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Wheel arch liners .... Do I need them?



I'm looking at ways to reduce the weight of my sprint / hillclimb car..... This afternoon I spent a couple of hours with a heat gun removing masses of bitumen sound deadening panels from the boot where the previous owner had put a massive sound system :-(

For my next job i'm thinking about removing the wheel arch liners .... Any thoughts? Anybody else running without these liners?

i do drive it on the road to events so Im thinking I may need some protection?
 
  172, BMW 650i & X5
Rip em out....
Tons of weight saving on these things, with standard engine & box 800kg achievable. Poly carb windows, cut anything non essential and trim anything else.
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Greeny.

ClioSport Club Member
  440i + 182
I ripped most of mine out, purely as they got in the way, only kept enough of it to cover the pulleys.
 

R29TJR

ClioSport Club Member
  2005 RB 182 Cup
If you could take a pic that would be great. The last time I took my wheel off I thought it was all a little too open for my liking.
 
@GrahamV182 Took mine out. then did the bocconoc stages rally in the wet not sure if you can see in the pick but the liquid mud was oozing out from around the lights, the indicator hole and when you open the door the s**t in on the door shut was bad!

Hi Nathan - Wow - that's it then - they are definitely staying in. The A30 can get pretty wet and murky!

Improve your driving before you chase grams!

Yes - after nearly 20 years of competition driving I am aware that I'm the weakest link :)

But I'm not chasing grams. As my original post said I am looking at a number of ways for reducing weight and I felt the benefits of removing the arch liners was dubious, hence I asked the question. So far I have removed a combined weight of just over 5 kilos - I have some massive door speakers to come out this afternoon and then the interior carpets are next on the list. Whilst the door cards are out I'll see what else I can remove / lighten around the doors.

My options for weight reduction are limited. The problem is that I have to comply with the MotorSports Association (MSA) regulations for Road Going Series Production cars - so sadly most original equipment (like the rear seats) has to be retained. No plastic windows either …. but I could get a fibreglass bonnet. (Blue Book 11.4.7 - page 343)

Picture at Bunny's Leap, Wiscombe Park Hillclimb - because I like it :)

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  172, BMW 650i & X5
Hi Nathan - Wow - that's it then - they are definitely staying in. The A30 can get pretty wet and murky!



Yes - after nearly 20 years of competition driving I am aware that I'm the weakest link :)

But I'm not chasing grams. As my original post said I am looking at a number of ways for reducing weight and I felt the benefits of removing the arch liners was dubious, hence I asked the question. So far I have removed a combined weight of just over 5 kilos - I have some massive door speakers to come out this afternoon and then the interior carpets are next on the list. Whilst the door cards are out I'll see what else I can remove / lighten around the doors.

My options for weight reduction are limited. The problem is that I have to comply with the MotorSports Association (MSA) regulations for Road Going Series Production cars - so sadly most original equipment (like the rear seats) has to be retained. No plastic windows either …. but I could get a fibreglass bonnet. (Blue Book 11.4.7 - page 343)

Picture at Bunny's Leap, Wiscombe Park Hillclimb - because I like it :)

View attachment 1387915
You can keep the bits & pieces required by MSA but literally shave everything. People laugh at grams, grams add up to kilos equalling free released hp that others would try and fix with expensive add ons. Depends how deep you want to go and while rules aren't meant to be broken, the fastest work out how to bend them.
Pick a system or area at a time, read rules and cover every possibility, them the next and so on. Loads to be saved bud.
 
Carpets can be removed .... 11.4.6 on page 343. One of my jobs for today :)

I bought myself a heat gun for removing the bitumen backed panels in the boot - masses of the stuff as the previous owner was an audio freak. I'm sure there will be much more under the carpets.
.
 

donnylad

ClioSport Club Member
a little off topic, but not massively!

I was thinking of removing the rear spoiler to save weight, its fine within my regulations. does it actually do anything? and what will be underneath it if i get it off? massive holes to full and spray etc?

It might look a little odd, and no idea what they weight, with the light etc fitted to it.
 
a little off topic, but not massively!

I was thinking of removing the rear spoiler to save weight, its fine within my regulations. does it actually do anything? and what will be underneath it if i get it off? massive holes to full and spray etc?

It might look a little odd, and no idea what they weight, with the light etc fitted to it.

Don't think you can remove the rear spoiler.... Unless you are in ModProd class?

For road going .....

11.4.1 (page 343) "silhouette of the vehicle must remain unaltered in construction, dimension and material".
 
I was thinking of removing the rear spoiler to save weight, its fine within my regulations. does it actually do anything? and what will be underneath it if i get it off? massive holes to full and spray etc?
Some people fit the 1.2 spoiler(if you can call it that) as its lighter.
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Jekyll

ClioSport Club Member
You can get a CM composites rear spoiler. Same shape as the cup but without the rear light and rear light recess.

I'm guessing they'll be a little change in weight and still looks fairly ok. Plus cup spoilers are on the up for resale now if you keep the light in as Renault no longer sell them.

Can that be done in your class? @GrahamV182
 
You can get a CM composites rear spoiler. Same shape as the cup but without the rear light ........

Can that be done in your class? @GrahamV182

Interesting..... the car already has a carbon fibre rear spoiler but to the original silhouette. You asked is it legal in class? Now that's an interesting question......

11.4.2 of the bible states that ".... luggage / boot cover may be replaced with an alternative material". My argument is that the spoiler is part of the boot cover so can be replaced by an alternative material :) The car has been scrutineered about 50 times with the carbon spoiler fitted without a problem.
 
I believe it's genuine carbon fibre ...... I'll take a photo tomorrow. It was already on the rolling shell ...

It's extremely thin and tings when you flick it ...... not scientific I know but th CF body panels on the old Superlight Caterham had the same "ring". :)
 
Morning @Dr Jekyll ……. two pics of the spoiler below. The leading edge was tatty hence I've sprayed the first half inch a matt black colour (see first pic). Note rear wiper delete to save weight :)

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So much junk in the garage …..

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In a previous life it was a bit of a show car - I saw it as a rolling shell, covered in grime and minus the broken turbo engine. And the rest is in the build thread ….. :)

This old cover picture looks really funny on 17 inch wheels …..

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