View Full Version : What else can be removed to save weight?
caineroad
03-18-2011, 08:41 PM
I am trying to lose as much as as possible to gain better MPG... as oil prices are going up every day it is practical for me to try to save as much gas as possible.
I have removed the spare tire and jacking tool. I am thinking to remove the tow hook too cuz, if anything happens to my car i will just call roadside assistance i think they will have appropriate method to tow my car without my tow hook if necessary right?
What else can be removed practically? I need my rear seats, sometimes I might have more than 2 people in my car. I have no plan to change out my steel wheels, is too $$ to get Al.
mbt109
03-18-2011, 11:17 PM
Start loose your own weight :-)
caineroad
03-19-2011, 12:44 AM
Start loose your own weight :-)
Lol im 140lbs already!!:evil:
TLyttle
03-19-2011, 01:30 AM
140? Don't I wish...
Decide what your car needs. Does it really need carpets or insulation? How about all those plastic panels? Once those panels come out, weigh them, and figure out how to replace them with something lighter. Look around. Be innovative!
caineroad
03-19-2011, 01:53 AM
140? Don't I wish...
Decide what your car needs. Does it really need carpets or insulation? How about all those plastic panels? Once those panels come out, weigh them, and figure out how to replace them with something lighter. Look around. Be innovative!
Yea carpet and insulation are a must.. during winter we get freeze to death:tongue:. Is there anyway to make our yaris run on battery when idle or low speed like the prius?
frownonfun
03-19-2011, 02:02 AM
If you can't lose the back seat and you have passengers from time to time I can't see much else you could remove. I took out my back seat and passenger air bar and a/c but then again I'm the only person who ever rides in my car. Other than that I don't know what else to axe. The stereo possibly but it really weighs very little. Or I guess all the stuff that goes around and over the spare. I actually can't even remember what all is back there I haven't had any of it in such a long time.
Truth be told though, even with all the extra stuff I've taken out I don't notice a difference in mileage.
winfong
03-19-2011, 02:50 AM
No bodykit.... no spoilers.... Remove crash bars (they usually have them in built in your 4 doors).....
Swap Both your Front Seats to lighter sports bucket seats (since you are 140lbs)... Rear seats are not heavy.... but you can take them out and modify that you can put a tatami style seating instead of the cushion....
change automatic windows to your normal hand winding windows....
Carbon fiber bonnet...
cheers
frownonfun
03-19-2011, 02:35 PM
I think the OP is just looking for ways to save weight that are free. Obviously there is no sense in buying $500 sport seats just to save .000001 cents on gas.
WeeYari
03-19-2011, 02:43 PM
OP, there is really nothing you can do. Yes, removing the spare and jack if you've got some sort of roadside assist in place is OK. Above that, only ensuring you are not carrying unnecessary junk is the extent of your weight reduction given all your stipulations.
BTW, keep the tow hook in the car. You're not gaining any appreciable weight reduction by not carrying it. If you are ever in a situation were the car needs to be wenched from the front you'll absolutely need it. There are no other wenching points available that will not result in extensive damage to the front bumper.
cali yaris
03-19-2011, 04:24 PM
Is there anyway to make our yaris run on battery when idle or low speed like the prius?
No, it's not a hybrid.
Unless you're ready to start stripping interior parts, there's not much left.
11 lb DEKA battery would save over 20 pounds.
Yaris
03-19-2011, 06:47 PM
I am trying to lose as much as as possible to gain better MPG...
As you know, carrying around excessive gas is wasting gas, so don't add more than 7 liters at a time. You should have enough to go 100 km daily.
But then again I wouldn't expect any sane person to follow this advice.... :rolleyes:
caineroad
03-19-2011, 07:19 PM
OP, there is really nothing you can do. Yes, removing the spare and jack if you've got some sort of roadside assist in place is OK. Above that, only ensuring you are not carrying unnecessary junk is the extent of your weight reduction given all your stipulations.
BTW, keep the tow hook in the car. You're not gaining any appreciable weight reduction by not carrying it. If you are ever in a situation were the car needs to be wenched from the front you'll absolutely need it. There are no other wenching points available that will not result in extensive damage to the front bumper.
Yea you are right I will leave my tow hook in the car just in case:w00t:
No, it's not a hybrid.
Unless you're ready to start stripping interior parts, there's not much left.
11 lb DEKA battery would save over 20 pounds.
O... thanks for tip garm! I don't want to mess with interior, i don't know much about cars:eyebulge: Thanks for the battery advice tho:headbang:
As you know, carrying around excessive gas is wasting gas, so don't add more than 7 liters at a time. You should have enough to go 100 km daily.
But then again I wouldn't expect any sane person to follow this advice.... :rolleyes:
I now fill half a tank around 18-19L(i just pay $20CAD each time), enough for about 250km/155miles, but yea it's good way to save gas!
I really don't like running gasoline engines, before I bought the yaris i didn't know stuff about global warming and what not. Now what we are doing is buying overpriced gas that is killing our pockets, at the same time killing our planet... wtf it doesn't make sense. I would rather pay this premium for something else that would not harm where we live in.
Electric cars are getting popular but if I have to recharge every 100-200km, that's not practical. Are there any alternative out there that is developing anyone know of? I think hydrogen cell is not going to be common.
Idahotom
03-19-2011, 10:35 PM
I removed the rear seat and everything associated with it. The spare and jack of course, plus I drilled out the bracket that the spare attaches to, I can always re-attach it when I sell. Next week I am taking a quick solo biz trip to a convention in Las Vegas, and I will pull the passenger seat and fab up a temporary sleeping platform!
I just today was at a local custom car show, where the local Toyota dealer had a brand new Prius on display. I looked it over, the entire time thinking " I'd take this out, don't need that etc. etc.!" I never have heard what a stripped Prius can do MPG wise. I do know that when I got back home (on a mountain dirt road, with some 60+ freeway and some 50 mph secondary, and a little around town driving), the total average was 46.8 MPG, I can live with that!
rick996
03-20-2011, 12:24 PM
I have a roadside assistance (AAA) but I wouldn't remove my spare. All they can do is change a tire. They can't repair it on the spot and they don't carry wheels and tires with them. The jack maybe, but at busy times the response can be slow. You could replace both with a can of that gunk that inflates and seals the tire, but I wouldn't put in my tires. :eek:
JumpmanYaris
03-20-2011, 01:14 PM
take all the seats and plastics inside spear tire plus the driver and the car is way lot lighter then what it was
lomo13
04-21-2011, 11:25 AM
extreme measure - sand blast the asphalt that lines the underbelly of the car. though might not be a wise thing to do if you plan to keep the car for a long time. might result in annoying noises too. could save you 50 lbs.
Jason@SportsCar
04-21-2011, 01:49 PM
extreme measure - sand blast the asphalt that lines the underbelly of the car. though might not be a wise thing to do if you plan to keep the car for a long time. might result in annoying noises too. could save you 50 lbs.
It comes off easily with a putty knife, and total weight is under 10lbs. :wink:
Jason@SportsCar
04-21-2011, 01:50 PM
No bodykit.... no spoilers.... Remove crash bars (they usually have them in built in your 4 doors).....
Swap Both your Front Seats to lighter sports bucket seats (since you are 140lbs)... Rear seats are not heavy.... but you can take them out and modify that you can put a tatami style seating instead of the cushion....
change automatic windows to your normal hand winding windows....
Carbon fiber bonnet...
cheers
The door bars are welded in.
eTiMaGo
04-21-2011, 04:29 PM
you can just turn off the engine manually when at a red light, and turn it back on when you know it's about to turn green... from what the hypermiling pros say, the fuel used when cranking a warm engine is equivalent to about 7 seconds of idling... so if you're going to be idling for a while, it'll save you fuel. Of course, if you need the AC or heater, you might not be able to keep it off for long!
lomo13
05-08-2011, 02:40 AM
It comes off easily with a putty knife, and total weight is under 10lbs. :wink:
i'm guessing you have all of that inside a bucket or two somewhere in a landfill :)
Idahotom
05-09-2011, 12:43 AM
Carpet mats front and rear, I just have a rubber floormat (it catchs snow and water and contains it until it evaporates or you dump it) on the drivers side. Plus if I ever sell it the carpet mats (and the rear seat, spare, etc) will look like new!
jambo101
05-09-2011, 10:43 AM
OP you've already done the best thing you could do to save gas,you bought the Yaris, now its about maximizing your gas savings by frequenting one of the many hypermiling forums out there and perfecting a frugal driving style.
Heres one of many
http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/
nemelek
05-09-2011, 05:54 PM
Remove all mirrors. I think it was said in the movie "The Gumball Rally" I don't care who is behind me just who is in front of me.
you've pretty much done most of what you can do for free, and if you don't want to take more out of the car, you are looking at what you can replace to get better gas mileage.
Definitely a lightweight battery, NST pulleys are also a good thing, the stock pulleys seem to weigh a ton. Carbon Fibre lowers weight, but that starts to cost a bunch. And also lighter weight everything, but again that costs a bunch.
That plastic engine cover is not needed for summer driving. Just four nuts. 14" alloy wheels with light weight tires are a nice place to save weight, too. The benefit here is two-fold, less fly wheel and less unsprung weight(better ride). Avoid the busy stop and go parking lot highways around the city. That 427 can be nasty.
doc
As a new member to the site, I normally wouldn't voice my opinion, but I hope people here are not removing safety components to try to save a buck on gas... I assure you your loved ones would spot you a dollar a month you'd have saved on gas if it had kept you alive...
Idahotom
05-24-2011, 01:20 PM
As a new member to the site, I normally wouldn't voice my opinion, but I hope people here are not removing safety components to try to save a buck on gas... I assure you your loved ones would spot you a dollar a month you'd have saved on gas if it had kept you alive...
Yeah, but cutting off all the seatbelts and removing the airbags saved almost 12 lbs. of weight. :thumbup:
The only seat remaining is for the driver, passengers soon get used to sitting on the floor.:thumbsup:
Just kidding....... but if you are referring to the plastic engine cover removal being a safety issue I'd have to disagree. Other mods may be iffy, but it's still a free country, if I choose to drive without a spare or rear seat, while in theory that make the car "less safe", I can deal with the consequences. The arguement that "you pose a danger to others" is hard to fight, staying home and not driving at all will solve that.
Jason@SportsCar
05-24-2011, 01:36 PM
That plastic engine cover is not needed for summer driving. Just four nuts.
doc
You don't need the valve cover cover :biggrin: at all. It is a ridiculous addition that hides all of the ugly crap on top of the engine, and it reduces the valve train noise you hear inside the car.
How did we ever drive cars without this piece of plastic in place? :laugh:
Yeah, but cutting off all the seatbelts and removing the airbags saved almost 12 lbs. of weight. :thumbup:
The only seat remaining is for the driver, passengers soon get used to sitting on the floor.:thumbsup:
Just kidding....... but if you are referring to the plastic engine cover removal being a safety issue I'd have to disagree. Other mods may be iffy, but it's still a free country, if I choose to drive without a spare or rear seat, while in theory that make the car "less safe", I can deal with the consequences. The arguement that "you pose a danger to others" is hard to fight, staying home and not driving at all will solve that.
What, you actually carry passengers? As far as I am concerned, they can walk. And I didn't have to cut anything, I used the proper tools to remove the bolts attaching the seat belts to the car.
I will seriously say that airbags are iffy as a safety component, anything that has murdered people has to be questioned. In ma though I can't remove them, they don't allow it and plug in a computer to the ports to make sure everything is ok.
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