Quote:
Originally Posted by atomicradish
I think I have pretty much maximized FE in my car with driving style changes.
I was surprised to read that this car has a .29 cd stock.
Thanks in advance guys. If you could help point out some of the sources of drag on this car I might be able to work from there.
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A rather large source of drag ( yes, drag) in any rolling body is the rolling resistance of the tires. This "backward push" is another force to be lowered or eliminated in the quest for higher efficiency. Tires have a resistance to rolling which can be greatly lowered. This might take a bit of self-discipiline to swallow...have you noticed (on the tire sidewall) the warning : "Max Press..."? Why is it always 36 psi? All cars, all corners, all sizes? This is not logical...thus, I started to think this matter thru. What I finally came up with is quite simple...the tire cos. want you to keep your fear of high pressure
( left over from bias-ply tires...which wore the center of the tread if much over 32 psi was put in) intact so ... the tires will wear out sooner. After all, the replacement tire market thrives on wear. Doesn't it?
Back to tread wear...with the intro of the radial tire, everything changed. The radial belt in the tread area acted like a tank tread. Tread bowing / deflection? Not likely. When steel tire cord was introduced, it became a moot point. But the sidewall warning was still there. Now it was / is 36 psi for cars.
Without going into all the details, I'll just say what I do ( and have done for many years ) ...I set the cold pressure... at all 4 corners, on both my cars, to 44 psi. Check 'em with a broom handle thump once in a while ( looking for that nail leak) and reset the pressure every week or so. My tire tread lasts longer than the sidewalls (ozone checking) and , after 7 years, the tires need replacing anyhow. The ride? Not bad. The grip? Great! The rolling resistance is notably less...the car creeps easier than ever. The harshness? I can live with a slight increase in "road feel". Wet traction? Great! Heat build-up? Less! Which means longer tread life. Fear of blowouts? LOL! NTSA specs say "No" to failures at these low pressures.
My conclusions? I buy tires less often than I ever have. And I relax at high speed knowing my tire "footprints" are flat and true.
Try it...you'll like it. -whitevette
P.S. The rear spoiler? You don't want to get caught at the speed which begins to show any effect ; ie, it's drag.