<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (RX 8 Ghost @ Mar 19 2008, 03:27 PM) [url=index.php?act=findpost&pid=33796]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/url]</div>
I'd love to do that but more I'd love to swap out my drivetrain for something that doesn't lose so much power. Anyone have any ideas?[/b]
You don't have an auto tranny do you? I'm pretty sure you have a manual, and if so, there's not really an affordable tranny that will have lower drivetrain losses.
Keep in mind though, that although your car won't "make" anymore power per se, you can swap out components that won't soak up as much power. A short list of these parts:
1. Pulleys. They aren't transmission/drivetrain related per se, but still rob power from the crank. Lightening them can help... although be wary, as most aftermarket crank pulleys remove harmonic dampeners/balancers that were placed there from the factory... but that's another discussion altogether.
2. Clutch/Flywheel. Less weight typically equals less parasitic loss. Which is why engines rev a good bit faster with lightened flywheels.
3. Lighter driveshaft. Same concept as above.
4. Lighter wheels/tires. If you wheel/tire combo weighs in at 55 lbs per corners, you might be surprised at how much better the car would feel if you strapped on wheels/tires that only weighed let's say 40 lbs per corner.
You probably won't see much power on a dyno swapping out all that stuff, but you'll probably feel it, and see it in your trap speeds in the 1/4 mile. A few years ago, SCC swapped their project 350Z's flywheel, with a lightened flywheel, and ran it in the 1/4.... the ET was about the same, but they gained almost 2mph in trap speed IIRC. Another way to get shorter gearing without actually touching your gears/FD, is to swap over to a smaller diameter tire, that will effectively give you a shorter overall "final drive", without touching the final drive ratio gears in your rear diff.
My thoughts on wheels/tires: Run the shortest & lightest wheels you can fit over your brake calipers, within reason of course. That extra 2 lbs per corner might not justify an extra $1000 in costs, as you probably won't feel it. Also, sometimes sacrificing weight in order to get wider wheels/tires is more than worth it. It's all about balance, if you'll save 3 lbs per corner with 225's over let's say 245's, but you can't hardly hook up, or, your tires are giving out quickly at your local autoX event, you might want to just take the added weight penalty, and run the wider wheels/tires.
For me, my stock BBS wheels are fairly light and forged (strong)... sure there are other wheels out there that are lighter, but I just can't justify an extra $2000+ just to save 2-4 lbs per corner. Especially since my stock wheels are 8" wide, so I can squeeze 245's on them. To me, I just can't justify it.... but, if we were talking about saving 10-15 lbs per corner, like some cars with heavy, gaudy wheels, I might be able to justify it a bit easier. Then again, I'm not rich lol. Find wheels that fit your budget.
