Weight Reduction

[mrarmyant]

Title of many threads here, searched, and none seemed complete. Anyone actually find fiberglass fenders and a decent cf hood? Also, would removing factory cross members and bolting in aluminum help? Trying to get ideas before I buy mine, once I decide on QC or SC. Girl I want to race with does manuals, which mean an auto sure as hell ain't going to impress her

 

[TNVIPER]

welcome aboard....I am not sure about fiberglass parts but someone here will chime in....the hood is plastic and alum so I doubt you are going to shave any weight there...removing the spare should get rid of ~40lbs..

 

[JTS VENOM PERFORMANCE]

someone makes a cf hood about a grand I think

new axle is around 100 or so pounds lighter, removing the spare, Jack is lookin into tubular control arms,JBM has a kit to relocate the battery to the rear, replace the heavy stock wheels and exhaust.

After that it gets expensive, but then again the above just cost near $5,000

oh and my QC is for sale in the buy /sell area, with all available mods except a lowering kit at a price you want beat with those mods:elefant:

 

[Prof]

Welcome and enjoy.

To do some serious weight reduction you should be trying to get at least a thousand pounds off the truck...it will be very difficult without some serious modification at a very high price.

If you want a light truck buy one. This truck won't shed much weight without getting deep into cab and frame modifications.

 

[Skyydiver]

You will want a Lightning...

 

[Prof]

You will want a Lightning...

Too true, sorry to say. (Its easy to tear plastic off...)

 

[mrarmyant]

Found carbon fiber hoods

http://octanemotorsports20.chainreactionweb.com/product_info.php?products_id=2610

Not sure if it is actually any lighter.

Are there any light wheels anyone recomends? Most sites don't list them by weight. I also found a bunch of fiberglass fenders.

I'm also looking at replacing a lot of brackets with machined aluminum (have access to CNC machine shop) and also possibly remaking the bed floor with aluminum. That should cut a decent a mount of weight and keep strength up.

Does anyone make carbon fiber drive shafts for these yet? Someone said I think they are aluminum, CF is still lighter though and hooks up better.

And yes I could get a lightning but that goes against everything I stand for (I'm normally a Chevy guy, but unfortunately except for the vette their marketing department has been running the SS show instead of their engineers)

 

[mrarmyant]

I could never get a ford. Not what I stand for. I'm normally a chevy guy, but their marketing team is running the SS show, not the engineers, and it shows. A dodge I can own but keep that ford away!

Oh does anyone have the weight of a stock fender?

Could always go the route of making the piping for the exhaust out of titanium. Very not cheap though.

I wish lexan was DOT approved .

Also, before a run those passenger seats could come out. Put in lawn chairs.

Cut put back of cab, and that area just behind it in the bed, panel bond aluminum in there too.

Anyone make plastic mirrors for rear or side views? Sounds crappy, but of course you'd keep all the factory stuff. Every little bit helps.

Got to be at what, a drop of say 75 pounds of rotational weight with different tires, wheels, lugnuts, drive shafts

Say 50 without spare and jack

Save 30 with fenders

I imagine that are of the bed is stout. 25? And maybe 10 for top and fire wall, another 5 for inside of tailgate. Thats 40.

Mirrors say another 5

Seats would probably be around 75 (unless of course its a QC)

315 so far,

titanium exhaust (a bit extreme) could cut another say 30.

Then there is that stereo dodge was so proud of. I'd get a sub box that makes the center seat into one so it goes when the seats go, and also use kick panel speakers since they can be removed easy. knocking out that sound system has to drop 150 pounds.

595 so far without hitting the frame? I'd need to find one of the mech engrs on campus to do some stress analysis (I'm ee, no good there) and see what design one could replace stock steel cross members for aluminum ones. Could actually stiffen the frame some too which isn't a bad thing.

Oh then 100 pounds for this other axle, never seen it, a link would be nice to know cost, if it has a locker, etc. Also any updates on the suspension redesigns yet? Someone could look for lighter leaf springs.

695. I only weigh 150 (I'm a small guy) So that helps too. This is more of a game plan for me and the future than anything else. Can come back and reference it.

 

[Prof]

Here is the lighter axle:

It is a Loker...manufactured by DTS in Detroit...can be ordered with smaller calipers (I got Wilwood) so that you can fit 15 inch wheels with slicks...mine has cyro'd gears, and 35 spline axles.

PM stinker about cost...probably $3800 or so.

 

[Voodoo]

the hood is plastic and alum

take a magnet to the hood, it is steel

 

[mrarmyant]

take a magnet to the hood, it is steel

In that case ad 75 pounds to the Weight reduction, maybe a little more if you use 4 pins for lift off.

Getting closer and closer to a grand. Wonder what that little middle window weighs and how hard it would be to replace it with lexan.

 

[mrarmyant]

Oh also what axle is that? Like a dana 60 or something? What are they stock?

 

[mrarmyant]

Oh also maybe an aluminum fuel cell? composite maybe? Try and get it to fix in where the factory is.

I think cutting weight on this might not be hard as some think. Just need to get creative.

 

[mrarmyant]

Turns out fiberglass fenders weigh about 10 pounds a piece. Also, I was thinking, on low stress smaller bolts, you could replace them with aluminum (such as interior pieces) and larger stress bolts could use titanium (sort of expensive at 7 bucks a bolt versus a buck fifty for aluminum)

I don't yet have a dodge truck, so I don't know how many bolts and such they use, but I know there are quite a few heavy steel bolts in my current truck. If you did enough of them, like what's holding on the new fenders, or holds on brackets for hoses, etc, it eventually adds up. Even led's as replacement for bulb interior lights. I know saving a few ounces everywhere seems stupid but It could add up quick.

Oh also are the oil pans on these steel or aluminum? I'd hope aluminum but I bet that could be a major upgrade to help with both heat and weight. Leaning towards a crew cab now but would really like to do the rc just to see what I can get it's weight down to.

Oh also I saw http://www.bgfiberglassusa.com/products.html

Wonder if they might ever do fullsize. They really aren't all that expensive.

 

[avmech]

stock is a dana 60 so really there is no need to replace it, if you want smaller brakes just get a kit from willwood. then you just fab up a bracket to hold the parking brake line and WHA LA you have smaller back brakes. instead of going crazy and spending all that cash for weight reduction just by hp mods. its a truck not a race car thats why 04 have a 250 frame. a truck that will run low 11's all day is more impressive then a shaved down and weight reducted srtiped down race only truck. I would rather do low 11's and have my stero blasting and my ac on, I have had my share of striped down cars, and they were fun but not fun to drive.