Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - View Single Post - Rear Wheel Skirt using water heater drain pan

cfg83 · 09-04-2008, 06:52 PM

Hello -

Here is another issue I had with the installation. I'll start with this picture of idealized top-view cutaways :

Wheel Well Fitment :

Here are their explanations :

1 - If the wheel well and water heater pan are an exact match, you get a perfect fit. This is the ideal.

2 - If the wheel well is a little bit too small, then you can get a situation where the drain pan "bows out". I think this is next to ideal and in fact the shape we usually incorporate in wheel skirts anyway.

3 - If the wheel well is a little bit too big, then attaching the sides of the drain pan can cause it to "bow in" and hit the wheel. This is in fact what happened to me.

3A - My solution was to add rubber spacers between the pan and the wheel well in order to make it closer to image #1. The spacers were only needed at the lower connections. There is still some bow, as you can see in this picture if you look closely :

Driver Side Rear View :

CarloSW2

09-04-2008, 06:52 PM	#13 (permalink)
cfg83 Pokémoderator Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Southern California Posts: 5,864 1999 Saturn SW2 - '99 Saturn SW2 Wagon Team Saturn 90 day: 40.49 mpg (US) Thanks: 439 Thanked 532 Times in 358 Posts	Hello - Here is another issue I had with the installation. I'll start with this picture of idealized top-view cutaways : Wheel Well Fitment : Here are their explanations : 1 - If the wheel well and water heater pan are an exact match, you get a perfect fit. This is the ideal. 2 - If the wheel well is a little bit too small, then you can get a situation where the drain pan "bows out". I think this is next to ideal and in fact the shape we usually incorporate in wheel skirts anyway. 3 - If the wheel well is a little bit too big, then attaching the sides of the drain pan can cause it to "bow in" and hit the wheel. This is in fact what happened to me. 3A - My solution was to add rubber spacers between the pan and the wheel well in order to make it closer to image #1. The spacers were only needed at the lower connections. There is still some bow, as you can see in this picture if you look closely : Driver Side Rear View : CarloSW2 __________________ *What's your* EPA MPG? Go Here and find out!** American Solar Energy Society Last edited by cfg83; 09-05-2008 at 07:05 AM..