civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

Ooops. When Im at work I glance at the pics really quickly. Had I seen that post at home, I would've actually read it

jpm3071

Innaccurate have you ever thought about installing a fuel cell instead of the gas tank? That could be a decent weight savings

jpm3071

Inaccurate, how did you take out the black bands that were on either side of the roof?

vill0169

iTrader: (4)

black bands? meaning the ones on the outside? pretty sure they just clip in.

jpm3071

Yea they're outside and run along side the roof of the car.

Inaccurate

Actually, the Safelite tech removed them while he was replacing my windshield. He is the one that suggested that I just leave them off. I stood back to see how the car looked without them, and I agreed. I told him to just leave them off.

vill0169 is correct. They just snap into plastic clips. To remove the strips without breaking the little plastic clips requires a special tool that reaches under the strip to safely unsnap the clip. So to remove it, I suppose you could pull hard to break the clips off. To reinstall would require purchasing new clips.

jpm3071

If I take them off are there going to be any holes from where the clips were ? I was trying to get a better idea based off of your pictures Inaccurate but it's hard to see.

Inaccurate

There will be no holes that will need to be sealed. It is as easy as plug-n-play....oops... that would be UNplug-n-play.

As can be seen in the pics, there are numerous post that run along the channel. These post are like the head of a nail. The plastic clip snaps onto the "nail heads". The post can not be removed. The post are welded into the channel.

HQTL6SPD

^You can always Plasti-dip the runners for a better appearance. Peels right off if you dislike

05_NBP_TL

iTrader: (1)

Hey, inaccurate...Would smaller outside mirrors ( like acuratein ) weigh less than the OEM ones?

And jpm3071 had a good idea about a fuel cell. Maybe go custom with 8-10 gallon capacity? ( or Do 5 gallon since you only fill up with 3 gallons daily )

jpm3071

You the man. Thanks.

jpm3071

Inaccurate, hows this for light weight?

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

No one is sitting in the passenger seat, thats an additional 20lbs of useless weight

n3o

iTrader: (2)

Innacurate, I tried to find it but couldn't seem to figure out how you do the math for the theoretical hp based on the weight reduction. Could you give me a hand here with it?

Inaccurate

It is just using a simple linear ratio (power-to-weight ratio).

"3580 Oem Weight" divided by "2508 Dynamic Weight" equals 1.427 Factor

1.427 Factor multiplied by 255 WHP equals 364 WHP
1.427 Factor multiplied by 215 WTQ equals 307 WTQ

These numbers are all rough estimates. Please do not get too caught-up on the exact values. The main point is to show how the TL Diet has the potential to SIGNIFICANTLY increase acceleration.

Please see this (click here) also to help to understand the dynamic weight reduction. Just please remember that the info in that post is outdated numbers.

swoosh

iTrader: (5)

^^^ Tim the 2508 lbs dynamic weight is stock right ? just curious....

Inaccurate

My car accelerates and stops like an oem TL that weighed 2508 pounds. The oem TL will accelerate and stop like it weighed 3580 pounds (this is the benchmark).

swoosh

iTrader: (5)

aaah....dont get me wrong here Tim but isnt all this just an assumption (I am not at all questioning your methods) just for clarification....

3580lbs is from the factory so cant argue there....
2508lbs is an assumption from the weight loss you have done....
Hence the 1.427 factor could be high or low....
255 WHP is an assumption as well right ? (i dont remember seeing a dyno graph)
Hence the 364whp is a big assumption....

The reason am posting this is because, I wanna push you to go to a track....just 1 quarter mile run and it will be awesome to see where exactly your at....you could be higher than 364....

Inaccurate

Hence my statement from two hours ago -

"These numbers are all rough estimates. Please do not get too caught-up on the exact values. The main point is to show how the TL Diet has the potential to SIGNIFICANTLY increase acceleration."

swoosh

iTrader: (5)

^^^ I did read that....so you still not gonna hit the track ?

phatrick

Agreed that you can disprove all the nay Sayers with a single drag run.

Even if you did your worst on the launch, I'm sure you'll still net a mid 13.

I've done quite the weight reduction myself and there's a night and day difference. Prove our point!

swoosh

iTrader: (5)

^^^ who is a nay sayer....??? imma whooop his ass LOL....

I was trying to be pushy so Tim, hits the track....no luck....

and Phatrick you bailed on the ECU thread, u punk LOL....

callahan

I pmed you about your exhaust but I forgot to ask you about the rasp, I think you mentioned somewhere that you had little to no rasp with this set up right? That really surprises me, I think I might try this set up. Time to make a exhaust appointment! Im not as skilled as you when it comes to putting exhaust together.

swoosh

iTrader: (5)

^^^ He did mention he has a lot of rasp....

Rasp comes from a free flowing exhaust....anything where the flow of the pulses are not messed up.....put a cat in there and the rasp goes, or a resonator and the rasp goes....if you do not mess with the flow of the pulses and have a tubing diameter which is a little big, you will get rasp....

if my true dual was 2" instead of 2.25" there would have been no rasp but the exhaust would have created back pressure which i didnt want....

callahan

Alright I'm not to worried about rasp but I was just curious, my current set up has rasp pretty bad but I really just want this exhaust for the lightness of it.

swoosh

iTrader: (5)

^^^ more than lightness....you might wanna go for free flow....

this exhaust gives you both....i think thats a win win situation....

callahan

^ for sure, plus I'm sure there are plenty of people on here that would love to buy my quads. Would probably make a buck by getting this exhaust.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

we do have the baytown track!
my buddy just ran his type-s there at IFO. He did the quarter in 14.7 secs. hehehe

swoosh

iTrader: (5)

^^^ was he driving in reverse ???

losiglow

iTrader: (1)

Damn you Inaccurate. You've got me hooked on this diet.

In the last week:

34lbs. static, 102lb dynamic assuming 1:3 ratio (Enkei 17x8.5 RPF01 Wheels)
17lbs. Front Bumper
21lbs. Various trim (some trunk panels, glove box plate, under carriage moldings, under dash panels, etc.)
20lbs. -ordered- Braille Battery coming to replace the optima (B14115 @ 11.5lbs. vs Optima red top 35 @ 31.7 lbs.).

This doesn't count the RV6 j-pipe (and subsequent 3rd cat delete), mid muffler delete, spare tire, jack, engine bay moldings, CAI or various trim pieces removed up to this point.

The difference from the wheels was the most dramatic. Handling and dexterity are enhanced a ton. Although it's the most expensive upgrade to the car it's definitely the one that has impacted performance the most (sorry Richie , the j-pipe was #1 until now). The front bumper was also very noticeable probably since it's on the very front of the car and is pretty heavy. This delete has been one I've been contemplating for some time and have been apprehensive about doing. First, when I removed the bumper on my '99 Accord a few years back, I ended up damaging the paint from excessive bending during removal. It was left with some spider veins which bothered me til the day I sold it. However, the bumper removal was rather easy with help from Sandiegodrive's DIY (https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-2004-2008-93/diy-video-updated-removing-front-bumper-3g-garage-e-080-a-628363/). It still put up a fight, but I found that reaching through the wheel well shroud and pushing on the bumper under the headlights reduced the strain on the bumper itself rather than simply pulling on the sides. Overall, everything went flawlessly. Second, knowing that a 5-10mph front end collision, what would otherwise be a small fender bender, will now take out my radiator and AC components, is a little unnerving. However, after reading everything mentioned about it on the forum I think it's for the better. The handling differences are unarguable, and it's made me be a better driver I found myself keeping a better distance in rush hour traffic this morning and paying better attention to the road. There's one thing for certain though, I'm not removing the rear. Utah drivers love rear-ending each other so that ones staying on. Front end collisions however are largely dependent on the driver while rear end's, well, that's just bad luck if you have some derp driving behind you.





Yes, I know my garage is a cluster. Haven't started on spring cleaning yet

Photo afterwards (and after a wash )



A drop is definitely on my radar now. At first only the rear axle was a little high. Now the front seems to be creeping up and I've still got 20lbs. of battery that will be deleted next week when the Braille arrives. I'm thinking one inch to start but we'll see.

Thanks again Inaccurate and Swoosh and everyone else who has contributed all the valuable info on this thread. I really think these "efficiency" mods are worth it. Increasing the efficiency of a vehicle through breathability (ie. exhaust and intake) and reduced strain on the suspension and power train (ie. weight loss) increases handling and performance while also increasing economy rather than lowering it as some power mods might (FI). Not that I wouldn't consider FI if I was rollin on dubs

Inaccurate

First and foremost, THANK YOU for posting your dieting mods and sharing your feeling of the mod. It really does give me a rewarding feeling to see others, like yourself, pursuing dieting mods. In the Dark Days of when I started this thread, it was filled with ridicule and disdain. Then fast forward to now to see this mod being given the credit that it has *always* deserved is very rewarding.



the most dramatic *thus far*. You have a bright and exciting Dieting future ahead of you.



Thanks for communicating this to the readers. I am sure that there are still many readers that underestimate the potential of this form of modding.


I felt this exact way too immediately after removing my bumpers. The feeling (anxiety) will diminish with time. But to this day, I still get stressed when people follow me too close.

If you think this made you careful, wait until you are STRAPPED (Hog Tied) into your seat with a racing harness. This will really make you a safe driver because you will feel "as one" with the car, meaning if the car is hit that you (bodily) are hit too. But, this is a purely psychological thing of course. But, a freaky feeling non the less. But, this feeling diminished too with time (more time than with the bumper removal).

And you are right about making you a better driver. In my opinion, the vast majority of accidents could had been avoided if the person had allowed greater following distance. This is also the key to living with no rear bumper too. In my opinion, most rear endings are caused by the person in front having to stop quickly because no one had proper following distance. That is, you can easily live with no rear bumper provided that you always keep a big following distance that will prevent you from having to slam on your brakes. Just my opinion and it's been working for me thus far.


I highly recommend the BC Racing coilovers or XLR8 ISC N1 Coilovers. These brands are more geared toward outright handling performance than just cool looks in my opinion.

losiglow

iTrader: (1)

^ It may have been understandable a few years ago to have readers challenge this thinking since the TL is a luxury sedan worth well into the $15K-$20 range. To strip it down seems a little weird. But with the 3rd gens aging now, and creeping down into the 10K-16K range (still high teens or low 20's for the 07 and 08 base and TL-S), this type of philosophy will likely become more common and considered among those who want to gain performance easily and cheaply (well cheaply until you get new wheels or battery )

And I see your point on the rear bumper. I've never been rear ended but that may be due in part to my braking practices. I typically brake early and slowly which would give the driver behind me more time to react. I suppose I might be daring and drop the rear eventually too. But knowing my luck and the role of irony in my life, it would be the day after I remove it that I'd be rear ended for the first time in my 15 years of driving

On another note, does anyone know what this is? (the big cylinder in the center of the photo):



It's attached to the linkage for the tranny shifter. You're probably not going to be familiar with this Inaccurate since it's a manual and yours is an auto. It looks to be a weight, probably for the sole purpose of making shifting more fluid and pronounced. It seems the TL engineers liked adding weight for the purpose of making thing smooth in this vehicle (glove box plate, trunk weight, assortment of dampeners). Assuming it's solid metal this suckers probably at least a pound in weight. I was thinking of dremmeling the sucker off but wouldn't be able to reattach it in the case that it was somehow critical. I can't think of why that would be but figured I'd consult the wise sages here on Acurazine first.

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

Its the weight on the shifter arm. I dont suggest removing that one, as shift crispness is always a welcome benefit (same idea as using a heavier shift knob).

losiglow

iTrader: (1)

^ gotcha. Thanks for the heads up. I'm leery about removing something that can't be re-installed anyway. And I don't want the feel of the manual changing.

FCVadi

iTrader: (3)

inac, and others who removed their rear seats... how does steering/driving feel having the majority of the weight up front?

just guessing but it seems like the weight distribution would be something like 80% up fornt and 20% in the rear

it might not have any impact but very curious if driving style has to change drastically or if stays basically the same with just a few tweaks

brian6speed

iTrader: (5)

It would be closer to 70% front. No different than any fwd racecar. Driving style dsn't change at all on the street. Weight up front helps with traction. On a track you would just need to set the suspension up properly after testing it out.

The rear seats alone won't really change anything. That is only like 50-60 lbs.

FCVadi

iTrader: (3)

good to know, i've spun around a few times in my cars (not on purpose, reacting to other crazy drivers) so always worried about that.. I mean with my luck it will prob happen again but I know how to react to it with current setup so any weight loss really wont affect things or my driving style

thanks!

swoosh

iTrader: (5)

with the rear seat are you also gonna empty the trunk out ???

to answer your question it actually feels good....being a FWD car, it doesnt seem as if something is keeping the car from moving or the engine doesnt have to pull much weight....

i agree with Brian on both counts....

the rear seats will only take off 50-60 lbs....rear seats + empty trunk will take off right about 100 lbs....

my car for example which has lost 260 odd lbs and majority of it coming from the rear....the rear does feel rather light.....

i need to pop some weight out from the front.....

PS: when i mention REAR, i mean from the rear half of the car....or anything BEHIND the drivers seat....

Inaccurate

DISTRIBUTION OF WEIGHT REDUCTION

swoosh

iTrader: (5)

^^^ great diagram Tim....

this is from my excel sheet (pertaining to my weight reduction (done and coming)):

FRONT - 292.3 - front half of the car
REAR - 244.5 - rear half of the car
OVERALL - 153.3 - rims/tires/trim pieces/carpet/etc
TOTAL - 690.1