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Should I get an aluminum flywheel?


Guest Kick Ass Matt
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Guest Kick Ass Matt

My truck is in for a clutch job and she's getting an ACT heavy duty press plate mated with their modified street disc (off of the Z31 300ZX). I mainly use my truck for street driving and towing a flat bed trailer w/car on it. What would be the advantage of going to a lightened flywheel other than getting better off the line accel. when I am not towing? I understand that alu. flywheels give you more WHP which also means it takes torque away; which means night and day when you tow 4500 - 5500 pounds behind you...

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if you tow.. you need torque. unless you race or just can't stand the thought of being beat off the lights (which WILL happen in 99.9% of pathys)... then get the other one.. but i say keep the torque n save yer motor a little extra work ;)

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Guest psyopper

Light weight flywheels help you get off the line faster. This is good and bad. However, wthey will not help you make any more horsepower or torque.

 

Without getting into the physics of it, a light weight flywheel will make your engine rev faster (hence faster off the line), and will also make it spin down faster when you dump the clutch. If you are off roading or towing you really don't want this feature as it makes your truck easy to stall from a start and makes your shifting very uncomfortable.

 

Believe it or not I actually put a heavier flywheel in my Miata to foce me to slow down when I snap shift. It was a conscious decision for use on the (road-) race track, I wanted to slow myself down a little bit to soothe my nerves and maintain better mental control in an otherwise stressful environment. It also makes it far easier to start and shift on the street.

 

Brad

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It has to do with the principals of reciprocating mass. Once you get your heavier flywheel spinning, the work your motor has to do will be much less than with the aluminum, (if indeed there is such a thing). Just because it's been lightened doesn't mean it's aluminum, the steel ones can be machined. I personally have never seen an aluminum flywheel for anything. Now, pulleys are a different matter (and area) entirely... :secret:

Edited by hardwaretoad
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Guest psyopper
I personally have never seen an aluminum flywheel for anything. Now, pulleys are a different matter (and area) entirely... :secret:

They're out there. A friend has one in his Miata, it does have a replaceable steel friction surface on it though. The stock flywheel comes in at 18 lbs, his flywheel is a mere 11 lbs.

 

Brad

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