Anyone run an aluminum flywheel?

[Killercanary]

I'm concidering buying an aluminum flywheel for my car to help offset the weight, and additional driveline HP loss from my new TKO tranny. I'm adding an alum DS that I've had for years to the car, but I was thinking since I may need to get an ew flywheel anyway, this might free up some ponies to the wheels and decrease my weight some. Anyone have any opinions on this?

[PKRWUD]

There are debates on where you will see gains and losses with an aluminum flywheel, but it's been my experience that a faster revving engine is the real difference. If you opt for one, just make sure that it has the correct external balancing to match your harmonic balancer.

Take care,
-Chris

[Dark Knight]

the alum. flywheel is better for road racers.. lets the car accelerate faster...heavier fly wheel is better for launching on the drag strip... higher inertia on the launch

[drudis]

Ditto (to the opinion above).
I installed the RAM flywheel on my TKO application.



MANY more photos off my homepage (TKO install link).

[Killercanary]

Is that a billet steel unit? I see it has a bunch of holes drilled into it unlike the stock unit, may it make it lighter? I just got off the phone with D&D and they said the billet unit isn't any lighter than the stock one.

[drudis]

The photo I posted above is the RAM aluminum, with a steel insert (where it hits the clutch disk). THis gives the lightness (almost) of all aluminum, yet the longevity of billet steel.
THe holes are merely how they rivet(?) the two compounds together, not for lightening.
Not sure how much lighter the billet all steel one is, but I remember holding both once, and you could tell.

[PatrickMx]

Mine is 11.2 pounds. Stock was almost 19. The holes are for attachment of the steel insert.

Mine launches just as it did before. But the car only weighs 3080 with me in it. It ran 8.30's 1/8th with 60 foots in the 1.80's on true radials. I only make 287 hp. That was with the stock flywheel. And weight then was 3127. I have added weld wheels and light hood.

I'll know in a couple of weeks when I get a decent track run. So far I know it is easier to shift on hard demand, easier to hit the rev limiter also. I have to learn to shift sooner.

Ive been told you free up 2.87 hp per pound. I have not verified this with dyno results yet.

[gp001]

From Hays:

Q. A friend tells me I should put an aluminum flywheel into my car. Is this a good idea?

A. Usually not. A flywheel stores inertia and greatly affects how the car will launch. A lighter flywheel won't store as much energy and won't hit the tires as hard. This can hurt sixty foot times and cause a loss of power between shifts as it won't store as much energy. A medium or heavy street car on street tires and streetable gears will benefit much more from a thirty, forty, or even fifty pound flywheel (depending on the car's horsepower, weight, and gear/tire combination). A heavier flywheel will "hit" the tires harder. An aluminum flywheel is best suited for use in a lightweight very high horsepower car with a "slipper" or multi-disc type clutch, or a circle track car for faster downshifting. This is one case where lighter aluminum is usually not better.

[Killercanary]

Originally posted by drudis
The photo I posted above is the RAM aluminum, with a steel insert (where it hits the clutch disk). THis gives the lightness (almost) of all aluminum, yet the longevity of billet steel.
THe holes are merely how they rivet(?) the two compounds together, not for lightening.
Not sure how much lighter the billet all steel one is, but I remember holding both once, and you could tell.

Where did you get it and how much was it if you don't mind?


I saw in an article on the rousch stage III mustang that its flywheel is aluminum...... if they put an aluminum unit of a street car, that might be worth looking into, right?

[drudis]

See my homepage for TKO install photos...

The flywheel was (expensive) at nearly $400 directly from RAM. Sometimes you can find them used for $250-ish.

RAM is at
THIS LINK