It isn’t just Americans that are tipping the scales these days. The average new vehicle hitting US roads weighs 175 more pounds than it did three years ago and over 1,000 more pounds than it did in 1980. We have a significant amount of electronics, powerful engines, and larger physical size to thank for this.
While many people don’t care about weight, it can be your main focus when you want to improve your car’s performance. Follow these tips for reducing car weight and bringing out your car’s full potential.
Remove Unneeded Items
Start by removing the small and unnecessary items. This will include small components like the windshield wipers, jack, and trim accessories. It will also include bigger components, like replacing the wheels and tires with lighter options.
Replace Parts With Lighter Ones
Next, look for components you need but can replace with lighter automotive materials. This could include replacing the glass windows with Lexan or plexiglass. Or you can take out the stock seats and replace them with racing seats.
You can replace the body panels with composite materials or carbon fiber if you have a larger budget. Lightweight automotive parts typically cost more than stock parts, so manufacturers do not use them for the car body when producing the car.
Get Serious About Removing Systems
To drastically reduce the car’s weight, you can remove more interior materials or operational systems. However, be careful when doing this. It will begin to compromise the comfort of driving the car.
You could remove the rear seats, interior carpets and lining, AC and heating systems, lines, hoses, ducts, and venting. Take out the radio and speaker system.
Lose Weight
If you are overweight, start eating healthy and being more active. You can’t forget that your body weight will contribute to the car’s overall weight when you sit in it.
Why Weight Matters
Reducing your car’s weight does not “make it faster” with a higher top car speed. However, it does give you many benefits that will help you get more out of your car. This is why Formula 1 race teams work to get their cars as close to the minimum weight of 1,759 pounds as possible.
A lighter car requires less power to move, so it gets better fuel economy. Its handling also improves because the reduced weight means less pull on the suspension and tires. Finally, it can stop faster because its reduced mass means stronger stopping power.
With less wear and tear on the components, your maintenance and repair costs should also be reduced.
Start Reducing Car Weight
If reducing car weight is a primary goal for your car, start with the small and unnecessary components. As you go, consider how much weight you want to remove. You can replace necessary components with lighter alternatives to reduce the most weight.
Balance weight reduction for performance gain with comfortability and appeal. If you strip your vehicle down too far, you’ll be left with an unpleasant metal box on wheels.
Ordering your carbon fiber replacement parts from SMI Composites helps you reduce weight without sacrificing visual appeal or ride comfort. Expert craftsmen make our high-quality parts to ensure compatibility.
Reduce the weight of your car with carbon fiber components from SMI Composites.
