The Honda-1991 LX Sedan

[Luddite Lodge]

I am halfway through my second full tank of gas and have logged 220 miles so it seems on track to maintain the nice mileage numbers. I am not sure I will have the patience to get three full tanks through it before I start the modifications. I have to at the least get the rocker panels and rear wheel wells together before next winter as well. At the rate we move that means I need to get started.

This car here is pretty much what I pictured doing when we aquired this car.
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tml#post419709

I have some ideas for additional details but that is what I am shooting at.

I have idenified an interesting detail on my car and it has created several questons for me.

First what is it?



Second: What does it do?



I have never paid much attention to fine details like this so I am not sure I see how the turbulance around the wheels works in this example.

My first thought was that it is deflecting air that would be hitting the suspension arm into the hollow of the actual wheel.

My second thought was that it is deflecting the turbulance caused by the tire back into the wheel to minimize its effects.

I am wondering, given the nature of some of the other design details, if the engineers left the holes in the wheels, and covers I suppose, to allow the air pressure to equalize keeping that deflected air from creating turbulance if it has nowhere to go?

I noticed that few if any HIgh mpg cars come with solid wheels or smooth covers.

So as I plan my skirts, wheel well covers and Kammback transitions those were the first questions that came up.

Thanks in advance.

[Gasoline Fumes]

I took those off my Wagon when doing some suspension work. I'm not sure what their purpose is.

[California98Civic]

I think the reason "few if any high mpg cars" come with smooth wheel covers or solid wheels is mainly marketing. Most people don't like em. But there could be some brake cooling considerations too. Some people will lean on the brakes hard, by habit or of necessity (live in a mountainous places, anyone?). That said, the first gen insight and the civic hybrid had some flat, nealry solid wheel covers on them. I also think those were ways cool, good looking wheels.

[Luddite Lodge]

I do have to brake hard sometimes with the stops at the bottom of the hills around here.
I am going to go with the smooth wheel covers, I will just have to pay attention and see if I get any brake fade.

I am still intrigued by that rear suspension deflector, it has to be there for a reason, I am going to try to include it in my thinking.

Does anyone know if the insight or civic hybrid wheel covers will fit my older civic? I had a wheel cross reference chart once that I am not finding now.

I have 2 sets of the bolt on honda covers that I can not see how to easily convert to smooth.

I found these:


But they are kind of pricey for us.

These are convertible but are also kind of pricey for us.



All suggestions welcome.

Thanks

[California98Civic]

Maybe the deflector protects something in the suspension from road debris?

[Cobb]

I believe those help with getting clean air to the brakes.

Originally Posted by Gasoline Fumes

I took those off my Wagon when doing some suspension work. I'm not sure what their purpose is.

[Gasoline Fumes]

Originally Posted by California98Civic

Maybe the deflector protects something in the suspension from road debris?

That's what I'm leaning towards. In the parts diagrams, Honda calls them covers. Directly behind them is the lower shock bolt. On my Wagon, there are plastic covers over the lower control arm inner bolts too. Didn't help in rusty New York, I still had to cut the shock bolts out in pieces.

The way they're angled, they would send some air towards the rear drums. But I don't know if the rear brakes need any airflow. And they might direct water kicked up by the front tires towards the rear drums. I'm not really sure what the deflectors are for and I'm not really sure why I removed them.

8 & 11 in this diagram:

http://stores.revolutionparts.com/ho...peed-automatic