weight reduction

[acefoxx]

I cleaned the frame up on mine. I removed all the brackets including the stock exhaust brackets and used much lighter aftermarket types. I moved my battery to the tail end of the truck. I removed both my saddle bag tanks and put a fuel cell in the middle behind the rear end. I removed my inner fenders but mainly so I had a place to stand while I work on her. You can remove a lot of the window mechanism and use the supercar trick of a strap to the bottum of the window to pull it up and down. No wipers or wiper motor. If you really want to lose some weight change out to light duty brakes and get some tubular control arms. Those stock control arms weigh a ton. Shed the leaf springs in the back and go 4 link. Aluminum radiator. Aluminum head/intake. If you watched the US-body website you can catch some of the fiberglass hood on sale for $100 if your willing to drive to northern Florida to pick it up.

[team39763]

Have you looked into any easy lightweight brake setups?  I have a couple in mind, one's expensive should shed atleast 30lbs.  The other one is cheaper and simpler but doesn't drop much weight(20lbs).  In the end I'm not even sure if the weight reduction is worth the money or effort(atleast when talking about the front brakes).

[drag80]

do a complete bolt in IFS, that sheds lots of weight,

[beastie_3]

do a complete bolt in IFS, that sheds lots of weight,

[drag80]

if you do a bolt in IFS you lose the stock crossmember, stock upper and lower control arms by replacing them with lighter tubular stuff. 

[beastie_3]

What is the weight difference?

[drag80]

in 2 weeks i can tell you, just ordered a scot's front end today...

[team39763]

That looks like a nice kit.  I wonder how the weight transfer and suspension travel is with that setup.  I've read that those coil over setups like that don't have a ton of travel like you would need for a leafspring/caltrac setup.  I think if I had the money, I'd still try it.

[drag80]

if u wanted lots of adjustment all you have to do is go with double adjustable coilovers.

[WhatWouldSeanDo]

The most important weight reductions you can do are unsprung weight and rotating mass. Unsprung weight is wheels, tires, break component, anything, not supported by your suspension. Weight savings in these areas will make far more impact than weight savings that are supported by the suspension. You will gain improved acceleration, better handling and reduce braking distances by cutting unsprung weight.

 Next on this list, rotating mass. Your drive wheels (obviously also part of the unsprung weight), your flywheel and whatnot. Anything that takes engine power to rotate will be far more efficient if lighter. In most cases you lose some durability, some comfort or end up compromising something else to lighten the rotating mass. For all but the purest performance oriented trucks, I'd focus far more on unsprung weight then rotating mass.

In my opinion, weight distribution is far more important for performance gains in our trucks then any sort of weight reduction. For instance, putting the battery in the rear adds a bit of weight, because it requires longer battery cables, however that weight gain is more than compensated for by the fact it puts weight in the rear where it is needed. In my truck I am replacing the stock fuel tank with a plastic fuel cell, I will mount this more rearward and in the process will save weight and move it rearward. Anytime, you can make 2 gains with one mod (especially when my factory tank would need replacing or at the least severely cleaning and prepping) it's a win win.

Sean

[velojym]

As heavy as these trucks are, unsprung weight won't have nearly as much effect as, say, on a motorcycle. If there are gains, I'd say go for it, though. Take it where you can get it. I have alloy wheels on my '86, but never really bothered to do any sort of comparison.

The last part of that post would be very pertinent right now in much of the country. Weight distribution would help prevent some of the more entertaining efforts to climb the hills in my neighborhood... well, that and some adjustments behind the wheel.

[team39763]

What's the lightest anyone has got these trucks down to?

[HAULIN IT]

Team, That's all hinging around: How much of the "real" truck is left & what your willing to do without.
 The fellow with the Silver longbed race truck that posted on here a bit claimed something under 3000 lbs. with a bigblock, however what that really is, is a '79 Chevy outer skin set on a tube chassis...Does that count? You figure a fiberglass cab, doors, front clip sat on a strut type, tube frame with an all aluminum small block (or LS) could be really light. You gotta stop somewhere or it's not really a '73-'87 truck. Lorne 
 
 

[drag80]

i'm not claiming it, that's what it is. 2960 with a 200 lbs driver. Yes it's basically a shell set on a chassis, but for a purpose built drag truck it's perferct. It's light and it's easy to make it go fast. As far as a street truck there is a guy that brings one out to our track, and it weighs 3300 lbs all steel with chrome moly chassis and a small block chevy/ powerglide setup. The sky is the limit, as well as the cost, just do what makes you happy.

[HAULIN IT]

Oh, I meant no disrespect or that fact that I didn't believe you...maybe a different word should have been used: stated, posted, mentioned or something. That's one of the flaws of reading something a person you don't know types...it can be taken for something other/more than it meant. Sorry, Lorne