Eoanou,

The lugs came with the new rims. I don't know the spec's of the lugs. They look like Gorilla brand.

I do know that the oem lugs have the wrong seat type.



The oem is a "Ball Radius" whereas the aftermarket rim is a "Taper" seat.

Keep a set of your vehicle’s Original Equipment lug nuts or bolts in the trunk just in case you ever need to use your factory spare tire, which must always be installed with the Original Equipment lug hardware.

 

Another cool weight saver- featherweight lugs (for aftermarket wheels only)



I have both Muteki and Kyokugen open ended lugs, black and silver respectively. Both are excellent and recommended. They are extremely light and strong in comparison to regular lugs, especially the stock ones. There is a whole bunch of different brands and colors for any taste and pocket out there...

http://www.evasivemotorsports.com/me...tegory_Code=L1

Note, those living in harsher climates, like me (New York), should not get the open ended lugs or else your lug studs will begin to rust badly. You can imagine what's going to happen in the winter, with all the snow and then salt we get Plus it's very humid in my area in the summer, a lot of moisture in the air=a lot of rust!

That's why I gotta buy the close ended ones now, oh well...

 

Thanks to your thread, I'm following in your footsteps. I have an 01 CL boat that I'm trying to reduce some weight. So far I've put on run flat tires (got rid of the spare tire, jack, etc), rear floormats, all of the carpet garbadge in the trunk, lightweight crank pulley, and all the washer fluid and the washer fluid componets

 

those run flat tires suck. they are heavier than stock which means more rotational mass and they waste faster and they are more expensive.

with that alone, you probably negated the benefit of your other modifications.

 

I agree regarding the possibly heavier run-flat tire reducing the braking and acceleration performance.

It is speculated that each pound saved at wheel RPM (i.e. wheel weight) is worth 3 pounds of static body weight. This is an average for the wheel as a whole. However, weight which is further out from the center of rotation (such as tire weight) has the largest impact, and weight closest to the center has minimal impact.

Here is a failed experiment of mine from several months ago. I tried to go with a lighter tire. The easiest way to get a lighter tire is to go with a smaller tire (width and profile wise). I ordered one tire to test for appearance. It looked like CRAP !!!! I promptly returned it.

 

I think it's look great with a pretty good drop.

 

Werd..........Im pretty sure after market springs and shocks weigh less than stocks, look it up because then you can get those tires, and it would be less heavy and look better too!

 

I've been thinking about this thread the past few days; specifically in respect to Weight Distribution.

The TL comes stock with a weight distibution of ~ 60% front and 40% rear. The conventional wisdom is that 50/50 gives the best handling - I guess more "neutral".

So, I was wondering, how have your changes effected the weight distibution? Maybe this is a part of why you have better handling?

AND

What would you recommend to selectively remove (from stock) to shift the weight distibution and still retain the "family sedan amenities"?

(I understand that getting 50/50 is not realistic because of the amount of front-end weight that'd have to be removed. Although "relocating" weight Front to Rear and/or "trading" weight Front to Rear might be effective.)

 

It's not only 50/50 front to rear. There is also the top to bottom concern. With the moon roof and retractor mechanism in place this adds another concern of making a auto top heavy.

You know see some manufacturers coming up with carbon fiber roofs, it does make sense.

 

I can give a small list of ideas;

Less wiper fluid
Remove the front license plate
Smaller battery
Lightweight wheels, stock wheels are 24.5lbs.
Remove some of the engine covers

That's what I can think of there is a lot more you can do, but these are small things, but the wheels will increase power, improve gas mileage, decrease stopping distance, and improve handling depending on how much the wheels weigh.

 

how have your changes effected the weight distibution?

I would say that a vast majority of the reduction is from the rear half of the car. I don't have any concerns or worries regarding the weight distibution. If the car by chance becomes more evenly distrubuted, then thats ok. If weight is biased to the front, I think this would assist with starting-line traction in a drag race. Just as long as the weight does Not become rear biases, then I am cool with however the distibution becomes. The most important thing by a huge margin is to just get the weight off. Distibution is just an afterthought.


Maybe this is a part of why you have better handling?

Nope. All of the credit goes to the weight reduction. No way around it, and no rationalizing around it. The most important thing by a huge margin is to just get the weight off. Distibution is just an afterthought to me.



What would you recommend to selectively remove (from stock) to shift the weight distibution and still retain the "family sedan amenities"?

and still retain the "family sedan amenities" ? Nothing. Seriously. Any single item removed from the car will compromise the car to some extent, especially resell value. I do it to my car becuase I fully intend to keep it to 200,000 miles.... so, I might as will make those to be fun-filled, adrenalin-induced 200,000 miles. I have no desire or need to retain the "family sedan amenities" . I am the only person that drives my car. My kids are grown and out of the house. I never have more than one passenger, and very seldom even have the one passenger (maybe 3 or 4 times per year).

I do highly recommend this mod to anyone that IS WILLING to make compromises in the "family sedan amenities" and resell value of thier car. IMHO, this is a DAMN AWESOME mod. I really try hard to refrain from mentioning it on the forum, but this TL Diet does turn the TL into a true sports car that will out handle and out acceralate most things on the street during my daily commute. Hell, I recenlty out ran (90 - 120 MPH) and out handled (120 MPH turn) a 600cc motorcycle on the freeway (he started it, and I finished it).

 

How much total weight do you think you've taken off? I did a quick glance through this thread but couldn't find the answer.

I believe you about the differences. I could not believe the differerence by doing just the spare, jack, stock sub, boat anchor, and air inlet ducting. I didn't expect to feel a difference but the suspension feels stiffer, it's more tossable in curves (feels like a smaller car), the car feels more relaxed in normal acceleration, and believe it or not the brakes feel better.

I will be lucky to break even over stock due to my subs and wider tires. I was surprised at the mpg decrease from the wider tires. I'm thinking about taking my subs out during the week and only use them on the weekends.

I would never go as far as you but 10lbs a piece savings on rims is huge! 40lbs of rotating mass taken off must've made it feel like a rocket. How big of a difference did you feel?

 

How much total weight do you think you've taken off? I did a quick glance through this thread but couldn't find the answer.

My most recent update is on page 17 (post #417). Below is an abbreviated summary -

Static weight reduction = 386 Lbs
Dynamic weight reduction = 564 Lbs

I believe you about the differences. I could not believe the differerence by doing just the spare, jack, stock sub, boat anchor, and air inlet ducting. I didn't expect to feel a difference but the suspension feels stiffer, it's more tossable in curves (feels like a smaller car), the car feels more relaxed in normal acceleration, and believe it or not the brakes feel better.

Thank you for the kind words. You are stating the EXACT thing that I have been preaching (including the increased braking performance). So many people just speculate that these "few pounds" could not make any difference without themselves trying it. Thank you for doing the opposite and to actually try it. Be careful, it is addictive.


How big of a difference did you feel [with the lighter rims]?

I did a write-up on the rims on page 10 (post # 228). He is a section from that post -

I have driven the car for one day with the new rims. How do they feel ? The rims feel the same as getting the UR Pulley. The engine revs quicker, the MPH pickup quicker, and there is less of a flattening-out (plateau) as you get beyond 90MPH. Before getting my pulley, my car would have a tendency to flatten-out beyond 80 MPH. After getting the pulley, that plateau was moved to 90 MPH. Now, with the rims, the plateau has been raised again. I can tell you this much, I hit 120 MPH damn fast without realizing it. And, this was encountering the dreaded "4th Gear Wall". I have NEVER done a WOT into 4th without hitting the wall. And, on my first day with the rims, I did a WOT into 4th without even realizing that the car went into 4th gear. I was not even aware that I was going that fast. Amazing.

 

I found the lightweight wheels I want, they are 16lbs, but I love the way they look. I also plan on getting tires that weigh less than the EL42s. They are 22lbs that's 2lbs less than the EL42s and the same size as well.

I'm going to get an improved suspension as well, and hopefully everything turns out for the best, I'll be expecting a decent upgrade in handling and acceleration.

 

So, INaccurate. What is your average MPG? is it come up somewehre 30 in city?

 

The TL Diet has been kicking butt in the mpg department. I will give you some numbers below. But first, please keep in mind that these mpg figures do include one or more WOT blast from 60 to 100 mph DAILY. I often slam on the brakes too at 100 mph to pull it down to 70 mph, and this often feels like 1 G force when I do it.
So, more wasted gas.

I commute in the heart of Houston. So, my daily commute consist of massive traffic jams mixed with some nice "race track" sections (those 100 mph bursts) . The heavy traffic jams are the type where you are constanlty braking down to 0 MPH, then acceralarate to 20 MPH, then brake down to 0 MPH.... repeating ad nauseam.

Below, I include extra data besides MPG because MPG data is MEANINGLESS without knowing the average MPH and time duration. The TL can get 34 MPG Freeway and 18 MPG City, which is a HUGE spread between the two. So, this is why it is imperative to also have the other two bits of data.

The numbers below are from the MID, not manual data collection.

Avg MPH = 30
Avg MPG = 26
Hours = 3 hrs 30 min

Avg MPH = 36
Avg MPG = 28
Hours = 9 hrs 30 min

Instant Readout
Avg MPH = 68
Avg MPG = 35
Hours = 10 minutes

 

Thanks. No front plate.

The front Boat Anchor of course is something that can be done. And replaced if necessary to go back to stock.

My instinct is that there should be some consideration to Weight Distribution. I don't have any idea what the calculus of "Handling" vs Weight vs Distribution vs Acceleration/Speed looks like. I assume that at each weight there is an optimum distribution for "overall handling" (whatever that means - Braking, Turn Speed, Turn Rate, Body Roll, Wheel Hop, Traction, etc....).

But, as a simple expedient, I'd guess the best "overall handling" would be to maintain a weight distribution somewhere between stock and 50/50. I doubt that any program of "random" weight reduction would get outside of those broad parameters.

 

I agree for the most part but I think some weight reduction from anywhere is better than no weight reduction from no where. I'm not too concerned with distribution because I've added 100+lbs in audio equipment in the trunk. Just trying to get it down to stock weight.

With the difference I've made already, I have to force myself to stop or I'll end up with a gutted luxury car. I've already got big plans for my other car when I get it back on the road...

 

I hearby dub this Malady the "Innacurate Weight Reduction OCD Complex" aka "I-WROC".

 

Upon extracting my custom sub and box, along with the full sized spare volk, and rear seats, my TL is now able to stay ahead of my brothers 07 S2000. Before the extraction the two cars would stay side by side on the interstate in 3rd gear. Therefore, weight reduction is no joke.

I wonder how heavy the carpet is.


MOD EDIT:
All members, read POST #1 before posting. Failure to do so may result in a ban!

 

Whats your next mod? You said in another thread it'll be the biggest weight savings yet, what is it, 6M/T conversion? Lightweight seats? CF body? I'm dying to know.

 

If you really want to drop the weight of your car, you should stop jacking around with it and do it right. This is how it's done

Putting a CL on a diet

 

As mentioned, I am currently working on a "TL Diet" deletion that will be completed in two months. This mod will be the biggest weight reduction to date, and it will appear at the very top of my "itemized list of weight reduction".

I hinted at this in my previous update when I said

I wish to comment on several topics in this post. So, be prepare to “shift gears” as we hit on several different topics.

My wife is great. She sees how much it makes me happy, and therefore fully supports my TL Diet. She has taught me many things. One of the valuable lessons that my wife taught me was the following. Objects in life don’t matter. The only thing in life that matters is happiness and how people treat each other. So, if the TL Diet makes me happy, she is happy for me. She is not concerned with the car as an object. My wife and I like Acura because of the reliability aspect, not for the luxury aspect.

Throughout this whole TL Diet thread, I have seen just one person that fully understands what this “TL Diet” is really about. Check Post #3 on Page 1 (which was ironically the first reply to this whole thread).

And, this was from someone just 24 years old. Bravo. When I was young, I was very anal about my possessions. But, after nearly a half of a lifetime, I have seen many valuable possession (“my precious”) come-n-go. Included in this is several automobiles. After you have driven a few automobiles from new to scrape, you will have a clear glimpse of what the future beholds. Your automobile will be scrape in approx 10 or 12 years (if not sooner because the insurance company “totaled” it from an accident), and you will have gotten another. My car is already two years old, and it has provided a ton of enjoyment in that time. We have a few more years together, and I intended to make those years as fun (to me) as possible.

As for safety, I don’t know why this is mentioned so often. I tried to show that the bumpers are there for 5-mph protection for the insurance companies. True occupant protection is derived from the structure of the automobile. As for the airbags, I urge you to do a google on automobile air bags. They are not really what you think. Why are warning stickers all over your interior ? Why do racecars not have airbags ? What problem is really meant to be remedied with air bags (hint, it isn’t me. I wear my seat belts)? How can an airbag help if you were wearing effective seat belts that should not allow you to even reach the air bag during a collision ? I know the answer, and I urge you to read-up on this topic.

Shift gears again to another topic. To compare how my car feels to me compared to how your car feels to you, we need to take into consideration the difference in our body weight. I do not plan to include this in my itemized list, but just discuss it here. I weigh 145 pounds. So, if you weigh 200 pounds (as an example), then our body weight difference (200 – 145 = 55) of 55 pounds should be added to my weight reduction total. In this way, you can more truly compare the weight of my TL to the weight of your TL when we are driving it (respectively).

Cheers

 

You have a great attitude toward cars. I think I'm going to read this every morning before work lol. I know my gf would appreciate it.

I remember the old saying every 100lbs is worth .10 sec on a 13 sec car. I have a feeling it's worth more on the TL for several reasons.

 

Dammit, I'm 6'5" and 260. So my car prob weighs 100 lbs more than most of your cars.

 

Cf Ftw

 

inaccurate how is your battery doing? I was planning on getting a lightweight battery but dont know if it will last...

 

^I got the B3121, weighs 21lbs, very powerful, and its been very reliable since it's an all season. <---All Season Def needed in NY...



MOD EDIT:
All members, read POST #1 before posting. Failure to do so may result in a ban!

 

Don't be afraid of the little battery's size. It is a monster as far as putting out amps to crank the engine.

I have had mine for 7 months. No problems at all with it. However, I do respect it's limitations. If I know that the car will not be driven for over two days (just my arbitrary limit), I put a trickle charger on the little battery. Also, if I am working inside the car for a long time with the doors open, causing the dome light to stay on, I will put the trickle charger on it. I consider this inconvenience as a small price to pay for the weight savings.

I do recommend this small Braille (B14115) to anyone that is willing to live within it's small reserve capacity (not too many days without driving the car, not listening to radio with engine off, no aftermarket accessories such as car alarms that drain the battery with the engine off, etc)

 

Hey inaccurate, I've followed up ur thread pretty consistently, but have you thought about putting any CF body parts painted body colored? Maybe hood and trunk?

 

He contacted me about the roof.

Innaccurate refered to emanciated TL thread for our plans on the roof. '/;

 

thanks...and about the front n back bumpers..how much do they both weigh?

 

The front bumper is 17 pounds, and rear bumper is 16 pounds. There are pics on Page 4, Post #90.

 

I am reluctant when it comes to CF panels. I don't trust CF pieces to "hold-up" well over time. Just my impressions, nothing based on fact.

 

Any chance you can leak out what you're going to do next?

If its custom fabbed racing seats, I want in!

 

Only thing with racing seats is that we don't have any direct bolt on brackets to make them fit. Who would be interested? They would go for about $90 a piece for custom brackets so you can directly bolt down recaro or sparco seats.

 

I would if someone could find me some cheap seats, so I could have a custom shop fab leather on it. I really want to get rid of my crappy seats, might as well save weight.

 

good seats are going to cost you a nice chunk of change.

 

Yeah definiitely especcially if you're thinking going Recaro or Sparco or somewhere in that area, oh plus leather? Should be alotttt

90+90 for custom brackets+250+250 for seats im guessing+installation and leather which I don't think would be less than 1k right?

 

::::Sparco Torino::::


MOD EDIT:
All members, read POST #1 before posting. Failure to do so may result in a ban!