aluminum or steel flywheel???

Post your comments & questions

Moderators: FAOA Administrators, FAOA Moderators

Post Reply
User avatar
1995firehawk0238
Posts: 528
Joined: Sat Jan 05, 2008 9:33 pm
Location: Bartlesville, OK
Contact:

aluminum or steel flywheel???

Post by 1995firehawk0238 » Tue Mar 10, 2009 6:19 pm

well i will be replacing my stock LT1 flywheel in the very near future and cant decide if i want to go to a billet steel flywheel, or a billet aluminum jobber. ive had some people tell me that the aluminum flywheels make it harder to drive daily and that my take off will suffer, and ive had others tell me that the difference wont be that great. i do know that once the car has taken off ill get much quicker revs due to the decrease in rotational mass which should make the car alot meaner on the street. what do you all think??? looking at the cost of both i dont see where it would be better to go to a new steel piece if the aluminum can do more for me. anyone swapped over to an aluminum flywheel and if so what do you think of it?? also what has it made the car like to launch or just drive in town??? any and all advice will be greatly appreciated.

karl
1995 Formula Firehawk #238 MN6 48U TOTL
2001 Trans Am Firehawk #372 MX0 28U 1LE
2002 Harley Davidson Supercharged F-150 #3019 Dark Shadow Gray

Chuck Stong
Posts: 315
Joined: Fri Mar 22, 2002 4:37 am
Location: Dallas, Texas
Contact:

Re: aluminum or steel flywheel???

Post by Chuck Stong » Thu Mar 12, 2009 2:15 am

I think this has been talked about before, but here are my thoughts. First thing I would do is get the weights of each flywheel and see what you are really looking at. Too light will make you rev more to move the car. The revs will increase more easily in NEUTRAL, but not so much while in gear, because to have to factor in the weight of the entire drivetrain, something most forget about.

Nothing wrong with the stock flywheel, and its also fairly light, 19lbs if I remember correctly.
Chuck Stong
94 #307, 383 setup for roadracing and with an audiophile quality sound system

LT4Firehawk
Posts: 398
Joined: Fri Sep 26, 2003 3:12 pm
Location: Frisco, TX
Contact:

Re: aluminum or steel flywheel???

Post by LT4Firehawk » Sat Mar 21, 2009 10:39 am

I have the SLP Billet steel, and it's significantly lighter than stock, replaced it with a new one when the clutch went out. Fairly easy to launch the car, but there is some occassional shudder if I'm trying to be too easy with it (very easy to launch hard at strip or on the street). Mostly notice when in stop and go traffic, which for me is typically only dropping the kids off at school. :roll: My SLp unit lasted about 50K miles, and might have been able to go further but was too deeply scored when the clutch went out. Problem is I don't think you can find the SLP unit anymore. For drag racing, there have been quite a few tests done, and the fidanza actually does give the best times, however, it is harder to launch.

FYI, here are the weights:
Stock: ~28lbls
SLP: ~21lbs (can't find specifics, only "7lbs less than stock"
Fidanza aluminum: 12-13lbs
Evan
97 LT4 Firehawk #27, 330RWHP
www.LT1.net
Image

User avatar
1995firehawk0238
Posts: 528
Joined: Sat Jan 05, 2008 9:33 pm
Location: Bartlesville, OK
Contact:

Re: aluminum or steel flywheel???

Post by 1995firehawk0238 » Sun Mar 22, 2009 1:05 am

ive done alot of research and for now im replacing my stock flywheel with another stock one. once i go back to iraq and my budget for the car is much larger than it is now, she is getting a McLeod street twin disc clutch with aluminum flywheel and their new SFI approved bellhousing. gonna get it all at once. oh, also evan, do you remember scot with the 98 prototype hawk?? well he is going to repaint my car right after leave. gonna have the car redone in the factory color.
1995 Formula Firehawk #238 MN6 48U TOTL
2001 Trans Am Firehawk #372 MX0 28U 1LE
2002 Harley Davidson Supercharged F-150 #3019 Dark Shadow Gray

LT4Firehawk
Posts: 398
Joined: Fri Sep 26, 2003 3:12 pm
Location: Frisco, TX
Contact:

Re: aluminum or steel flywheel???

Post by LT4Firehawk » Sun Mar 22, 2009 2:07 pm

Yeah, I've been trying to get my car over to Scott for about six months now to get a completely buffing and some touch ups, but I keep having other issues come up.
Evan
97 LT4 Firehawk #27, 330RWHP
www.LT1.net
Image

User avatar
1995firehawk0238
Posts: 528
Joined: Sat Jan 05, 2008 9:33 pm
Location: Bartlesville, OK
Contact:

Re: aluminum or steel flywheel???

Post by 1995firehawk0238 » Mon Mar 23, 2009 9:40 pm

well ive seen his 71 TA and was thouroughly impressed with his work. one of my good friends has a pretty healthy 97 Z28 that has an SS spoiler and ultra Z hood that scot is going to paint in SOM. cant wait to see that one!!
1995 Formula Firehawk #238 MN6 48U TOTL
2001 Trans Am Firehawk #372 MX0 28U 1LE
2002 Harley Davidson Supercharged F-150 #3019 Dark Shadow Gray

Post Reply