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Old 11-12-2011, 11:22 PM   #1 (permalink)
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aero alloy wheels?

I'm thinking of getting some snow tires for my car, so I Figured now would be a good time to get some new wheels for summer that are more areo, and use the stock wheels as the winter wheels.

Trouble is, I'm having a hard time finding anything that is obviously designed with aerodynamics in mind IE Moon Eye type wheels Anyone know where I should be looking, or what I should be looking for?

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Old 11-12-2011, 11:23 PM   #2 (permalink)
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I don't think I've ever seen one that's a good as a hubcap- not even Centerlines.
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Old 11-13-2011, 12:16 AM   #3 (permalink)
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What car is it? That'll make a hell of a difference in what's available.

Look at Saturn wheels from the late 90's and early 00's.
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Old 11-13-2011, 03:49 AM   #4 (permalink)
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For Volvo

There's the DrivE "Libra" wheels. If there's something similar with Vw / Audi bolt pattern, i would be very interested.
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Old 11-13-2011, 06:26 AM   #5 (permalink)
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As has been suggested (and implemented) a long time ago, transparent hubcaps on a "desgner-rim" is a rather good solution. You get pretty optimal aerodynamics and don't have to choose any particular design.
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Old 11-13-2011, 07:35 AM   #6 (permalink)
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Like Frank, I don't think you will beat the Moon wheel covers. There are design limitations as to what dimensional changes you can make to street vehicle wheels. I'd select a decent alloy wheel onto which you can mount the screw mount Moons. The snap-on versions have been known to fall off on potholes.

If you want to go hog wild, then buy the lightest alloy wheel you can find, probably Centerline, to reduce the rotating mass. But you probably won't notice the difference, so I'd stick with a modestly priced midweight wheel and put the Moons on. For that matter, you could just buy an extra set of the stock steel wheels and drill those for the Moons.

Last edited by jime57; 11-13-2011 at 07:46 AM..
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Old 11-13-2011, 10:01 AM   #7 (permalink)
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For good aero you can't beat full moon racing discs mounted on steelies.

Racing Disc Hubcaps (Pop-On). Scion Hubcaps, Vintage, Kustom Wheel Covers
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Old 11-13-2011, 02:56 PM   #8 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Quasimoto View Post
For good aero you can't beat full moon racing discs mounted on steelies.

Racing Disc Hubcaps (Pop-On). Scion Hubcaps, Vintage, Kustom Wheel Covers
I loved my snap-in racing disks so much that I had them powder-coated to match my previous SC2 :



The problem was that the snap-ins lose their grip over time. I think that the steelies flex and eventually loosen the teeth. In addition, every time you take the wheel cover off and on to check the air, you loosen the teeth a little bit more.

The end result is that for some reason, when I hit certain bumps, the front passenger wheel cover would fly off. Always the front passenger wheel, which makes me think it had something to do with the torque/differential characteristics of my FWD. Finally, because the disk bows out, it would get damaged in automated car washes that pull the car along, .

I think others on this forum have had similar experiences.

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Old 11-13-2011, 07:40 PM   #9 (permalink)
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I don't think you can beat screw-on Mooneyes on steelies. Generations of racers found these to be very workable.

I always thought that for better street practicality, I'd cou out an elliptical hole and use an extended tire stem. The gain in drag would be infinitesimal.
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Old 11-14-2011, 05:02 PM   #10 (permalink)
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practicality

Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Dave View Post
I don't think you can beat screw-on Mooneyes on steelies. Generations of racers found these to be very workable.

I always thought that for better street practicality, I'd cou out an elliptical hole and use an extended tire stem. The gain in drag would be infinitesimal.
BD,Renault did this with their Vesta II concept.It's a really elegant solution for brake cooling and stem access.
The periphery of the hole might need to be 'weighted' to compensate for the material removed,allowing a nice high speed dynamic balance.

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