[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.