Alloy wheels + Metallic Tape = Aero Racing Disk

[winkosmosis]

What aeromod is that pink stuff on you roof?? Any gas mileage improvement?

[Xringer]

Originally Posted by winkosmosis

What aeromod is that pink stuff on you roof?? Any gas mileage improvement?

I only drove about 6 miles with that load (slowly).. And then I installed it under my TV den..

[cfg83]

alohaspirit -

Originally Posted by alohaspirit

Got updates on this?

How are they staying on? Did you make them all the way around?
Did you eventually cover the other holes? Any mpg difference?

I have to admit I didn't follow up on this. It's only on one wheel, which isn't good enough to do an MPG test. The chrome look turned me off (translate: lazy).

I do have the "Metal Mend Tape" that will take away the chrome look that I have now. This will be a better match to the "dull metallic" color of my alloys, which was my original goal. It's also wider, so it will be easier to cover up the holes. My version 2.0 will still have holes, but it will also cover up about half of the holes that are uncovered right now. Here is where I plan to go :



Or maybe this :



I can always finish covering them up later.

I can say the following without reservation :

1 - No peeling. It just stays on (and on and on and on). I do think my "flat alloy surface" helps the metallic tape to not peel because there are not "curving stresses" on the stiff metalic tape (stupid description, but I think you know what I mean). I think that duct tape is better for curved surfaces.

2 - I have had the car wheels rotated, the car serviced, and the car washed without incident (I did make sure to tell the dudes to be careful, though).

3 - IMO, the greatest virtue is the virtual "non-weight" you are adding to the wheels. No worries about wheel balancing.

CarloSW2

.

[alohaspirit]

Maybe just cloroplas and tape/magnets would be easier


Also that way you can paint it to match

[Christ]

Since the tape he's using is metal, you actually CAN paint it. It's basically muffler repair tape... you can spray paint it just like any other metal, it's a foil that's got glue on it, is all.

[winkosmosis]

Originally Posted by alohaspirit

Maybe just cloroplas and tape/magnets would be easier


Also that way you can paint it to match

The tape has basically no thickness compared to coroplast

[alohaspirit]

Originally Posted by winkosmosis

The tape has basically no thickness compared to coroplast

true!

[cfg83]

Hello -

Ok, the tape finally got some holes in it yesterday at the car wash :



I don't blame the dude because I failed to warn him to be careful. Lasting for 8 months is more than I would have predicted.

So, I went to work on the "2.0" version I was thinking about :



The logic was that if I used a bigger sheet, I would get a better aesthetic effect. That wasn't the case :



The problem is that the bigger "sheet" of metal tape is very unwieldy. It's basically sticky-back aluminum foil, so it crinkles easily. Also, the holes I left in the wheel for symmetry and smaller venting are weak spots in the tape. They are prime spots for ripping. The above picture is the driver side of the car, so the wheel moves forward counter-clockwise in the picture. I think I will be ok, but for the passenger side of the car, the air will probably rip and fray them.

I think the better idea would have been to have smaller overlapping strips :



But, that would also mean a lot more work, with all the same vulnerabilities, .

In the long run I think I need to figure out a viable pizza pan solution like the ones I have seen here. That way I can also cover the 4 bolts. Hrrmmmm, maybe those plastic bolt covers could become "housings" for neodimium magnets that work in tandem with a center locking bolt.

CarloSW2

.

[Christ]

So - There is a write-up on instructables somewhere about making your own thermo-plastic thingy... (the vacuum forming plastic stuff.) (I can't think of what it's called atm.)

I've been trying to think of a way that this could apply to us here at EM... and this might be it, honestly. If you can cheaply/easily make a vacuum form, you can just apply clear laminate over your wheels, keep the OEM look, whilst making them much smoother. (If you don't care for the smooth/pizza pan look).

[cfg83]

Christ -

Originally Posted by Christ

So - There is a write-up on instructables somewhere about making your own thermo-plastic thingy... (the vacuum forming plastic stuff.) (I can't think of what it's called atm.)

I've been trying to think of a way that this could apply to us here at EM... and this might be it, honestly. If you can cheaply/easily make a vacuum form, you can just apply clear laminate over your wheels, keep the OEM look, whilst making them much smoother. (If you don't care for the smooth/pizza pan look).

Yes, I have been noticing the clear plastic on the MBenz concept cars. But keep in mind that they will collect dirt. I didn't show the picture of what was going on underneath the tape. Brake dust as thick as laser-printer-toner, Soot-City!

This looks pretty easy, assuming my wife allows me to try :

Vacuum Forming with your Kitchen Oven and Vacuum Cleaner

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGBRiYhxRTM

Here's the dude's website :
http://www.vacuumformerplans.blogspot.com/

Irony: I actually have a "vacuum friendly" racing disk mold. I have one pizza pan with lots of little air-holes forming a grid. But it might not even matter if I just stretch the plastic over the shape. It's so symmetrical, that it might just sag over it without too much effort. I also have some old snap-on racing disks with the natural bow to them. I think they bow out too much, but that was proabably to insure clearance.

CarloSW2