Micro-mini Wheel Skirts

[Xringer]

Tape over orange coroplas..

I didn't want the rear skirt to budge out into the air stream, or rub the tire. So, I made it super short. (5.25").

I didn't want the front wheel to rub when turning and it ended up being 4" tall..

Not so sure that I'm going to see any better MPG, but maybe all the mini-stuff will add up to something..?.

Got a 200 mile trip coming up in a couple of weeks!

[cfg83]

Xringer -

I like it. I think the savings will add up over time. It's getting colder, so it will be harder to compare to previous tanks.

CarloSW2

[i_am_socket]

Very nice. Clean and leaves the wheels accessible while blocking a bit of the giant gaps.

[Xringer]

The front rubs when doing hard turns in a parking lot.
The left it about 1/3" too low in the center. I think the right side may be ok.


Side view.


Maybe I'll just cut a little arc out of the middle..

I'm also thinking that there should be a little triangle filler strip forward of each tire. That space just looks too empty now.

[crexcrex]

One can easily note that there is a roof rack in place not to mention the extra weight, i would think that eliminating the drag from the turret might be an idea.
The rear spare, how many pounds are there bieng given a free ride plus the wind turbulence the spare causes.

Mods may well be fine and dandy but i do think that the obvious is bieng overlooked............

I am only expressing a opinion that you may well dismiss as bieng trivial, mods are great as long as one does not overlook the obvious

[crexcrex]

In addition to the above comment those minor mods at the wheels can only serve to accumalate more turbulence and air as there is no escape for the trapped turbulence there must be a route of escape such as a genuine front fender vent and the same applies to the rear..............no escape equals more drag.

Not bieng critical just an observation.

[Xringer]

Originally Posted by crexcrex

One can easily note that there is a roof rack in place not to mention the extra weight, i would think that eliminating the drag from the turret might be an idea.
The rear spare, how many pounds are there bieng given a free ride plus the wind turbulence the spare causes.

Mods may well be fine and dandy but i do think that the obvious is bieng overlooked............

I am only expressing a opinion that you may well dismiss as bieng trivial, mods are great as long as one does not overlook the obvious

You are the 47th person to tell me about the roof racks. Yes, I've known about roof rack drag since I got my first set (removable) back in the late 60s.
But, these aren't easily removable and they get used about 8 times a year.
So, I'm going to be keeping these a while longer. They will only come off as a last resort. (If I can't hit 35 MPG)!


I'm not so sure about the spare tire. Since AAA has sold out to big-oil and gone anti-hypermiler, I've decided to dump them.
That makes the decision to haul a spare a little harder.
Add to that, I'm not so sure it adds to the drag or not. (without testing).
It may actually be helping the cd with a little boat-tail effect..

Sure, I could live without that extra weight! I think that's where I would
see a nice gain in MPG..

[Xringer]

Originally Posted by crexcrex

In addition to the above comment those minor mods at the wheels can only serve to accumalate more turbulence and air as there is no escape for the trapped turbulence there must be a route of escape such as a genuine front fender vent and the same applies to the rear..............no escape equals more drag.

Not bieng critical just an observation.

What about this tape up job?
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...mods-4869.html
Will his have the same trapped air problems?
Maybe Sayyad might be interested in hearing about why his mods won't work..

Anyways, I'm just testing ideas. I'm trying all sorts of things to see if they have any effect. So far, I've not done anything that made my MPG worse.
My highway MPG was still 33 MPG the last time I tested..
(Need some flat road w/o a bunch of tailgaters).

[crexcrex]

Apologies, have been away from this site for awhile............re wheelhousing add ons, i beleive you will create more drag, rear go full skirt and front lower wheelhousing diameter, get the wheel housing closer to the wheel...........
again apologies re the roof rack. I understand re keeping the spare.

[crexcrex]

No the tape job is ineffective as it is basically the same as you suv i will trap the turbulence and cause more drag.
Re removal of any tape residue simply use a cheap paint thinner not a laquer thinner and the residue will come off rather easily.

My vortex generators looked great but did little for mileage gain.............onto other and hopefully better things