Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - View Single Post - Fender flares, instead of wheel well covers?

lunarhighway · 03-27-2009, 06:15 PM

i suppose flares MIGHT help IF the increase in frontal area is compensated be the reduction in drag.... i'm not sure if that's mathematicly possible, because frontal area is more important than Cd in cda... that is, nocking off a mirror is easier than reduceing your Cd by 0.01...

however on some cars the bodywork curves in near the bottom and exposes some of the tires
like this

in this case "fender flares" down there won't really add frontal area!

here's another thing to think about

the toyota IQ... 0.299 Cd... those bumps are there for a reason

i think a lot depends on what happens before the fenders... older more square cars, or cars with a shorter nose, might have less attached flow before the wheel arches so perhaps there these flares might help somehow....

just some guesses though.

03-27-2009, 06:15 PM	#5 (permalink)
lunarhighway Master EcoModder Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: belgium Posts: 663 vectra a - '95 Opel Vectra GLS 90 day: 37.51 mpg (US) Thanks: 14 Thanked 61 Times in 44 Posts	i suppose flares MIGHT help IF the increase in frontal area is compensated be the reduction in drag.... i'm not sure if that's mathematicly possible, because frontal area is more important than Cd in cda... that is, nocking off a mirror is easier than reduceing your Cd by 0.01... however on some cars the bodywork curves in near the bottom and exposes some of the tires like this in this case "fender flares" down there won't really add frontal area! here's another thing to think about the toyota IQ... 0.299 Cd... those bumps are there for a reason i think a lot depends on what happens before the fenders... older more square cars, or cars with a shorter nose, might have less attached flow before the wheel arches so perhaps there these flares might help somehow.... just some guesses though.