Quote:
Originally Posted by aerohead
No doubt,there is interference drag between the rotating wheel assemblyand the inner surface of the skirt,however,it has been demonstrated by numerous researchers,that the presence of the skirt,even in very close proximity to the tire/wheel,demonstrates a measurable drag reduction in spite of any internal interference drag,compared to the same vehicle without them.
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Ok, so it is a net win for aero even if the skirt is very close to the wheel. It's very hard to tell from the pictures on this forum and elsewhere how much separation there is between the closest part of the wheel/tire and the wheel skirt. What is typical, an inch, two?
On both of my cars (a Protege5 and a Suburu Legacy wagon) the bottom outside of the rear tires extends beyond the body work, and even the top is not recessed very far. To skirt the wheel and provide one inch clearance from the outside face of the wheel/tire would require a moderately complicated shape.