ok.. Gears or glass hood?

[Super73]

If I have done my math right, I'll probably be down more than 200lbs next time out at the track:

New front cross Member 24lbs savings (Might be a touch more)
Seats 58lb
Booster 10lb (Not 100% sure here)
Tow hitch 45lbs
Tail gate 50lbs (I think I put more than 50lbs in it)
Redoing Exhaust (not sure what that will amount to yet).

So, a bolt on hinge hood will save me aprox 40-44lbs. Would it be wiser to stick 4.56's in it (3.73's right now) or go for the weight? I think the cost will be about the same.

BTW, I'm crossing the traps in second NA at 6,900 with a locked converter at 110mph.

I'm also thinking about pulling the inner fenders.

[PA-IndianRider]

There is definately a connection between weight vs horsepower = lower ets & higher MPH.

Even though our C10 is a LONG way from going down the 1/4 I have already incorporated "weight savings" & other weight saving ideas to be done as our build progresses.... which includes a fiberglass frontend and rear fenders, no inner fenderwells, no heater and ducts) no radio, lighter seats, no inner fenderwells, top chop, aluminum floor, eliminate radiator support & replace with aluminum support, remove wood in bed & replace with stainless sheetmetal , fiberglass front bumper.

Other "weight" related ideas included in our build will be moving the battery & fuel tank to the bed (replaced with fuel cell) over/behind the rear axle, a 4" tube rear bumper/push bar filled with extra adding material for weight/ballast..... etc, etc

So faced with your question what would I do????? I'd would with no, ands, ifs or buts go for the "steeper gears".

In my experiences the cars that are most successful and consistant are the ones that have their engine/horsepower matched to the drivetrain components (transmission, rear gears, etc.)

I admit that having a "one piece" frontend is a weight savings plus it ranks really high on the "cool factor" scale. Just love cars/trucks - old/new with their "one piece" frontend tilted foward and standing high and proud in the air.

Even so, IMO the "biggest" bang for the buck is the rear gears.

I think everyone who has seen the videos you have posted of your truck going down the drag strip has been impressed by how hard it runs. Without already knowing NO ONE would guess that your rear gears are so high (3.73s).

Go for the GEARS!!!!

[djracer]

If you can infact lose that much weight off the nose with a hood I would do that. You are removing a fair amount of weight from the rear and you don't want to get the front to rear ratios too far off.

[PA-IndianRider]

Originally Posted by djracer

If you can infact lose that much weight off the nose with a hood I would do that. You are removing a fair amount of weight from the rear and you don't want to get the front to rear ratios too far off.

I've been thinking about the bed and whether to remove the wood or NOT. There is quite a bit of weight to eliminate from the bed.

There is a local racer who has removed the wood from his C10 then added ballast weight in the back part of the bed to compensate for the weight eliminated by removing the wood. That way the weight, even though less is put when it can do much more for weight transfer,

Plus with our build recall we plan to relocate the "rearend" 5" or so forward. So with all these changes I feel OK about the direction I'm going with the "weight ratio" front to rear.

[djracer]

removing weight and adding it to the very rear is a good idea.

[Super73]

DJ,

I don't think the added weight over the nose vs the weight loss in the rear will be all that big of a deal in regards to weight xfer. I'm pretty confidant that I have enough stored energy in the front to over come the rear weight reduction. To add to that, the rear brackets that I have made aid to the tuning in a big way.

Before I added the weight to the extra tailgate, the truck was at a 55/45 weight distribution. When I started it was at 59/41.

What I am wondering is, if optimal traction is still available, would the weight out weigh (hehe no pun intended) the gear change? I would think the torque multiplication factor of the steeper gears would over ride the hood.

[djracer]

I only have a 2 speed but I run a 4.30 gear and a 33 tall tire. with nitrous you want to lug the motor a little.


I might need me an ls motor if you have those percentages. Mine aren't that good with a glass nose and doors and two 16volt batteries at the tailgate.

[Super73]

Last time at the track it was 2160/1740 with a half tank of gas and me in the drivers seat. so 55.4% / 44.6%

They make alum big blocks don't they?

[djracer]

I'd like to have an aluminum block but its an extra 3000.00!