Well as we all here are striving to go faster, anyone take a look beyond the engine and trans?

I was thinking today that the real issue is weight. We all know this yet we don't do anything about it. Looking around, there is a lot of crap to convert to lighterweight materials. I also thought up and interesting approach to shave some off. What if I made the front quarter panels out of fiber glass or carbon fiber? This would deffinately shave some much needed weight off. However, I haven't poked around much. If I were to make a mold and make a duplicate panel, would anyone else be interested in buying a set from me if it turned out well?

Just curious. I'd probably do it this summer anyway. Any one elses thoughts?

boot

 

http://www.gtsfiberglass.com/pro_truck.htm

 

Not quite what I was talking about but close. I'm talking for our trucks.

 

I have ben contemplating this to. If the rpice is right I am in, that's only if it is a real weight savings. I know the steel fenders are heavy and getting the weight off the front end would help alot. Price is the biggest consideration.

 

Are the fenders really that heavy? They are pretty flimsy.

A lot of us do shave weight off our trucks. With my subs out I am down 280lbs or close to it. Not much ealse is practical to remove without hurting resale value. There are a couple braces under the truck you could cutout but new owners probably wouldnt like that.

 

I found some carbon fiber Ram Air hoods for our trucks that weigh only 15lbs! Ill try to find it again and post it up. If i remember right it was @ $800. Expensive, but looked sweet.

 

The body panels are not the biggest wieght issues. It's the freaking frame and massive interior pieces that contribute most to the weight of the truck. You want the truck to get light, do an aluminum frame. The rear leafs, the front arms, the heavy front and rear bumpers and supports.

 

And the bed assy.
stepsides are fiberglass - weight savings there
but the tub and gate are steel.

 

Yeah, but the sheet metal fenders and what not are easy to replicate.

What if you were to make the front suspension peices lighter? Like instead of stamped steel, use tube steel or even cnc aluminum? That's deffinately get the weight down. However, I don't think that'll happen do to the sharp cost v. performance gain.

 

exactly.