the aluminum flywheel made my car a completely different animal. I love it, but it isnt the best choice if you want optimal drag racing performance, launching will be more difficult.



It also depends on what kind of clutch you have, if you have a puck style with no springs the aluminum flywheel might make daily driving difficult. I have a street/strip HD clutch from RB, and it's very driveable. The car revs like a demon, let the rotary free ditch that anchor of a stock flywheel :P

 

Maybe im dumb but how does a lighter flywheel affect launches?

 

A flywheel with a higher moment of inertia (which is usually true for heavier flywheels, but it really depends where on the flywheel the mass is concentrated), will have less tendency to bog when you launch, because more energy is stored in the flywheel (greater inertia at n rpm than another flywheel with a lower moment of inertia (light one), at n rpm.).



Think of it this way, you have two vehicles, all things equal, except one has twice the mass of the other. Both vehicles are traveling at the same rate, which one can slow to a stop in a shorter distance (lets assume traction is not an issue)? The lighter one.



Well, when you go to engage the clutch on your motor, the lighter the rotating assembly (rotors, counterweights, flywheel, pressure plate...) the less inertia there will be (usually), so it's easier to bog the motor. Lighter flywheel usually requires leaving from a stop at higher RPM than the stock flywheel to compensate for the lost inertia. This becomes exaggerated if you have also upgraded the clutch to a quick engagement type with little damping and a beefier pressure plate.



For drag racing, the light flywheels are great for acceleration, but can be more difficult to leave the line with. But rotary engined vehicles usually leave the line @ the strip at high rpm anyways, at least the serious ones do... anything > 6k and the light flyhweel is definately not going to pose any problems with bogging. But to launch like that you need good hot rubber before you run. If any of you have seen crispeed 1/4 mile movies, thats how you really launch an rx-7



imo light flywheels are great, and make the car alot more responsive and fun to drive. The stock FC flywheel is heavy enough to be a boat anchor.

 

the stock FC flywheels are very heavy. the FD flywheel is pretty light from the factory though.....

 

I think FC flywheels are from 24-28lbs hefty!

 

i say the 17lb flywheel is just right weight wise. i don't see a need for a super light flywheel lol

 

the fc flywheel is pretty heavy, I've lifted one and I was surprised, it didn't look nearly that heavy.

 

Is it possible to remove some of the weight from the flywheel with a milling machine or lathe. Maybe remove likek2 lbs from the outside of the wheel or would that compromise strength?

 

ha ha Node is George W on the other forum and some chick on this one. RX7club is down AGAIN!!

 

for drag racing a stock flywheel is best. for road racing a light flywheel is better...