In the air travel industry, airlines live and die by their operating costs, a large component of which is their fuel costs. Airlines have special departments who manage the airplanes’ weight, reducing it if necessary and keeping close track of its weight and capacity.
Aerospace engineers may actually be able to teach car owners a thing or two regarding weight management. Managing your car’s weight can be quite beneficial in increasing its performance, overall power and fuel economy. Are there any other modifications that could drastically improve your car’s performance, including its braking and acceleration, without voiding your warranty? There aren’t that many to speak of.
Here are some tips we have for you if you need help in managing the weight of your car for better performance.
Remove parts of your car that you may deem unnecessary. These would be parts you do not intend to fix, like a power antenna motor, or parts that are obsolete or out of production, like cassette stereo systems.
Get rid of what’s in your trunk. Be diligent in clearing your trunk of items you don’t need – this is a great way to save fuel. Maybe your significant other, your teenager (if you have any) or maybe you yourself decided to use the trunk as a temporary place of storage. Unfortunately, it isn’t. This is not a place to store your winter gear, outdated phone books, or even food for your Rover – your dog, not your car! They all belong in the garage or basement.
Don’t make your ride too pimped – get rid of those flashy wheels! Instead you can use aluminum wheels that’ll do the trick just fine. Those are for show, not for speed, usually. While you’re at it, look for lightweight tires. Compare weight on your current tires to some others on the market. Who knows, your tires may be heavier than you think they are.
Instead of using steel fiber panels, go carbon. Don’t think much of the cost – they may be expensive now, but could save you money in the long run. You can even replace your hood and trunk lid with carbon fiber instead of steel and save even more weight! Major savings here.
The last tip would be to use racing, and not power seats. Think of the weight of power seats for a moment – 75 pounds a piece. Replacing them with lightweight fixed-back racing bucket seats that weigh ten pounds or less each will shave 150 pounds off your car.
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