[Cloud9...68]

While we're on the subject of exotic ways to save weight, I've got one that rivals ceramic rotors. In the February 2006 (these guys keep getting farther and farther ahead of themselves) of Car & Driver, there's an article about a competition among several different car magazines which involved running through a series of events in modified Acura RSX's. To remove weight from their car, the Car & Driver team, among other things, "...swapped the car's hydraulic power-steering system for the electric power-assist system from a Honda Civic Si, an extensive job that required modifying the wiring harness but saved roughly 65 pounds." I know electric power steering systems usually (but not always) generate numb road feel, but this would have the advantage of not only saving weight, but removing some parasitic power loss due to the pump, which of course hangs off the front of the engine. Plus, it might just give an excuse to go with the controversial Lindsay Racing 3-piece crossmember <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/biggrin.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[Jason Judd]

Or...



You could just remove the P/S system completely and get the manual setup. I did it this year...of course it was after I had replaced the p/s pump about 6 months earlier. I never get the timing correct. At least Anchorman has a relatively new pump for his car.



And if you really wanted to, you could still go with the Lindsey unit.



Jason

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[flash]

i wonder how much current (translation - drag on alternator) that electrical setup requires - i can't imagine saving 65 though - the pump is probably 7 or 8 and the lines and fluid another 4 or 5 - where the heck would they get 65 lbs? they must be dumping the whole rack for something else



and even though i have no reason to do it yet, i would order my own cross member today if only i had a core for them, and just let it hang around until the need arose - i hate leaks - as the car ages, and seals dry up and wear out one by one, i see the eventuality of every one of us having to get in there more than once - it's only a matter of time - sure wish somebody figured something ike that out for my jeep - i now have a very small leak in my rear main seal

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[Cloud9...68]

Yeah, I thought the 65 lb figure sounded awfully high as well. The Civic rack must be incredibly light. Electric power assist is beginning to take over, though - a lot of new cars have it; the Mazda RX8, the new Toyota Rav4, obviously the Civic, some Saturns, etc. Retrofitting one to an existing car must be very challenging, though.

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[Cloud9...68]

[quote name='Jason Judd' date='Jan 4 2006, 06:06 AM']Or...



You could just remove the P/S system completely and get the manual setup.



Jason

[right][post="14105"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right][/quote]



You mean for a race car, or for the street? At 3000+ lbs, it would seem that low speed maneuvering without power assist would be quite a chore.

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[flash]

i'm wondering if it's "drive by wire" - not actually a shaft connected to anything, but wires and motors

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[Cloud9...68]

Dunno. That seems awfully sophisticated for an '03 Civic, though. The outfit that modified Car & Driver's RSX is called King Motorsports Unlimited of New Berlin, Wisconsin. King's owner's name is Scott Zellner. Again, this seems like a complicated mod, but child's play compared to swapping the torsion bars for coil springs <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/blink.gif" class="smilie" alt="" /> I figured if anybody had the resources to take this on, you would. Looking forward to the write-up in 9 Magazine <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/wink.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[flash]

lol - the torsion bar/coil spring thing isn't that bad, once you get the right parts together - i did it - went through hell figuring something out, but now that i look back, i could do it again in a day

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[rhudeboye]

Q- Where is that 41lb BALLAST WEIGHT?

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[flash]

lol - right rear of a cab - it was an afterthought component added to appease a few execs who thought the ride was a bit too nervous - it was a design from an old ford that ASC (an american company who set up shop in germany to do the cab conversion) remembered and added in there - no testing to speak of - no big math to see what it really did - the car felt jittery in the back - they added the boat anchor - simple as that

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[rhudeboye]

Ah, so this doesn't exist in the coupe.

Thanks.

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[flash]

nope

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[ds968]

Jason, are you driving on the street without PS ? I wonder how much effort getting in and out of tight parking spots and parallel parking takes ? I HATE power steering, and getting rid of it would be great but not sure ( other than the steering wheel resistance feel itself, which is what I'm going for ) if removing could cauuse problems and requires you to modify/adapt other things as well. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/huh.gif[/img]

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[Samariter]

Has anybody thought of removing the convertable soft top with all it's components and how much that may save ?

Replace it with a speedster like cover ;-)

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[flash]

The motors are not much but the top itself is about 50 lbs

no net savings with a removable hardtop but would be lighter on track day

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[Torbjorn968]

EXHAUST was51 now20.5
REAR BUMPER was20 now11
FRONT BUMPER was16 now0
STORAGE BOXES was 20 now0

---------------------------------------

Interrested in what you have done to the bumpers? And what the storage boxes refers to!

Any earthquakes lately? [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img]

//TL

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[flash]

the storage boxes are a US spec cab thing - they reside where your rear seats would be

bumpers are top secret - i could tell you but then i'd have to shoot you - lol - one of them is self explanatory - the other is heavily modified (how's that for a contradiction in terms?)

no quakes i've felt in the last couple of weeks

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