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Here's my view on weight reduction:

If you want to know how fast your car is, don't bother. Do you take that stuff off your car when you drive around town? Taking off weight will make your car faster, but it won't be the same car you drive from day to day.

However, if you're not at the track to see how fast your car is, but rather to race your car, go all out. Weight reduction, slicks, you name it.

I never bothered with weight reduction, because I'm not that hardcore (like Jime ), but I plan on getting slicks this year, and at that point I'll look into "race prep" more.

 

I agree with ejj, there are two ways to look at running the 1/4. I have done it both ways and there is nothing wrong with either. Lately I have not done any weight reductin besides removing the spare. Other times I have removed passanger seat, rear bench, floormats etc...

I am now more into knowing what my car can do in full street trim. I have a goal of 13's NA in full street trim. I could probably do it now if I really wanted to strip the car down, but I hate putting everything back.

I think if there has been significant weight reduction done it needs to be noted when claiming certin 1/4 times. Not saying that the car is 300lbs ligher then stock is like not saying you have a y-pipe.

 

I guess it depends on the type weight reduction. If we're talking about lightweight drag slicks/wheels then I really don't consider that a huge weight reduction. Jime is an all-*****-out drag racer and he wants to and does set records. I don't know if his 5th gen is strictly a drag car or not, but for what he's done, it's very impressive, but he does compromise a lot of comfort and some safety. Would I consider doing that stuff to my Maxima? No, but that's just not me. I've done too much other stuff that takes anyway from being a hardcore drag racer like Jime. I've added Stage I/II SFCs which add about 40lbs, Stillen body kit 20lbs, plus my car has a moonroof which is good for another 25lbs.

My track setup is usually around a 1/4 tank of gas, no spare, no jack, no tools, and recently no passenger seat. Last weekend at the track I ran a 14.46@98.1mph without the seat and then I put all my tools and spare back in the car (~45lbs of weight) and I ran a 14.48@97.5mph. I think I'll just leave my seats in unless I'm going all out for personal best.

I am getting 225/50R15 BFG drag radials which will drop about 25lbs in total weight and hopefully drop me about .2 from my 60'.

Dave

 

When you goto the track strip everything out and I mean everything. Who cares if your car doens't run like that on the street, what exactly does that have to do with drag racing? Do you race on the street and promote street racing? Then don't worry about what the difference is.

Do you run slicks at the track? What the difference with removing weight from the car vs daily driving if your using slicks? You don't run slicks on the street either so who cares if you take weight out too.

Less weight = Faster 1/4 time. Your at the track for a fast 1/4 time so take the weight off. Hell I take a crap before I goto the track. This is the drag racing forum and were talking about racing and modifications directly related to drag racing. Who gives a flying #### if it's street trim or not, I'm sure there are some other non-performance related forums for talking about street setups.

 

If you like to strip the car down then good for you, but who the fuc are you to come here and act like those who choose to run in street trim should post else where. Some people like to see how fast there car is in it's daily form and if you have a problem with that you can post on your DSM forum.

I do it all, weight reduction, street tirm and slicks. And I will run the slicks with wieght reduction and in street trim and none of it has to do with street racing.

 

Somehow I anticipated a response like this. Primarily because I could care a less about responding to you I will not bother rather will simply make a new post to the original poster with some new information. If you have anything to add to my list which will help the original poster please add it there. Your here in the drag racing forum so use some of your drag racing knowledge and lets turn this thread into a thread that will not only help the original poster out but other guys who are wondering about the same topic.

Lets try again since what I am saying seems to be falling on deaf ears. You notice you went to a smaller wheel and you picked up a whole lot in the 1/4. Well this is because weight and rotating mass makes your car slower. Stick to your smaller wheels (front and rear) and take everything out of the car you can. If you run a 15" wheel and it's 15lbs and you put on a 18" wheel and it's 15lbs too (which is almost impossible) you would still go slower because the weight is farther from the center. This is rotating mass and it's effect on HP. A smaller wheel is ALWAYS better for drag racing regardless if it's a drive wheel or not. This will give you the fastest 1/4 time which is what your at the track for. Much of the generic weight reduction stuff is pretty easy to remove and won't kill you.

Start with some easy items like:
Passanger Seat
Back Seat
Spare and tools etc

Some weight reduction you will have to do ahead of time:
Scrape all the sound deadening crap off the floor under the carpet
Pull off the heavy dash pad infront of the firewall behind your dash
Take off all the heat shields under the car in the exhaust tunnel
Take off the bumper re-bars and replace the bumpers. May require some home-depot brackets
Remove your A/C and all lines etc
Run a smaller battery from a motorcycle (or whatever)
Remove anything else that is not needed to get your car down the 1/4 mile.

Weight is the enemy of racing and the more you pull out the faster you will go. Isn't that what your at the track for? My previous post was simply trying to show that there is little sense in running your car in street trim at the track beause it doens't matter. If you don't street race then there is no need to know how fast your car is in street trim. Your obviously going to the track to have fun and see how fast you can make your car go, that is absolutly what the track is for. Spend your money on parts to go faster and your time on removing weight from the car. You will end up with 1/4 times that will impress anybody that way.

 

H

 

h

 

Small wheels do work, to a point. I don't think a 5 speed running 22" slicks will be quicker than one using 25" slicks. There comes a point where you can over gear a car. Ideally, you want to be hitting the end of the track in a gear which allows you to cross the line at your HP peak. Depending on the car, this is usually 3rd or 4th gear.


Are we still talking about a Maxima For about 98% of us, we're not going to trade the car's safety (fire and crash), creature comforts, and noise reduction for a couple tenths. Much of what you're proposing can't be reinstalled easily. I can definitely see doing this to a fairly dedicated track car, but to a Maxima? Come on. It's downright silly. Sure, the car will be fast and I guess the owner will have bragging rights, but the owner remvoed everything that makes the Maxima a sporty SEDAN.



Weight is the enemy, but I'm not going to compromise my car just for bragging rights. Seriously, where does it end? I could add Lexon windows, CF hood and trunks, no rear brakes, full slicks in the front and 3" skinnies in the back, aluminum race seat, no dash, no exhaust (just a dump where the cat should be), no power steering, no stereo, no gas tank just a 5-gallon fuel cell, cut out the trunk and weld in an aluminum pan, solid rear struts, anti-squat bars, etc ,etc. Sure, I'd have the quickest NA Maxima ever, but it really wouldn't be a Maxima, would it? I'd consider all this with a 5.0 Mustang drag car, but not a late model sedan. I don't see hardly anyone else massively gutting their cars at the track except for the Honda guys, so why should I?


Dave

 

Generally speaking... a 100 lbs yields .1 off your 1/4 times

 

I don't think anyone is suggesting that you should compromise any safety or comfort, I certainly don't.

As a matter of fact I like my car better modded than stock. Even the seats are more comfortable that the stockers because they wrap around and I have an Orbus Forme back support that is super comfortable.

I did remove my front and rear bumper supports at the track on my 4th Gen because the rear was really heavy (30 lbs) but I don't really think you are in much danger of crashing running the 1/4 mile.

I removed and weighed the supports on my 2k2 but they are approx 10 lbs each and aluminum so removing is not worth doing.

My rear seat was even installed for my fastest 12.1 run as well as the passenger seat.

Race prep at the track for me is approx 20 mins for tires and muffler. I don't like loud exhausts. Thats all it takes to turn a grocery getter into a track car.

Weight removal is still the cheapest and most effective mod inmho.

The biggest gain for me was the wheels and tires where I have dropped 100 lbs. I go to the track to see how fast my car can go and am not interested in what it will do on street tires.

However the topic of the thread was "Will Weight Loss Help? Or a Waste of Time?

The simple answer is that it really does help and it helps a lot. This 100 lbs = .1 is a number someone dreamed up and I don't necessarily agree with it. My response is that my 97SE ran 15.4 N/A, my 95 GXE ran 14.6 N/A with same mods, actually the same engine and trans (because I swapped them). The only difference was the weight I removed from the 95 which amounted to approx 150 lbs over the 97.

Here is a short list of an almost 300 lb weight reduction.

Weight Reduced
Battery = 28 lbs
Exhaust =25 lbs
Seats = 70 lbs
Tires/wheels = 100 lbs
Trunk crap = 50 lbs

None of this compromises anything and the cost is minimal in comparison to what many people spend on mods.

Also my ride is better than stock, thanks to the Tokico Illumina's set on 1 for the street, but on the track when set at 5 there is virtually no weight transfer, gotta love em.