Quote:
Originally Posted by bur****jp
But what is the benefit/cost ratio? Is it more than the battery?
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Battery
Pros:
Dropping weight off front passenger corner to shift center of gravity rearward to the driver side of the car
Mass is high relative to the car's center of gravity, so removing would lower it slightly
Cons:
Lower capacity battery
May require a special charger to balance charge
Driveshaft
Pros:
Dropping weight in rotational mass
Carbon driveshaft helps reduce shock to drivetrain
Cons:
Dropping weight from the lowest most central part of the car, so should in theory slightly raise the car's center of gravity
Aluminum driveshaft transmits shock and vibration through the drivetrain.
Would dropping 25 lbs in a battery be equivalent to dropping 12 lbs with a carbon drive shaft? Could you even feel either modification? You would more likely feel the effect of a lighter driveshaft did than you would the effect of a lighter battery.
I'm not sure what battery and if you were thinking about an aluminum or carbon shaft. I'll assume its a Ballistic life pack that weighs 3 lbs.
Battery (3lbs, 28-3lbs = 25lbs savings) - $250
Aluminum shaft (13.2lbs, 24.2-13.2lbs = 11lbs savings) - $420
Carbon shaft (12.1lbs, 24.2-12.1lbs = 12.1lbs savings) - $1000
Battery would net you most static weight drop per dollar
25 lbs / $250 = 0.1 lb/$
11 lbs / $420 = 0.026 lb/$
12.1 lbs / $1000 = 0.0121/$
Dropping rotational mass will make the most noticeable effect, but it would be to a very small magnitude still and difficult to quantify. If you were looking to drop rotational mass, get a lightweight clutch and flywheel to get mass that is rotating faster, and then get a driveshaft. If your battery needed to be replaced, then it would be a great time to get a lightweight battery. I have a lightweight battery and honestly didn't notice much of a difference in handling. Then again I haven't had the car corner balanced since installing it so that may have a part.
FWIW, I plan to get a carbon driveshaft in the future.