Weight saving ideas

[YukonCornelius]

Are you running an aluminum block?

[nimblemotors]

Most racers never consider removing their gauges.
Put in warning lights and data recording/wireless xmit.

Also paint is heavy, might see if you can use less.

A coil-on-plug setup might save weight, eliminate the dizzy and its wires and the big MSD box.

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

On one of my bicycles I took off everything that didn't make it go. Off came the smaller chainwheel, front derailleur, kickstand, rack, reflectors... everything except decals and handlebar tape. Look at the bits and think "do they make this thing go?"

[Cd]

Can the wheels on the back we any smaller and still have the same grip ?
What about height of the wheel ? Can you go with a shorter wheel that weighs less ?

[Frank Lee]

I always wondered why dragsters weren't trikes, with a single itty-bitty wheel in the front. Weight and aero...

[ConnClark]

Look into using magnesium instead of aluminum for things. It is harder to work with and weld but it weighs about a third less than aluminum. I would use it in sheet metal or flat plate construction.

Magnesium does have drawbacks. It is more prone to corrosion but I don't think you will be driving your dragster on salty roads in the winter. It is more flammable than aluminum (yes aluminum burns quite well once you get it started, The British Navy learned this in the Falkland Islands ) and burns under water. Scratching it really good can set some alloys off. To drill those alloys safely you need to use a thick oil bath to quench the shavings.

EDIT:
you could go way extreme with a custom Ti crank http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=649649

[Bennett_Racing]

Originally Posted by SVTwithMPG

Are you running an aluminum block?

We do indeed

[Bennett_Racing]

Originally Posted by nimblemotors

Most racers never consider removing their gauges.
Put in warning lights and data recording/wireless xmit.

Also paint is heavy, might see if you can use less.

A coil-on-plug setup might save weight, eliminate the dizzy and its wires and the big MSD box.

Good thinking already done that, only have tach and oil pressure now

2 others gone.

We are going to paint thinner to save weight

[Bennett_Racing]

Originally Posted by Cd

Can the wheels on the back we any smaller and still have the same grip ?
What about height of the wheel ? Can you go with a shorter wheel that weighs less ?

We are changing tyres on rear

from 36 inch to 34.5 inch

this saves 14 lbs

[Bennett_Racing]

Originally Posted by ConnClark

Look into using magnesium instead of aluminum for things. It is harder to work with and weld but it weighs about a third less than aluminum. I would use it in sheet metal or flat plate construction.

Magnesium does have drawbacks. It is more prone to corrosion but I don't think you will be driving your dragster on salty roads in the winter. It is more flammable than aluminum (yes aluminum burns quite well once you get it started, The British Navy learned this in the Falkland Islands ) and burns under water. Scratching it really good can set some alloys off. To drill those alloys safely you need to use a thick oil bath to quench the shavings.

EDIT:
you could go way extreme with a custom Ti crank Really powerful and really shiny Turbo 4 Pot Engines - ADVrider

We do have some magnesium parts, our new injector is mag only weighs 10lbs as opposed to 35lbs for one shown.

We are looking to use some mag sheet here and there.

That link is impressive too, we have a huge amount of Titanium so were going to make parts with that.