Quote:
Originally Posted by Nautilus
On topic: how does all those posted above have anything to do with skirts?
Three problems when dealing with skirts:
1. Are they effective at all?
2. How to fit them properly to stay still at 60 mph?
3. How to remove them easily when wheel needs to be changed?
Answers:
1. Yes
2. Use the strength and flexibility of rubber polymer glues.
That is: pick some 2 to 3 mm thick aluminum strips. Bend the strip with pliers into shape. Drill and make a thread into one of the ends of the strip.
Glue the non-drilled end with polymer rubber glue (Mamut from Den Braven, in Continental Europe) to the inner lip of the metal fender. Not into the plastic fender liner. If the wheel well was a clock face, use strips at 12 o'clock, 10, 2, 9 and 3.
Bolt the plastic fender skirt to the drilled end of the strips.
From that point on, a fender skirt has little vibration (polymer rubber glues are about the consistency of tyre rubber when fully cured) and rather good resistance to shock. Which is much better than drilling into the metal fender and/or fit some weird contraptions as struts and springs.
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I have only one source with a dedicated skirt investigation which dates to 1936. An Adler-Jaray was improved from Cd 0.38, to Cd 0.33 with the addition of skirts on all four wheel openings.
The front skirts were responsible for most of the benefit, 0.04.
Hucho mentioned in the past that, rear skirt performance could be compromised if the flow coming from the front of the car wasn't already cleaned up just as with a diffuser.
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Keep an eye on the skirt panel at speed. Flat stock, used as a reinforcement could deform under aerodynamic forces. Some have bonded carbon-fiber arrow shafts to the inside surface of skirts to mitigate aeroelastic deformation.
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The first-gen Honda Insight uses registration pins to engage slots for the top of their rear skirts, and a type of 1/4-turn Dzus fastener to secure the bottoms against the body. Very easy on and off. If you cant find Dzus fasteners locally, they're available through racing catalogs. I got mine from SUMMIT Racing.