wheel vortex

[catchonfire]

Durring an earlier fuel shortage some years ago, I saw & read that a ring of holes around your rims would break up a 'vortex' created by the spinning wheel. I saw 1/2" or 3/4" holes all around the facing edge of dog dish hub caps on State Highway Patrol cars, at that time. That's not the same idea as pizza dish wheel covers. Wheel vortices?

[Cd]

I wish it was that easy.

[cfg83]

catchonfire -

Never heard about that. I have liked these despite the holes because they are OEM "almost-racing-disks" :

Chevrolet Truck Hubcaps, Chevrolet Truck Wheel Covers and hub caps - Hubcaps.com



CarloSW2

[Frank Lee]

It's for brake cooling.

Back in the pre-'50s, some cars had full wheel covers. I have literature for '59 Chevys where they point out the "new" slotted wheels and covers for the express purpose of brake cooling.

[aerohead]

The way I interpret the article,is that the wheel cover itself is responsible for minimizing the vortex of an open stamped steel wheel,and the holes,as Frank has mentioned,is simply a concession to brake cooling,not the cause of the vortex reduction.
In the Sticky on mod-data here at the Aero Forum you''l find some drag data for the GM Firebird Trans Am wheel drag wind tunnel research acquired by GM designer Larry Shinoda.

[Piwoslaw]

Looks like Vekke's FleXcaps

[catchonfire]

No Vortex?!!
Come on. I been living with this thing for 30 years.

ok, let me just nail this baby shut.
Nobody's ever seen my imaginary, inverted tornado runnin' out from the wheels.....I mean one daydream is smoke bombs in the wheel well. orange ones.

It occurs to me that rain might form up on wheel wake out on the highway.
Now don't mock & point, I live in the Sonoran desert. We get rain........
Mostly wheel wake is just a wild cloud flyin' around the wheel wells, best I recall.

Well, it was kind'a fun to imagine.