Post by justyfied on Jun 29, 2011 15:59:35 GMT -4
Subaru,or any major car manufacturer for that matter has to balance perceived performance with real world drive-ability. They know that they are selling cars to a wide range of people in what driving skills they have. Plus what they think is acceptable performance and drive-ability. Someone who has next to no experience driving a standard transmission car will have a hard time engaging the clutch and smoothly accelerating away from a start with a small engined, heavy car.
I believe this is why the Flywheel is so incredibly heavy for these small cars from the factory. Not to help the car accelerate quickly or stop faster, but to make it so that the first time driver will be able to drive the car off the dealers lot!
Before we get into the photos and weights of the flywheels I have lightened I have some links to other authors who have discussed the merits of Lite flywheels before:
www.pumaracing.co.uk/FLYWHEEL.htm
www.thumperfaq.com/mxa_flywheel.htm
Some good reading there, especially in the first 1 from Puma once you scroll past all the Engineering mumbo jumbo math at the beginning!
This picture is of a side by side, back to back comparison of a stock and mildly lightened Subaru Justy flywheel. You can see that the steps were machined off to reduce the over all thickness and reduce the weight that was heaviest at the out side. Also some metal was taken off the diameter just behind the ring gear. Any weight taken from the farthest diameter will have the greatest effect.
Another view of the stock and modified flywheel showing the stepped back and smooth modified one. (Sorry for the rust, that fresh metal sure goes to rust in a hurry if you do not paint it!)
I believe this is why the Flywheel is so incredibly heavy for these small cars from the factory. Not to help the car accelerate quickly or stop faster, but to make it so that the first time driver will be able to drive the car off the dealers lot!
Before we get into the photos and weights of the flywheels I have lightened I have some links to other authors who have discussed the merits of Lite flywheels before:
www.pumaracing.co.uk/FLYWHEEL.htm
www.thumperfaq.com/mxa_flywheel.htm
Some good reading there, especially in the first 1 from Puma once you scroll past all the Engineering mumbo jumbo math at the beginning!
This picture is of a side by side, back to back comparison of a stock and mildly lightened Subaru Justy flywheel. You can see that the steps were machined off to reduce the over all thickness and reduce the weight that was heaviest at the out side. Also some metal was taken off the diameter just behind the ring gear. Any weight taken from the farthest diameter will have the greatest effect.
Another view of the stock and modified flywheel showing the stepped back and smooth modified one. (Sorry for the rust, that fresh metal sure goes to rust in a hurry if you do not paint it!)