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Old 02-21-2011, 07:00 PM   #4 (permalink)
aerohead
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Quote:
Originally Posted by firesice18 View Post
So I have been doing some research on wheel covers and have found research that shows that with 16" wheel covers (pizza pans) there was a proven improvement in fuel economy (@ 65mph) of about 4.6%.

Now here is my question, "Is this directly related to rim size?"

I understand that the shape and design of the rim itself will yield a certain degree of positive gain but what is the yield for rim size?

SO, I have a 2004 Nissan Maxima SE and I drive about 60 miles of highway DAILY. I also have 18" rims (not hubcaps). If I put on some 18" wheel covers, how much more gain would I see?

Is there anyway to calculate this, like per inch of size difference?
I think it's a non-dimensional issue, as size just follows scaling,Wheel covers on a toy car would generate the same effect in full-scale.
In the 'mod-data' sticky there are some hard numbers on wheel covers.
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