HP Autowerks lightweight battery kit installed

BerkTechnology · 05-06-2009, 02:13 PM

In our ongoing saga of building the ultimate 135i street/track car we're now focusing our attention to weight savings. When you pull weight out of the car you help EVERYTHING. Acceleration is improved, braking, handling, etc. It's a win/win/win/win situation.

HP Autowerks had this very trick looking aluminum battery tray and Braille battery kit that we've been eyeing. Once I laid my eyeballs on it at Bimmerfest we had to have it! We opted for the slightly larger 21lb battery since the car still does some daily duty on the street. You could go as light as the 11lb battery but these BMW's suck up a lot of juice and I would worry about killing a battery that small. So the story of the scales goes as follows:

53lbs = OEM BMW lead acid battery
23lbs = HP Autowerks battery tray + Braille battery
30lbs saved

That calculates to comfortably under $10 for each pound lost. Edit: I cannot do math!

Onto the install pics!

HP Autowerks kit vs OEM BMW Battery

Top view - The OEM battery absolutely dwarfs the HP kit!

Going in.....

Re-tuck some of those cables so they are tidy and out of the way.

And the finished product!

Vroom vroom. 30lbs lighter.

TakeOne · 05-06-2009, 02:33 PM

Very nice write up. This sure beats running twice a week! lol

Citizen Z · 05-06-2009, 03:07 PM

Wait, those 21lb batteries are $180. How the hell did you calculate $1 per pound?

blueline994 · 05-06-2009, 04:05 PM

I like were this is going!

ridin135 · 05-06-2009, 04:06 PM

That last picture looks hilarious. If this is $30 I will get this asap.

BerkTechnology · 05-06-2009, 04:18 PM

LOL, forgot to add a zero! It's under $10 per pound lost.

yandy · 05-06-2009, 04:22 PM

that's awesome!

Citizen Z · 05-06-2009, 04:41 PM

Ok, so now the question: would you pay $5000 to lose 500lbs off the weight of this car? Considering 100lbs = about 15 crank hp, that'd be +75hp plus all the handling benefits. But for 5g's?

HP Autosport · 05-06-2009, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Citizen Z

Ok, so now the question: would you pay $5000 to lose 500lbs off the weight of this car? Considering 100lbs = about 15 crank hp, that'd be +75hp plus all the handling benefits. But for 5g's?

$5000 to take off 500 lbs? I would do it in a heart beat. You will not have a quicker acceleration, but less vehicle weight will aid cornering and braking as well.

It will be like driving an E36 M3, but with a lot more hp and tq.

ichiban · 05-06-2009, 06:48 PM

yea, $5000 is nothing. people pay a lot of money to remove a lot less weight (i.e acid bath). So how much is the whole setup? link?

Berduderunner · 05-06-2009, 08:28 PM

nice INFO berk!

J Tyler · 05-07-2009, 01:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Citizen Z

Ok, so now the question: would you pay $5000 to lose 500lbs off the weight of this car? Considering 100lbs = about 15 crank hp, that'd be +75hp plus all the handling benefits. But for 5g's?

Over the course of a 2:00 track lap, 100lbs is worth roughly 1s per lap (tested at our current weight by using a 150lb passenger). 500lbs would be a MASSIVE increase in all-around performance!

I will definitely notice this 30lbs Berk just saved. Especially because it's "polar" weight, out at the end of the car. This will be very noticeable on track.

HP Autosport · 05-13-2009, 06:57 PM

Anybody wants one for their 128i or 135i?

WonWunONE · 05-15-2009, 01:09 PM

Overall Price?

m7ammed · 05-15-2009, 01:24 PM

this might sound stupid but wouldn't removing weight from back and not removing the same amount from the front change the balance of the car? I mean in genral maybe not for 30 lbs but a bit more

Upgrade+ · 05-15-2009, 02:59 PM

This is one of the mods I was going to do for my suby STI. I never did though due to worrying about the battery life. How about the PC Odessey lightweight batteries? I remember reading in the forums that they tended to last better than the Braille.

J Tyler · 05-15-2009, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adood84

this might sound stupid but wouldn't removing weight from back and not removing the same amount from the front change the balance of the car? I mean in genral maybe not for 30 lbs but a bit more

Yes, doing this will change the balance of our car; but, removing weight is always a good thing! Taking weight out of the rear will give the rear tires a bit more grip. So, the balance of the car will 'tighten' some (more understeer), but because of the weight reduction the overall level of grip will improve, acceleration will improve, and braking will improve.

The weight loss will also have a small affect on rear ride height and rear alignment, but I don't think 30lbs is enough to justify a complete re-alignment and corner-balance of the car. This mod is a no-brainer for us.

Eyeman · 05-15-2009, 05:22 PM

I'll definitely buy a lighter weight battery, but I think I'll wait to do it when my stock battery wears out. That is unless someone wants to buy my stock battery or trade a lightweight one for it..lol.

akak1997 · 05-15-2009, 06:49 PM

if I will pay $5000 to shave 500lb on my 1er in a heartbeat(correctly of coz. I can shave 500lb on any car for free, but doesn't guaranty it'll move I'm done with it :P). you'd be lucky be able to shave 500lb for $10k.

Are there any specs on the battery? If I can read correctly, the factory battery is a 90AH battery, but I couldn't see what it is for the lightweight battery. does it have enough juice? my 135 is my DD, so it's not in storage or anything, but IIRC, our car draws 50amp easily.

Quote:

Taking weight out of the rear will give the rear tires a bit more grip.

Also, how does lighter weight in the rear give more grip at the rear? I always thought if you've less weight in the rear, you get less grip. That's why pickup trucks put water barrel on their bed during winter time.

Thanks

HP Autosport · 05-15-2009, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WonWunONE

Overall Price?

Here is the link to our web store.

The minimum I recommend is the 15 lb battery. 21 is the way to go for a daily driver.

HP Autosport · 05-15-2009, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by akak1997

Are there any specs on the battery? If I can read correctly, the factory battery is a 90AH battery, but I couldn't see what it is for the lightweight battery. does it have enough juice? my 135 is my DD, so it's not in storage or anything, but IIRC, our car draws 50amp easily.

The 21 lb Braille battery is rated at 30AH and should be enough to start your dd 135i each time. We have the 15 lb version in our 335i and had it parked for 2 weeks without any problems.

Berk will give us the long term test results I am sure.

Mad Dragon · 05-15-2009, 11:20 PM

BMWs kill stock batteries if you leave them on too long. I can't imagine a battery with 1/3 the capacity would last very long in a DD.

Not to mention changing a battery without registering it with the car's electrical system can cause problems.

05-06-2009, 02:13 PM	#1
BerkTechnology Lieutenant Colonel 223 Rep 1,565 Posts Drives: Fast Join Date: May 2008 Location: Irvine, CA iTrader: (1)	HP Autowerks lightweight battery kit installed - 30lbs lighter In our ongoing saga of building the ultimate 135i street/track car we're now focusing our attention to weight savings. When you pull weight out of the car you help EVERYTHING. Acceleration is improved, braking, handling, etc. It's a win/win/win/win situation. HP Autowerks had this very trick looking aluminum battery tray and Braille battery kit that we've been eyeing. Once I laid my eyeballs on it at Bimmerfest we had to have it! We opted for the slightly larger 21lb battery since the car still does some daily duty on the street. You could go as light as the 11lb battery but these BMW's suck up a lot of juice and I would worry about killing a battery that small. So the story of the scales goes as follows: 53lbs = OEM BMW lead acid battery 23lbs = HP Autowerks battery tray + Braille battery 30lbs saved That calculates to comfortably under $10 for each pound lost. Edit: I cannot do math! Onto the install pics! HP Autowerks kit vs OEM BMW Battery Top view - The OEM battery absolutely dwarfs the HP kit! Going in..... Re-tuck some of those cables so they are tidy and out of the way. And the finished product! Vroom vroom. 30lbs lighter. Last edited by BerkTechnology; 05-06-2009 at 04:17 PM..
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05-06-2009, 02:33 PM	#2
TakeOne Just1MoreMod 354 Rep 712 Posts Drives: F80 M3, F48 X1 Join Date: May 2008 Location: mid-atlantic iTrader: (7)	Very nice write up. This sure beats running twice a week! lol __________________ Stage 3 - Pure Turbo F80 M3 Dinan Infested F48 X1
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05-06-2009, 03:07 PM	#3
Citizen Z Alpine Master 111 Rep 1,310 Posts Drives: '08 135i AW Sport Join Date: May 2008 Location: Kansas iTrader: (1)	Wait, those 21lb batteries are $180. How the hell did you calculate $1 per pound? __________________ Alpine White with Taupe Leather 135i, Sports Package, Heated Seats, Comfort Access, iPod Adapter Fastness: http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=252727
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05-06-2009, 04:05 PM	#4
blueline994 New Member 1 Rep 26 Posts Drives: 135i Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Miami iTrader: (0)	I like were this is going!
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05-06-2009, 04:06 PM	#5
ridin135 Colonel 131 Rep 2,408 Posts Drives: Depends on the day Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Greenville iTrader: (7)	That last picture looks hilarious. If this is $30 I will get this asap.
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05-06-2009, 04:18 PM	#6
BerkTechnology Lieutenant Colonel 223 Rep 1,565 Posts Drives: Fast Join Date: May 2008 Location: Irvine, CA iTrader: (1)	LOL, forgot to add a zero! It's under $10 per pound lost.
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05-06-2009, 04:22 PM	#7
yandy Lieutenant Colonel 108 Rep 1,973 Posts Drives: 2009 e92 MR "Civic" ///M3 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Miami, FL iTrader: (3) Garage List 2009 BMW M3 [0.00]	that's awesome! __________________ \|\| DCT \| ESS Tune \| ACM Test-pipes \| AA Green Filter \| Swift Spec-R Springs \| Stoptech ST-40 F \|\| \|\| My Youtube Channel \|\|
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05-06-2009, 04:41 PM	#8
Citizen Z Alpine Master 111 Rep 1,310 Posts Drives: '08 135i AW Sport Join Date: May 2008 Location: Kansas iTrader: (1)	Ok, so now the question: would you pay $5000 to lose 500lbs off the weight of this car? Considering 100lbs = about 15 crank hp, that'd be +75hp plus all the handling benefits. But for 5g's? __________________ Alpine White with Taupe Leather 135i, Sports Package, Heated Seats, Comfort Access, iPod Adapter Fastness: http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=252727
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05-06-2009, 06:48 PM	#10
ichiban Colonel 95 Rep 2,012 Posts Drives: 08 135i Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bay Area, CA iTrader: (2)	yea, $5000 is nothing. people pay a lot of money to remove a lot less weight (i.e acid bath). So how much is the whole setup? link?
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05-06-2009, 08:28 PM	#11
Berduderunner drk one 38 Rep 797 Posts Drives: 2008 135i Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Tampa/Orlando iTrader: (0) Garage List 2008 e90 335i [0.00] 2008 135i [0.00]	nice INFO berk! __________________ Jet Black \| Coral \| HighGlossBlack \| Steptronic \| Premium \| Sport \| Comfort \| ActiveSteering \| Navi \| HiFi \| HD \| iPod \| SAT BMS JB3 v2.0 \| BMS DCI \| Berk Tech Sport Exhaust \| UR * DPs \| CoolingMist Meth Kit w/ CMGS \| H&R OE Sport Springs \| Breyton GTS-R \| Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Specs \| GP Thunder 8000K Low Beams/Angel Eyes/Cornering Lights \| LED Interior Light Kit \| Window Tint \| Smoked Tail Lights \| Smoked License Plate Cover
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05-13-2009, 06:57 PM	#13
HP Autosport Supreme Allied Commander 3865 Rep 54,426 Posts Drives: F80 M3 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Santa Barbara, AP, Brembo, GIAC, Koni, Ohlins, Performance Friction, www.hpautosport.com iTrader: (36)	Anybody wants one for their 128i or 135i?
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05-15-2009, 01:09 PM	#14
WonWunONE UMADBRO? 11 Rep 188 Posts Drives: AW 135i Join Date: May 2008 Location: Alberta, CAN iTrader: (0)	Overall Price?
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05-15-2009, 01:24 PM	#15
m7ammed Captain 210 Rep 959 Posts Drives: 2019 M2 Competition Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Saudi Arabia iTrader: (0)	this might sound stupid but wouldn't removing weight from back and not removing the same amount from the front change the balance of the car? I mean in genral maybe not for 30 lbs but a bit more __________________ Instgram: @m7m_photo
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05-15-2009, 02:59 PM	#16
Upgrade+ Good life 130 Rep 1,937 Posts Drives: 2008 E90 M3 AW Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: NY iTrader: (8)	This is one of the mods I was going to do for my suby STI. I never did though due to worrying about the battery life. How about the PC Odessey lightweight batteries? I remember reading in the forums that they tended to last better than the Braille.
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05-15-2009, 05:22 PM	#18
Eyeman Colonel 122 Rep 2,040 Posts Drives: 2008 135 blk, blk, step Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Atlanta, GA iTrader: (0) Garage List 1994 Porsche 968 Cab [0.00] 2017 AMG GTS [0.00] 1994 Porsche 968 Coupe [0.00] 1977 Mercedes 450SE ... [0.00] 2008 135 [8.00]	I'll definitely buy a lighter weight battery, but I think I'll wait to do it when my stock battery wears out. That is unless someone wants to buy my stock battery or trade a lightweight one for it..lol.
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05-15-2009, 11:20 PM	#22
Mad Dragon . 27 Rep 932 Posts Drives: 2010 GTI Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: MD iTrader: (0)	BMWs kill stock batteries if you leave them on too long. I can't imagine a battery with 1/3 the capacity would last very long in a DD. Not to mention changing a battery without registering it with the car's electrical system can cause problems.
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