Does anybody know the weight distribution of a 240z with a L24????

I'm wondering whether the battery was remounted in the rear on the 240z rally cars

steve

Don't know the answer to your question Steve but its a good point, with two people aboard and a full petrol tank it would likely be signficantly bum heavy. I used to assume that putting the battery etc in the back was a good thing but this is not necessarily so.

To my knowledge it wasn't remounted. I've never seen the battery position changed in a rally zed.

Perhaps if the zed had a separate boot compartment it might have been a different story. Even so the zed was a heavy beast in comparison to other rally cars of it's era.

I remember reading somewhere that the distribution was 55-45, which is regarded as pretty good for something that isn't mid-mounted!

  Quote

Originally posted by Zedrally

I remember reading somewhere that the distribution was 55-45, which is regarded as pretty good for something that isn't mid-mounted!

Wasn't there a thread about whether the z was virtually mid-engined due to the engine being mounted so far back in the chassis

My 240Z was right around 48/52 in stock trim with a 220 lb driver.

After some serious lightening and battery relo it is closer to 49/51.

I know there are at least a few cars that are 50/50.

And now for the obvious question:

Is there any noticable steering, braking, [or other] difference:

1. On dirt.

2. On Tarmac.

Steve , it's been 3 or 4 years back but I weighed my '73 with me 215 lb driver and a half tank of fuel , total it was right at 2600 lbs and about evenly split , the front was about 100 lbs more than the rear. I am sorry I dident write the numbers down. Hope this helps. Gary:classic:

All works rally Z's were known to be front heavy and it took a good driver to get the back out on a stage. Mehta wrecked rather a lot of them; no doubt because of the understeer.

As to weight balance and ratio's Big Sam, which is now a lightweight racer, weighs 912 kgs (2010lbs) and the balance is 49.5:50.5% (back to front). Even though it is an ex works car and has a heavily reinforced shell and Sam's engine is further back than norml, together with the fibreglass front wings I am surprised to see some of the ratios quoted here.

We always set up Sam on 4 corner weight guages connected to a pc.

Regards

Nick Howell

Don't forget that the Works rally 240Z's were fitted with 100 Litre fuel tanks. They even stepped up to 120 Litre tanks later. Imagine the weight of a full tank...........

They also - usually - carried two spare wheels and tyres, and some extra kit on the back.

Probably safe to say that precise weight distribution / corner weighting was not a priority on Works rally cars of that period.

912kgs is quite remarkable, the rollcages must have been aluminium, did the works car have anything more than a halfcage?

Steve

No..its a full cage and steel. Aluminium ones are not accepted for some racing over here. The works cars were also steel but really only a roll hoop with rear stays and fixings attached for the two spare wheels.

Nick

Alloy cages were banned in Australia after 2000, unless a car was log booked with one before that date.

I have an alloy half cage in my 240 but the PO still hasn't found the log book :sleepy: