Interesting viral E46 weight reduction video

[shibui]

Hey guys,

This YouTuber dropped a nice walk-through of his E46 sedan (non-M3) weight reduction process. 4 million views in 2 weeks on an E46 video is viral in my books!

Anyway, I'm amazed that he got under 3000 lbs without removing any wiring. Is it that easy? I've already removed a lot of the same in my M3 but haven't got around to weighing it yet.

What do you guys think?

[liam821]

Obioban is probably the guy to ask!

[timmo]

It's Chrisfix! Arguably the most popular automotive-based youtube channel out there. No surprise on the view count...

[Obioban]

The 330i curb weight, stock, is 150-250 lbs lighter than the M3. Since this is an xi it's probably closer to the 150 end of that. Removing the same parts would get a similar reduction but higher end point.

[bigjae46]

In a non-M, easy to get under 3000lbs.

The problem in that video is he took almost all of the weight off the rear axle. Not terrible but need to be more strategic in weight reduction or you have to learn to like understeer.

[Arith2]

The 330i curb weight, stock, is 150-250 lbs lighter than the M3. Since this is an xi it's probably closer to the 150 end of that. Removing the same parts would get a similar reduction but higher end point.

M3 is 3415lbs and the 330i is 3285lbs.

We have an iron block, more throttle bodies, heavier brakes, heavier axles, a larger differential, a heavier driveshaft, a bigger subframe in the rear and more bolts in the front, larger sway bars, a larger exhaust, an extra gear, smg parts, and bigger stock wheels and tires.

Weight wise in that 150lbs, we gain ALOT in the M3 I'd be happy with making it to 3100lbs. The problem is the rear end. Our engine is quite heavy. How do you guys address that in corner balancing?

[Obioban]

M3 is 3415lbs and the 330i is 3285lbs.

We have an iron block, more throttle bodies, heavier brakes, heavier axles, a larger differential, a heavier driveshaft, a bigger subframe in the rear and more bolts in the front, larger sway bars, a larger exhaust, an extra gear, smg parts, and bigger stock wheels and tires.

Weight wise in that 150lbs, we gain ALOT in the M3 I'd be happy with making it to 3100lbs. The problem is the rear end. Our engine is quite heavy. How do you guys address that in corner balancing?

Corner balancing doesn't care about front/rear weight distribution.

Front/rear balance is one of the reasons I don't mind running a stock weight muffler-- that weight is super low and super far back, so good for COG and good for weight distribution.

That said, on my car (which is just under 3100 lbs)….
-Fog light delete is weight off the nose.
-CSL airbox is weight off the front (especially if you don’t run the flat/flap ducting, which is part of the reason I don’t)
-I nixed the stock E fan because it’s heavy and on the nose. The SPAL is lighter and further back.
-nixed the clutched fan for the same reason
-I’m currently in the process of moving from Xenons to LED headlights to save weight on them, because they’re all the way forward
-I relocated my washer tank to the drug bin, because it’s heavy and all the way forward.
-BBK lightens the front brakes pretty significantly
-I’m running a hollow front bar (and solid rear bar) to reduce the front weight gained from the larger sway
-I have deleted the secondary air pump/mounting bracket/hose
-headers move the weight rearwards, as it moved the cats from attached to the engine to the middle of the car
-I haven’t done them, but I may— CF front fenders (painted)
-nixed the bottom of the hood insulation pad (… pretty small weight savings, but more airbox noise)
-CSL cabin air filter housing saved some off the front

And 2 of the 3 big weight savers on my car (seats (60 lbs) and CF roof (44 lbs) are dead center, so don’t move the weight distribution forwards.

[BigRussia]

Obioban was just about to ask if you still have your factory sunroof, but then saw your last line at the bottom about the CF roof. Being COG is one of the biggest factors to weight reduction benefits I figure deleting the factory sunroof has the best return for weight/cog handling improvement it were replaced with even just a CF sunroof delete panel. Granted, I've held off as my sunroof works perfectly and feel bad deleting it even though I legit never use it (dont like having the top of my head scorched in the brutal SFL sun). I'd love to have my car under 3200lbs without going crazy. Going to be weighing my car soon before I start major weight reduction (rear seats and other interior bits, sound system, maybe sunroof delete panel), hope it's currently under or in the low 3300s.

-I nixed the stock E fan because it’s heavy and on the nose. The SPAL is lighter and further back.
-nixed the clutched fan for the same reason

By factory E-fan do you mean the pusher fan in front of the coolers? And youre running an E-fan for the puller? Not sure what you meant by those.

I also have a CSF oil cooler, which added 8+lbs to the nose of the car, along with thicker Turner sway bar. I'm really trying to offset it anyway I can, but I feel better having deleted the windshield washer tank, SAP, and figured catless headers are less front end weight too since no more cats (car came catless so couldn't compare). Maybe i should reconsider deleting the fogs, i didnt think it'd make any difference since they only weigh less than 5lbs all together.

[Obioban]

Obioban was just about to ask if you still have your factory sunroof, but then saw your last line at the bottom about the CF roof. Being COG is one of the biggest factors to weight reduction benefits I figure deleting the factory sunroof has the best return for weight/cog handling improvement it were replaced with even just a CF sunroof delete panel. Granted, I've held off as my sunroof works perfectly and feel bad deleting it even though I legit never use it (dont like having the top of my head scorched in the brutal SFL sun). I'd love to have my car under 3200lbs without going crazy. Going to be weighing my car soon before I start major weight reduction (rear seats and other interior bits, sound system, maybe sunroof delete panel), hope it's currently under or in the low 3300s.


By factory E-fan do you mean the pusher fan in front of the coolers? And youre running an E-fan for the puller? Not sure what you meant by those.

I also have a CSF oil cooler, which added 8+lbs to the nose of the car, along with thicker Turner sway bar. I'm really trying to offset it anyway I can, but I feel better having deleted the windshield washer tank, SAP, and figured catless headers are less front end weight too since no more cats (car came catless so couldn't compare). Maybe i should reconsider deleting the fogs, i didnt think it'd make any difference since they only weigh less than 5lbs all together.

I had the CSF oil cooler and took it off the car because it weighed more than stock, and didn't actually do any better than stock at cooling the oil.

I nixed both of the stock from fans (pusher and clutched) and am just running the SPAL. At least in the temps I drive in (maxes out ~100 deg F, it's fine other than AC not working as well if I get stuck stationary in traffic for an extended period... which is rare, with how I use the M3 coupe (I've only experienced it twice since I did it years ago).

Nixing the fogs was primarily to add brake ducting, but the weight save is a nice perk given their location (all the way forwards).

CF roof is, for sure, the best weight reduction. It's high (worst), it's centered (best), it's a significant amount, and, if you're tall, it makes the car a nicer place to be (head room).

If you're going after making the car light, you're going to have to get away from the notion of, "it's only 5 lbs, so it doesn't make a difference". After the big 3 (sunroof, front seats, battery), the only way to get weight out of the car is a couple lbs at a time (that add up to a large amount if you do a lot of them). Finding 2 lbs 25 times is 50 lbs-- equal the one of the big 3.

[bigjae46]

Weight wise in that 150lbs, we gain ALOT in the M3 I'd be happy with making it to 3100lbs. The problem is the rear end. Our engine is quite heavy. How do you guys address that in corner balancing?

Not much you can do other than get the cross weights at 50/50. For me, removing the rear sway bar helped a lot.

[EthanolTurbo]

I had the CSF oil cooler and took it off the car because it weighed more than stock, and didn't actually do any better than stock at cooling the oil.

I nixed both of the stock from fans (pusher and clutched) and am just running the SPAL. At least in the temps I drive in (maxes out ~100 deg F, it's fine other than AC not working as well if I get stuck stationary in traffic for an extended period... which is rare, with how I use the M3 coupe (I've only experienced it twice since I did it years ago).

Nixing the fogs was primarily to add brake ducting, but the weight save is a nice perk given their location (all the way forwards).

CF roof is, for sure, the best weight reduction. It's high (worst), it's centered (best), it's a significant amount, and, if you're tall, it makes the car a nicer place to be (head room).

If you're going after making the car light, you're going to have to get away from the notion of, "it's only 5 lbs, so it doesn't make a difference". After the big 3 (sunroof, front seats, battery), the only way to get weight out of the car is a couple lbs at a time (that add up to a large amount if you do a lot of them). Finding 2 lbs 25 times is 50 lbs-- equal the one of the big 3.

It's actually the big 5... section 3 exhaust and wheels. I cut about 45 lbs off with my section 3 exhaust and 42 lbs of (unsprung!) weight with my wheels.

[Obioban]

It's actually the big 5... section 3 exhaust and wheels. I cut about 45 lbs off with my section 3 exhaust and 42 lbs of (unsprung!) weight with my wheels.

AFAIK the heaviest stock wheels are 24 lbs front, 27 lbs rear, so you’d have to have average 15.5 lb wheels to take 42 lbs out there… even my 17x8” BBS RGRs on the wagon fronts are 16.5 lbs each.

I suppose the muffler counts, but it's the worst place on the car to save weight by a long shot (all the way back, at the lowest point) and comes with a huge NHV penalty, so...
(though, by that logic, I should also not mention the battery)

[m3nt0s]

AFAIK the heaviest stock wheels are 24 lbs front, 27 lbs rear, so you’d have to have average 15.5 lb wheels to take 42 lbs out there… even my 17x8” BBS RGRs on the wagon fronts are 16.5 lbs each.

I suppose the muffler counts, but it's the worst place on the car to save weight by a long shot (all the way back, at the lowest point) and comes with a huge NHV penalty, so...
(though, by that logic, I should also not mention the battery)

I thought the stock non-ZCP 19’s were 27.72 and 29.26 for front and rear respectively. I still have the links in my wheel search spreadsheet to the old M3F for weight research, but those are obviously dead now. This is part of the reason why I was so excited to move to 18” RG-R’s!

[Obioban]

I thought the stock non-ZCP 19’s were 27.72 and 29.26 for front and rear respectively. I still have the links in my wheel search spreadsheet to the old M3F for weight research, but those are obviously dead now. This is part of the reason why I was so excited to move to 18” RG-R’s!

Egads. Boat anchors.

Well, that certainly increase what you can save from wheels!

I suspect I was thinking of the OE18s, as the OE19s were always a non starter for me

Wheels are certainly THE BEST place on the car to save weight. Rotating and unsprung mass. Probably counts 4-8x as much as any other place on the car, so losing 40 lbs there is like 160-320 lbs off the body.

... my new, smaller 17" track wheels arrive tomorrow! 16.95 lbs each

[EthanolTurbo]

AFAIK the heaviest stock wheels are 24 lbs front, 27 lbs rear, so you’d have to have average 15.5 lb wheels to take 42 lbs out there… even my 17x8” BBS RGRs on the wagon fronts are 16.5 lbs each.

I suppose the muffler counts, but it's the worst place on the car to save weight by a long shot (all the way back, at the lowest point) and comes with a huge NHV penalty, so...
(though, by that logic, I should also not mention the battery)

My stock 19s were 27 and 29 lbs. My 18" Volks are 17.2 and 17.8 lbs.

I agree about the location of section 3 but my Dixis sounds incredible and has zero drone on the highway except a minor spot at 2400ish RPM with heavy load. Worth it!!!