I don't know much about flywheels, but I was wondering if you guys could help me out.

LCE makes several different flywheels ranging from 9lbs to 35lbs. Why would you go with a light flywheel? Why would you go with a heavier flywheel?

Thanks for any help.

 

light f/w revs up quicker,heavy f/w retains torque .you need heavy for off roading.

 

So should I use a light flywheel for street?

 

Yes you should. If you dont do any 4wheeling.

 

my 2 cents?i'd use a stock f/w.

 

why's that? his truck is light, a light flywheel would drastically improve how fast his engine revs up.

if i were building a 2wd truck, that'd be on my list for improvements on the engine.

 

For a 2wd I would go light, but maybe not 9lb, if it's too light you will have no torque from a stop. For 4wd go heavy.

 

if i were doing this...

i'd combine a well-built engine with a 9 or 15lb flywheel, and something at least 4.10 or 4.30 in the rear end. it'll limit your top speed, but nobody's going to beat you off the line.

 

2wd seemed pretty quick to me.my 4wd's are slow,i guess i'm used to it.

 

Thanks for all the feedback. Does anyone know the weight of my stock flywheel? So 9lbs is probably too light? Maybe 15lbs then?

Still learning the lingo , but are you talking about the rear differential? If so, what's the difference between 4.10 and 4.30? What comes stock? How much would one cost plus install?

Thanks for all the help.

 

Bump.

 

YT1986,
Teh 4.10 etc is the rear end gear ratio (or front end if you are 4wd). To get a good description of how it works, got to howstuffworks.com They have some good explanations for all kinds of crap and some good animations too. Check out the rotary engine one! A lower ratio (higher #) is good for low end torque and mud/rock crawling. A taller ratio (lower number) is good for hiway and fuel economy. A taller gear will lower rpm at high speeds. Also, tire size can have an effect on this too, so alot goes into selecting a gear set. Hope that helps out. If your motor is basically stock, leave the flywheel alone. It does not give enough performance change for the money or effort. Also, sort out your motor, tires and gears first. Flywheel is the last you should do and should complement changes you have already made. Also, for a lighter flywheel, take it to a race shop with a balancer. They can shave wiehgt from the stock and some good shops can add weight. DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!! The flywheel requires a precision balance to prevent engine damage. I know this because I have balanced them before and the difference is huge (even a stock one is out of balance a little!) Good luck!!

 

Thanks for the explanation. I am planning on purchasing new wheels and tires some day, so like you said, I'll get that done before messing with the flywheel. Thanks for the help.

 

i think with a 5 speed and most likely 7.5" rear axle, you've got a good chance of having 3.42 gears. i think 3.54(or 3.58) and 3.73 were also pretty common in base model trucks.

you could get a set of 4.10s or 4.30s out of the front end of a '86-95 4x4 for dirt cheap, these gears will work in your truck(however the thirds are different so you'd need to have the gears set up in your third member). it would make a DRASTIC increase in power off the line and acceleration at the cost of top speed(what's your tire size? i could figure out what your top end would be)

 

The outside diameter of my tire is 25". So I could get the front end of and 86-95 4x4, and put it in my rear? Thanks for the help.

 

If you have an 8" rear end I can sell you a 3rd member with 4.10 gears. I have heard of 2wd's with 8" rear ends.

 

my truck is an 85 4x2 and it has an 8" rear end.. you need to figure out what you had... also my truck was a base stripped down model... according to the VIN plate i have a 4 speed tranny and a 8" rear with 3.07 gears... however my truck has a 5 speed tranny and it does indeed have an 8" rear

my truck was very base model.... no acc.... the only thing on my drive belt is the crank pulley, waterpump and the alternator.. i also had a stock vynil bench seat

 

you can't just drop in 4x4 gears in your truck, unless you have an 8" rear end. you need to have them put into your third member, as the front on an '86-95 truck/runner has a different style third that won't work. shouldn't be too expensive in the end, as those used gears can be dirt cheap and since they're in the front they're also in good shape.

theorietically, if you have 3.42 gears(i'm guessing) and 25" tires and a 5 speed, your top speed at 4800RPM(factory hp peak for the 22R) will be about 123mph.

with 4.10s it would be 102mph...remember, that's running at 4800!

 

my truck has 8 inch with 4.30 its an 87 2wd top speed is over 100 i have only hit 95 so far

 

Thanks for all the help guys!

1987 Street Toy, I'm guessing your not an offroader by your name "street toy?" If so, it's nice to see another street pickup on the forum . Do you have any pictures of your truck?