Drilling holes to reduce frame weight: best pattern

[MrForbes]

2. Depends on the loading, eh?

I'd start with big holes, because they actually reduce weight. But they don't reduce it by much. If you drill a dozen 3" diameter holes in 1/8" thick material, you'll get rid of a pound of aluminum. You'll need 26 2" diameter holes to get that same pound. The smaller the holes, the worse it gets.

I'd be seriously looking at other things to change, and drill holes in the frame as a last resort. But that's because I'm naturally lazy.

[Akash Rastogi]

Originally Posted by MrForbes

I'd be seriously looking at other things to change, and drill holes in the frame as a last resort. But that's because I'm naturally lazy.

Agreed - hardware is where you can trim down a lot. Look for areas where bolts are longer than they need to be, areas where small screws/bolts can be replaced with rivets (or even epoxy in some cases), superfluous wires and cables that don't need to be as long as they are, etc.

[theawesome1730]

Aluminum nuts for 1/4-20 exist and have been used by us. Saves a surprising amount of weight if you have a lot of fasteners.