Very true that some cars won't benefit from an additional chunk of HP in first gear becuse they are already over the traction limit. However, I think the average light to moderately modded FD can still benefit from the extra power. My car does hold traction in second gear, which I estimated to get about a 15 HP gain with the light flywheel. I also just like the way the car feels a lot better with a light flywheel. It feels sluggish with the heavy stocker, IMO. The most important benefit of the light flywheel to me is that it is easier to heel & toe and it matters less if you don't match perfectly. That alone is worth the switch to me.

I can't imagine anyone switching to a light flywheel and not being happy with it unless they had a very heavily modded FD that they used only for drag racing, or if they lived on a long hill that was always full of traffic. And even then they would probably be torn...

-Max

 

The only way to explain to someone that has never experienced a flywheel in a FD is go buy the damn thing and put it in (might as well do the clutch while you're at it) The difference is your FD will feel more like a motorcycle. If you thought that it was nimble and quick before, it will feel even quicker - "quicker" is a good word for the feel of the car. I think that for $350-400 anybody could use an extra 50 hp in 1st and 15 in 2nd. I've never heard of anybody saying they disliked their flywheel mod - ever.

 

A friend of mine had a clutch put in his car and stayed with the stock flywheel. A few weeks later I let him drive my car (our setups were similar back then -- stock turbos and basic bolt-ons). He took his car back to the shop and had them put a light flywheel in the following week!

-Max

 

I have a 9.5lbs lightweight flywheel and I love it. Surprisingly the car is not that much more difficult to drive. I had expected it to be unbearable on the street in stop and go traffic (based on what other people had told me) but the difference, though certainly significant, is not extreme. Starting from a stop requires a little bit more gas and a little bit more clutch slip, and revs drop quite a bit more during gear changes, but I have not really had a hard time at all driving in moderate traffic or on city roads (this is with the flywheel paired up to an ACT street/strip clutch plate and heavy-duty pressure plate).

The real difference of course comes when driving the car hard, at the track. Goes up to redline quicker, but the true advantage is during heel & toe rev-matching... blipping the throttle has never been so pleasant. Greatly increased engine response; even if you are off on the rev-match the resulting jolt is not as drastic as with a stock flywheel.

Unless you are a hardcore drag racer you will want to seriously consider this upgrade. I couldn't care less about minor hp differences at the dyno, the difference in driving characteristics are more than enough to sell me on it.

 

I must add that the annoying start-and-go and launching problem only lasted for the first 2k miles.

 

well boys mine is on the way, I will let you know how I like it when I get it on. Cann't wait!