a lot of interior features

Edit: another thing that will knock a considerable amount of weight is coilovers! Much smaller and adjustable, this is if you want to sacrifice ride comfort. Not to mention with less weight of coilovers and the adjustablility you will be able to set your car up for better launches meaning better et times

 

[kkilmore89]

10 hp won't knock nearly .4 seconds off a 1/4 mile time by itself, all other conditions being equal.

Now, add 10 hp, run the car on a stickier track, and make it 40 degrees colder out at a lower altitude, that's another story.

He was comparing power to weight ratio

 

[Knightshade]

The biggest things I noticed when i did my weigh in after loosing roughly 400lbs! was hood! The hood on a 3000gt is somewhere around 50-60lbs give or take forget the true weight and the hood I bought was light enough to straight arm one hand! The lexus hood I believe seems a little bigger(if anyone knows the weight please feel free to add that), so you could imagine by going carbon fiber hood you could loose significant weight. Could probably drop at least 30 plus lbs with a hood.

Another big weight lose is exhuast system. You would be surprised how heavy a full exhuast actually weighs compared to aftermarket! On a 3000gt depending if its non turbo-turbo you could loose somewhere around 50 lbs. For the lightest obviously a single shot exhuast will be lightest.

Other things are like stated intake, wheels are gunna be the best, hell even a flywheel makes a few lb difference plus it makes the car rev happy. Not to mention full exhuast intake probably looking at a extra20-30 hp give or take depending on the cars habits with exhuast/ little more with a single shot exhuast and intake. Plus you get that little extra sound.

IS350s don't have flywheels.

And full exhaust and intake don't add 20-30 hp to these cars. A full (ie illegal, remove cats) exhaust adds about 12 hp. Any legal axle-back only adds about 7. No intake adds more than 5. So at best you're talking 12 hp legally, 17 illegally.

 

[kkilmore89]

IS350s don't have flywheels.

And full exhaust and intake don't add 20-30 hp to these cars. A full (ie illegal, remove cats) exhaust adds about 12 hp. Any legal axle-back only adds about 7. No intake adds more than 5. So at best you're talking 12 hp legally, 17 illegally.

I also said intake and exhuast, and not just a axel back buddy headers and all. A full exhuast consists of headers, either test pipe or hi flow cat and a cat back system. A axel back system is umm from the axel back. I find it hard that it wouldn't add more then 12hp. I was not trying to be absolutely perfect as I dont even own a IS yet I was taking numbers off the top of my head for average cars, all cars are different. Thats why I stated give or take.

Why do you think it doesn't have a flywheel?

 

[Knightshade]

I also said intake and exhuast, and not just a axel back buddy headers and all. A full exhuast consists of headers, either test pipe or hi flow cat and a cat back system. A axel back system is umm from the axel back. I find it hard that it wouldn't add more then 12hp. I was not trying to be absolutely perfect as I dont even own a IS yet I was taking numbers off the top of my head for average cars, all cars are different. Thats why I stated give or take.

Why do you think it doesn't have a flywheel?

I think it doesn't have a flywheel because it doesn't.

It has an automatic transmission.

A flywheel is part of a manual transmission-
HowStuffWorks "Fly Wheels, Clutch Plates and Friction"

The nearest similar part on an auto would be a flexplate,

DigitalCorvettes.com - flexplate or flywheel, whats the differance?

AFAIK there are no after market flexplates for the IS350, and labor'd be a bitch if there were for a pretty small gain.

There's also no headers for the IS350 either. There are a couple of 250 headers you can physically fit on a 350 but that's not likely to be a great path for gains.

Mazzuri tried to make a set specifically for the 350, and they added about 0 horsepower despite trying two different designs (and they aren't available for sale either).


As I said, you won't get even 20, let alone 30, hp out of intake/exhaust mods for the IS350.... unless your "intake mod" is a supercharger, which will add about 40 for the only kit ever sold for the 350 in the US (which is also no longer available because next to nobody wanted to drop $6000 on a 40 hp gain)

 

[kkilmore89]

I think it doesn't have a flywheel because it doesn't.

It has an automatic transmission.

A flywheel is part of a manual transmission-
HowStuffWorks "Fly Wheels, Clutch Plates and Friction"

The nearest similar part on an auto would be a flexplate,

DigitalCorvettes.com - flexplate or flywheel, whats the differance?

AFAIK there are no after market flexplates for the IS350, and labor'd be a bitch if there were for a pretty small gain.

There's also no headers for the IS350 either. There are a couple of 250 headers you can physically fit on a 350 but that's not likely to be a great path for gains.

Mazzuri tried to make a set specifically for the 350, and they added about 0 horsepower despite trying two different designs (and they aren't available for sale either).


As I said, you won't get even 20, let alone 30, hp out of intake/exhaust mods for the IS350.... unless your "intake mod" is a supercharger, which will add about 40 for the only kit ever sold for the 350 in the US (which is also no longer available because next to nobody wanted to drop $6000 on a 40 hp gain)

You misread stuff so much. Again I said it was a rough estimate between average hp gains on cars in general! Chill homie I do not own one was giving a simple statement that the best bet to get lower weight and more hp would be to do those things.

 

[kkilmore89]

BTW a clutch and a flexplate are pretty much exactly the same thing.

The only difference is in the application. Damn you take things literal some people say flywheel some say flexplate all mean the same thing

 

[Nismo3112]

Replace your spare tire with this:

Or always drive with a half tank of gas.

I wouldn't do anything that sacrifices the comfort or saftey characteristics of the car.

 

[Knightshade]

Replace your spare tire with this:

Or always drive with a half tank of gas.

I wouldn't do anything that sacrifices the comfort or saftey characteristics of the car.

Fix-a-flat is reported to be a bad idea for TPMS vehicles

 

[Knightshade]

BTW a clutch and a flexplate are pretty much exactly the same thing.

The only difference is in the application. Damn you take things literal some people say flywheel some say flexplate all mean the same thing

They're really not.

A flexplate is a thinner, lighter part in the first place. They'll typically run in 6 pound range for OEM and maybe 4 lbs for a lightened after market one., and they go on automatic transmissions.

A flywheel is heavier, often in the 16-20 pound range, with "lightweight" ones ranging from 8-12, with a few just starting to approach the weight of a "normal" flexplate, and they go on manual transmissions.

There's a lot more weight to be "saved" on a flywheel than on a flexplate, because it's a much heavier part to start with. Why that is the case has to do with them having different strength/size requirements by connecting either a clutch (flywheel) or a torque converter (flex plate).

I recognize some folks might misuse the terms, but they're really not the same item. You sure can't swap one for the other.

 

[kkilmore89]

They're really not.

A flexplate is a thinner, lighter part in the first place. They'll typically run in 6 pound range for OEM and maybe 4 lbs for a lightened after market one., and they go on automatic transmissions.

A flywheel is heavier, often in the 16-20 pound range, with "lightweight" ones ranging from 8-12, with a few just starting to approach the weight of a "normal" flexplate, and they go on manual transmissions.

There's a lot more weight to be "saved" on a flywheel than on a flexplate, because it's a much heavier part to start with. Why that is the case has to do with them having different strength/size requirements by connecting either a clutch (flywheel) or a torque converter (flex plate).

I recognize some folks might misuse the terms, but they're really not the same item. You sure can't swap one for the other.

I have done enough research today that I am calling a bullshit flag on you and that you dont know what your talking about. I can provide multiple links of people comparing them saying they are pretty muhc exactly the same thing. The only difference is very very few minamal things and they act the same except one connects to a torque converter and one connects to a clutch.

Here is a exerpt from a thread of mine on 3si.org

I guess it really depends on who you talk with. 3/S's have flexplates, however, some of the domestics could be called either or. I guess if you wanted to get technical and establish that the difference is one bolts to the torque converter and the other other goes against the clutch.

A couple of times when i had a 94 Z28, the starter disengaged from the teeth, and when the mechanic repaired it, he referred to it as a flywheel.

I have always referred to it as a flywheel when the teeth is on it instead of the torque converter



Look at these pictures off of a camaro. Notice the flywheel/flexplate.

here is a 3/S flywheel, see how similar it is

here is a 3/S flex plate

BTW 3/s meanins a 3000gt/ Stealth platform. 3/s is reffereing to bodystyle

 

[Knightshade]

I have done enough research today that I am calling a bullshit flag on you and that you dont know what your talking about. I can provide multiple links of people comparing them saying they are pretty muhc exactly the same thing. The only difference is very very few minamal things and they act the same except one connects to a torque converter and one connects to a clutch.

Here is a exerpt from a thread of mine on 3si.org



BTW 3/s meanins a 3000gt/ Stealth platform. 3/s is reffereing to bodystyle

You're calling BS with... one source? And that source even explicitly SAYS "I guess if you wanted to get technical and establish that the difference is one bolts to the torque converter and the other other goes against the clutch."



So yes, technically, you continue to be wrong, and continue to try to find other folks using the wrong slang for the parts.


Just because the both have holes and teeth doesn't make em the same part.

Here BTW is a "lightweight" 3000GT flywheel-

http://www.2kracing.com/Product/55841.html

Besides the fact it costs 2-3 times what a flexplate for a camaro does, it also weighs twice as much as a STOCK flexplate...

Because they're different parts.


Here's another guy who understands that:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/2795038-post3.html

"Flywheels are for manual transmissions they're weight can vary greatly depending on the material - billet steel, cast iron, aluminum.

Flexplates are used exclusively for automatics and are generally a piece of stamped steel with a ring gear welded on.

Like all car parts quality varies widely.

Price is obvious, which is cheaper , a 35 pound slab of billet steel or a stampied piece of 10 gauge galvanneal with a ring gear weldedonto its curcumference."

While they bolt into a car in a vaguely similar place they don't attach to the same thing, they don't even operate in exactly the same way.

 

[kkilmore89]

You're calling BS with... one source? And that source even explicitly SAYS "I guess if you wanted to get technical and establish that the difference is one bolts to the torque converter and the other other goes against the clutch."



So yes, technically, you continue to be wrong, and continue to try to find other folks using the wrong slang for the parts.


Just because the both have holes and teeth doesn't make em the same part.

Here BTW is a "lightweight" 3000GT flywheel-

Mitsubishi 3000GT 3.0L 2WD Non-turbo Light Weight Flywheel (1991-1999) (AASCO: 10 5411-11)

Besides the fact it costs 2-3 times what a flexplate for a camaro does, it also weighs twice as much as a STOCK flexplate...

Because they're different parts.

But your still ignorant to the fact they do the exact same damn thing. They have the same function and same spot on the engine just are built slightly different so once again you continue to be way to literal and don't realize they are all but the same thing and some people use the word flywheel to describe a flexplate. Domestic cars even use the word flywheel to describe
a flexplate. Didnt I in my first post just say a flywheel? To lighten it when a flexplate is primarly the same thing and they do make lightened flexplates so since you can't grasp the conecpt of what I was trying to say.

Why are you trying to show me a lightweight flywheel from a 3000gt? I know what one looks like I own one.