Can I remove my rear seats and still run in sts? what other easy weight reductions can I do without breaking rules?

 

Taken from moutons.org:

"-Pedal kits and other interior cosmetic accessories may be added.
-Any fully padded and upholstered front seats with reclining seat backs, rear seats may not be removed.
-Removal of factory trim (rub strips, emblems)
-Alternate steering wheels are allowed except that steering wheels with an integral airbag may not be changed.
-Fenders may not be cut or flared but the inside lip may be rolled in order to gain tire clearance. Flares that are part (left out of rulebook for 2002, but I predict it will return...Ed.) of body kits may be attached to the stock fenders. The intention is to allow cars to maximize tire width up to the maximum allowable size. No other changes to the stock fenders or wheel wells are permitted.
-Spoilers, body kits, rear wings, etc."

...so it basically looks like you can remove emblems and rubstrips, and that's about it.

 

thanks for info.

 

To make your car go faster you need to work on the driver. $500 on a catback exhaust system might gain you .5 seconds on a 60 second course, but $50 on a novice school or $400 on an Evolution School will knock off 2-7 seconds.

 

After you improve the driver, the best places to reduce weight are actually in the items you are allowed to upgrade in STS. Headers almost always drop weight, cat back system, Wheels and tires are VERY improtant to go as light as possible. A light weight battery. There are a few others that can make small differences, but your driving is the best thing to improve.

 

Fuel! My Integra seemed to handle best when it was on fumes, so typically I'd run the fuel level very low. I never got starvation well into the reserve, but to be on the same side, I'd let it be just a little above the E. I think it's something like each gallon of gas weighs ~6 pounds, so... hey, 5 gallon reduction is 30lbs in dropped weight.

You CANNOT take out the rear seat. You drop a couple pounds by pulling out the factory intake resonator box.

 

Yep gas floats on water and water weighs about 8lbs per gallon. So it's safe to say that gas weighs about 6-7lbs/gallon.

I personally like to run with a full tank cause it makes the car more balanced. Don't run with a 1/2 talk though cause the sloshing will upset the balance of the car.

 

Thanks again for the replys. I never run with more than a quarter tank. I already have a I/H/E. Im ordering buddy club sf wheels at end of month. Also going to do evolution driving school this year. I totally agree driver is everything. Ive been out with a few instuctors already, got some great advice from them. Im looking for a well set up car. I believe Ive done just about everything but wheels. CivicSIracer, what color is your car. Maybe you could g out with me one run and give me some pointers. Anyone else reading this thread, come talk to me this saturday. Im also thinking of doing the autox at the meadowlands on Sunday, but I think its going to rain. If it rains, Im not going on Sunday. I know I could use some help with shock settings and tire pressure.

 

Mike wrote: "Don't run with a 1/2 talk though cause the sloshing will upset the balance of the car."


I disagree. I think with most cars you are best off running the minimum amount of fuel possible. Some cars may require half a tank to avoid fueld starvation when cornering. But if you have an ITR you can run with the empty light on! Having less fuel weight is more valuable then any sloshing imbalance. Think about it - if you have 3 gallons in the tank thats about 20 pounds. Now most tanks are not very wide so even if ALL the fuel moved ALL the way from one side of the tank to the other you are probably talking about moving 20 pounds less than 3 feet. How much is that going to upset the handling of a 2500 lb car?? Not very much. I don't think you would notice it.

Also I believe many tanks have unusual shapes to funnel the last bit of fuel to the pickup. Having less fuel in one of those tanks actually would reduce "sloshing" Some tanks have ribs which will act as baffles and further reduce sloshing.

On the other hand if you run with a full tank (say an additional 10 gallons) then you have just added 60-70 pounds to your car. Furthermore each gallon you add raises the CG of the car slightly.

BTW the rear seat in my Integra probably weighs less than 15 pounds.

Regards,
Alan

 

you really can't run a lighter battery in a car. the batteries that are in cars are somewhat car specific. and besides, in sts you can relocate your battery so you can use that to your advantage. relocate the battery to the truck diagonal from the driver to help balance out the weight and help the cornering a little bit.

 

Alan - very true. When I run close to home (harrisburg) I run with 1/8 tank of gas. But places like Philly where I could careless about competitiveness I run with a full tank cause who want to buy expensive Philly gas

Some cars do well with empty tanks, and others don't. We had a little discussion back in September on what to run on the http://www.sccaforums.com and most people said empty tank, but there were a few who said starvation happened to them and they run 1/4 tank.

Personally I've had the sloshing happen to me at more than one event last year when I showed up with 1/2 tank cause I didn't plan my week properly

I guess it's what you feel most comfortable with too.