Mini-skirts, THE only Side Skirt for small SUVs
 

Found out about these mini-skirts Solus - Mini-Skirt
Here's a pdf http://www.solusinc.com/pdf/SOLUSL&MLicOpp.pdf

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...railerdemo.jpg
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...routfitted.jpg

On a 16wheeler, these mini-skirts are suppose to be the equivalent of
a longer single skirt, but with a lot more ground clearance.

So, could some PVC gutter be used at a smaller scale? Like on my CRV?
(I do like the idea of not loosing any of my ground clearance)!

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...10ftGutter.jpg
Raw stock. 10 feet long and not really what I wanted. It would have been
better if it had two identical vertical walls.. But, it was cheap..

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1.../gutterchk.jpg
Test fit in white.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1.../blkgutter.jpg
After painting, they are hard to see. (Notice, you can still see the exhaust system. The lowest point).
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...gutterGone.jpg

I made them 5 feet long and kept the forward end clear of the jack-point.
Made a small cut-out on the inside of the rear, since it overlapped the rear jack-point. I also pushed them towards the inside a few inches, so they wouldn't stick out under the doors. The outside wall is about dead center on the tire thread.
I put square 1/4" thick aluminum washers (2"x1.2") between the gutter and car. This keeps the gutter from deforming / pulled up into the depression where threaded holes are (side-tube holes).

They don't weight much, easy to mount using exiting side-tube bolts, look like they are part of the car, so my wife likes them.. :)

I'm wondering how I'm going to test them?? Maybe I'll just wait until I get the mini-boat-tail attached..

Xringer -

Me likey, especially the black. For lack of a better term, I also have a black "running board" under my doors, so I may do the same to keep it stealthy.

For me, I would extend the skirt to be flush with each wheel well, and then cap it, maybe with a mudflap. Because my running board is removable, I am pretty sure I could drill holes in the horizontal part and insert screws that point down. That way the skirt would be held on by nuts. I would have to remove them to repair a tire and/or when I go to my mechanic.

I am guessing that others will say they need to extend lower, but I also think you are "demonstrating the concept" very well. Do they make rain gutter's for King Kong's cage :D ?!?!?!?

I think this is the way to test for aero-mods, but I can't find a (safe, legal, no one bother me) place in LA :

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...test-2992.html

I think there is a URL where someone does a very detailed coasting test (makezine?!?!?), but I can't find it.

CarloSW2

Very well done, Xringer!
I can see this becoming as de riguer as grille blocks, skirts, and moonies for the ecomodder crowd. :thumbup:
I'm going to see if this can be implemented on my Vibe.

Gutter talk
 

I do have them mounted about 3" under the car, instead of under the bottom edge.
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...utterInSet.jpg
I wanted to use just one bolt at each end (instead of the two, since their heights were off-set). And, I wanted that bolt to be in the center of the bottom(my top) of the gutter. Just in case I wanted to use a large washer inside.

It will be a simple task to remove them and drill some new holes, so that
they are not so far under, if I decide to make them less stealthy.
If I were to bring them out 3", I think the bottom flare would kinda look like a little running board..

Anyways, the outside edge lines up with the center of the tire pretty close.
I'm wondering if it will have some effect on the turbulence coming off the front tire.?. Maybe it will split the turbulence and channel it down towards the rear..

Now, I'm thinking maybe a small rear tire-air-dam to defect the flow off the rear tire..

The goal here is to block some of the cross-winds from getting under the car. I'll be testing that concept by watching my MPG during highway driving. I'm not expecting to see big effects like the inventor? is claiming.

If I can get some kind of boat-tail attached to the rear hatch, that might show some noticeable gains.

I'm hoping the mods I'm doing with all add up to 35 MPH highway.
If they do, I'll be one happy sailor.. :cool:

I think those would work good on my Metro. Nice idea and cheap, me Likes! Almost can't see them in black, and they should hold up good to weather. I am going to check some out.

Not a lot of money..
 

$6.46 plus sales tax..
10' White Repla-K Style Vinyl Gutter

Withstands weather extremes from -30 degrees to 130 degrees
Will not rust or corrode and never needs painting
Durable and maintenance free
-----

I think mine might need re-painting after a few thousand miles or so..
(Krylon superbond Fusion for Plastic). :p

I bet these are wide enough to cover the entire width of my tires too, I may go buy some to play around with a 10' section would almost do both sides too I think. Mad props for this idea.:thumbup::cool:

Nice!

But my mazda6 already sits pretty low :( I do not know if i would have to cut them a little I dont want to high center on every speed bump...

If anybody does it in a fairly low car let me know (I mean it is stock height but still pretty low for something that high I would think)...

basslover911 -

You could also look into a rain gutter downspout. That's a closed plastic tube with a rectangular cross section, so you would have the choice of two dimensions.

This message has been brought to you by the RGAA (Rain Gutter Association of America), :p .

CarloSW2

$5.12
 

Lowes has a smaller (cheaper) version gutter. I didn't use it because it looked too small for my CRV.

http://images.lowes.com/product/038561/038561001006.jpg


10' White Gutter

The walls have a bend in them and there is no front or back side. (Symmetrical).
I have a feeling that this one might have some speed-bump flex, since the sides are angled out from the bottom..
They just might survive a 1 to 1.5 inch compressor by a speed bump..
Maybe get a little road rash on the bottom edge..