Lightest Weight JL

[sonrider657]

Most Jeep modifications add weight to the rig. Who has bucked the trend and focused on making their JL as light as possible? What mods have you done to reduce mass? Bonus points if you can quantify the weight savings (what are the Before and After vehicle weights?).

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[Aonarch]

FYI the Rubicon wheels weigh 21.6 lbs.

Most people ditch them for much heavier wheels.

 

[ASSFROW]

Helium in my tires and methane in my belly, not sure what else I could to to a stock JLU to lighten it while keeping it as safe and as versatile as it currently is.

 

[azwjowner]

I think this topic calls for @Tredsdert, who has reduced mass by cutting out sections of the structural steel

 

[Tr4ckD4ys]

Are you trying to build a desert racer? Or for performance gains in general? I’m curious about this, though admittedly so far I’ve only added weight rather than removed any.

I think in terms of wheels you could definitely find something lighter but of course you’d basically put passenger vehicle rims and tires on. Other ideas: Remove the rear bench, passenger seat, remove stock bumpers, remove tire carrier and tire, replace the hardtop with a soft top, …

 

[Apples491]

Are you trying to build a desert racer? Or for performance gains in general? I’m curious about this, though admittedly so far I’ve only added weight rather than removed any.

I think in terms of wheels you could definitely find something lighter but of course you’d basically put passenger vehicle rims and tires on. Other ideas: Remove the rear bench, passenger seat, remove stock bumpers, remove tire carrier and tire, replace the hardtop with a soft top, …

I've never investigated it myself but pretty sure you'd have to do some electronic hackery to the airbag system to pull the passenger seat. It's has the occupant detection sensors in it.

 

[Deleted User 38384]

Most Jeep modifications add weight to the rig. Who has bucked the trend and focused on making their JL as light as possible? What mods have you done to reduce mass? Bonus points if you can quantify the weight savings (what are the Before and After vehicle weights?).

As many holes as I've drilled in my Jeep, and as much weight as I probably have reduced it in total, I think most of the weight is probably still there.

Removed the rear seats and all the carpets and majority of the plastic trim, but installed a DIY aftermarket rear seat in the cargo area along with a B-Pillar harness bar.

Chopped out the c-pillar crossbar (in one of my most hated threads yet ), but I'm going to install a RockHard 4x4 third row bar and C-Pillar Support columns in their stead which realistically probably added weigh more than the factory C-Pillar crossbar did.

I deleted my tailgate at one point, and ran a mesh bikini top in its place, but ended up re-adding that a year or two later.

I deleted my spare tire, but then I reinstalled the spare tire in the cargo area along with a rough country spare tire carrier, and then later moved that spare tire back onto the tailgate with about extra 100lbs (of weight over the factory spare tire carrier) of steel to mount it.

I got an aluminum angle for my front bumper now, but then I put a 85 lb winch on it.

I've been meaning to weigh my Jeep for a minute, but never seem to get around to it.

I wouldn't be shocked with the 37s and modifications that my Jeep actually weighs more than it did from the factory. I mean carpets only way a lot if they're wet!

Oh the hardtop has the rightmost rear window smashed out and I replaced it with a aluminum sheet metal... But now that I think about it, I installed a steel Molle panel over that... I guess that's a wash.

Definitely cut my Jeep into bits and pieces, If this was a contest for who's cut and drilled (I have over 70 holes drilled in my Wrangler at this point, So many I'm beginning to forget where they all are) the most parts of their Jeep up, I would definitely be victorious, but as for weight, I'm not sure exactly where I stand!

The only real weight savings I can think of that didn't get replaced is the polycarbonate back window.

 

[Apples491]

Things you could do, with only a tiny bit of sarcasm. I haven't done any of them. Well, I suppose I did remove my aux battery but it was to install a dual full sized battery setup so ...

Drive topless
Remove the doors
Swap the metal OEM bumpers for the plastic versions
Remove the OEM skid plates
Remove the rock sliders or side steps
Strip all of the carpet out of the interior
Remove the aux battery
Remove the rear seats
Remove the spare tire and mount
Delete the muffler
Never fill your gas tank past 1/4
Buy a 2 door

 

[yokramer]

Without cutting panels the only thing you can really do is remove easy things like the spare, carpet, rear seat. Maybe lighter wheels and tires.

All that to drop like 300lbs maybe and do what exactly? Its a giant brick made to trundle over rocks.

 

[Deleted User 38384]

Without cutting panels the only thing you can really do is remove easy things like the spare, carpet, rear seat. Maybe lighter wheels and tires.

All that to drop like 300lbs maybe and do what exactly? Its a giant brick made to trundle over rocks.

Something I still want to do, but maybe when I get a little more storage on the property, soft doors..

Factory doors I believe are 45 lb for the front and 35 lb for the rear doors on a four-door, you can get soft doors for both front and rear and I believe it dropped it down to like 20 lb total.

Security goes out the window in that case, but beggars can't be choosers!

Bestop Two Piece Soft Doors

 

[Ratbert]

but beggars can't be choosers!

They would, however, have direct access to whatever they choose from your Jeep!

 

[cha lee]

My wallet is a lot lighter. Does that count?

 

[Woodsman]

Great topic! Most people do things that add lots of weight to a Jeep. Reducing weight is an awesome performance modification. Plus you save gas.

The cheapest and fastest way to lighten your Jeep is to remove the back seat. That's a big weight savings. The back seat in my 2 door JLR is prolly around 50 lbs.

Getting lighter rims/tires is another way to lose weight. This method will also reduce inertia in the drivetrain.

Another great way to lose weight is to upgrade to a lithium ion battery. The stock battery probably weighs around 50 lbs. A lithium ion battery weighs less than half. Probably around 15 - 20 lbs. Plus a lithium ion battery is far superior in electrical power & performance. Plus it lasts many more years than a standard battery. Yes it's an expensive battery but it will most likely pay for itself. Therefore it cost you nothing in the long run.

 

[maxp0wers]

I focused on limiting weight added for parts rather than really attempt to build a lightweight jeep. The latter doesn't really make sense.

My rubicon 4xe is already 5200lbs from the factory. It is "only" about 5480lbs now without me in it. That's after:

Front and rear bumper
Winch
Sway skid
Engine skid
Lca and fad skids
Rear tire carrier and hinges
35" tires and aftermarket wheels
Rock slider/step sliders
Exhaust
Front and rear track bars

A few other things with negligible differences. Maybe another 25lbs or so?

Without paying attention to weight i could easily of added several hundred more pounds. That's the difference is want rather than trying to strip it down to hundreds of pounds under factory weight.

I have a decent list of oem weights with aftermarket parts from things I removed to satisfy my curiosity. I can put it up later.

I can tell you a huge weight savings: McGard lug nuts. They advertise 30% lighter weight...and they are right on.

Math:

Stock lugs nuts: 1 lbs per wheel
McGard: .7 lbs per wheel

30% savings! Big time stuff. I probably got like an extra 10mpg out of that.

 

[Ratbert]

Great topic! Most people do things that add lots of weight to a Jeep. Reducing weight is an awesome performance modification. Plus you save gas.

The cheapest and fastest way to lighten your Jeep is to remove the back seat. That's a big weight savings. The back seat in my 2 door JLR is prolly around 50 lbs.

Getting lighter rims/tires is another way to lose weight. This method will also reduce inertia in the drivetrain.

Another great way to lose weight is to upgrade to a lithium ion battery. The stock battery probably weighs around 50 lbs. A lithium ion battery weighs less than half. Probably around 15 - 20 lbs. Plus a lithium ion battery is far superior in electrical power & performance. Plus it lasts many more years than a standard battery. Yes it's an expensive battery but it will most likely pay for itself. Therefore it cost you nothing in the long run.

Why stop there? That winch is nothing but dead weight! Delete it! Ditto for those heavy bumpers, skid plates, roof, spare, tailgate, carpets, and (hopefully obviously) the passenger seat!

Reducing weight is an awesome performance modification. Plus you save gas and get rich from FB Marketplace!

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