Pizza pans on long haul trucks

[ConnClark]

I don't think drivers are taking them off just because of looks. If your in a place with a lot of step hills the covers reduce brake cooling and thus braking. I can see these as being of use on the plains but in hilly or mountainous areas they could lead to run away trucks. Braking distance is bad enough on a semi under these conditions they don't want to make it worse.

[BamZipPow]

Originally Posted by ConnClark

I don't think drivers are taking them off just because of looks. If your in a place with a lot of step hills the covers reduce brake cooling and thus braking. I can see these as being of use on the plains but in hilly or mountainous areas they could lead to run away trucks. Braking distance is bad enough on a semi under these conditions they don't want to make it worse.

I don't think the Schneider corporation would do anything that would jeopardize their drivers, vehicles, or the bottom line (clients' payload) by adding on items that would decrease the safety factor without intensive testing under all conditions that their vehicles would perform under. I know fer a fact that they tested this fer over a year before they agreed to install them on a bigger sample size. They did this exclusive of what the inventor/manufacturer of the Deflecktor claimed...

I do know that the Deflecktor isn't lasting as long as one might want to believe. My brother (Schneider driver who got me the photos) found a bunch of them in a pile torn and tattered before they went with the bigger sample size. I wanted him to git me one of the beat up ones...but didn't really want to put his job at risk fer "unauthorized removal" of Schneider property...

[cfg83]

Weather Spotter -

Originally Posted by Weather Spotter

No bolt holes, looked very nicely done, with hole cut out for access to valve stems.

On the trip about 15% of trailers had side skirts, trucks with aero hub caps all had side skirts on the trailers.

This is not *the* one I was talking about, but it sounds close to what you saw :

Originally Posted by i_am_socket

Saw these on a truck I was following on my way in to work this morning.





I didn't see any other modifications to the trailer or cab and I wonder what kind of results this nets.

It also makes me want to get a set for my car...

CarloSW2

[Weather Spotter]

cfg83: those look just like what I saw. Some of the trucks though had holes for valve stem access, some did not.

Overall I like the look on the big rigs.

[yepvegas]

I would'nt want to put those on my car I like the look of the aluminum ones but I drive to much in the mountains and do not want the brakes to get that hot. I would have to duct air to them and that reduce the affects of the wheel covers. That is my theory anyways.

[Otto]

Originally Posted by yepvegas

I would'nt want to put those on my car I like the look of the aluminum ones but I drive to much in the mountains and do not want the brakes to get that hot. I would have to duct air to them and that reduce the affects of the wheel covers. That is my theory anyways.

Probably a good theory, but if the pans are aluminum, and since aluminum is a very efficient heat conductor, maybe the heating problem would be not so bad.

My Porsche has Design 90 wheels, pressure cast with basically a pizza pan outer shape, but with vents at the rims. Cooling of brakes good. On a high speed ratrace through British Columbia some years back, about 30 of us went through rain and mist such that you could clearly see the wake and flow from each car. Despite identical car shape, the type of wheels made a huge difference in apparent air flow, with deep set spoke wheels being about the worst, and Design 90 and so-called "sewer lid" Porsche wheels the best. The deep dish spoked wheels threw out a lateral column of air which surely helped brake cooling, but utterly buggered flow along the sides of cars so equipped.

[Cd]

Mesilla Valley Transportation
I have seen these numerous times on semis in the Austin area.
We have mentioned them in another thread on the same topic, and the name of the trucking company is Masiila Valley trucking. I find it odd that they just cover two sets of wheels, but I'm sure there is a reason.
They use the disc covers with the hole that you spoke about.

[Weather Spotter]

that is the right trucking firm, the truck markings are the same.

[Patrick]

Originally Posted by Cd

Mesilla Valley Transportation
I find it odd that they just cover two sets of wheels, but I'm sure there is a reason.

The wheels on the drive axles are dished in so it's easy to put a cover on. The wheels on the front (steering) axles are dished out so it's a lot harder to put a cover on. It could still be done, but would stick out quite a bit.

[brucey]

I've driven 20,000 miles (mostly highway and backroads) through WV with my smooth wheels, and even when towing 1200 lbs + carrying another 500 I had no sign of brake fade. The trailer didn't have any brakes either. If you're worried about brake cooling, I feel the rotors still get plenty of air from the inside of the wheel.

Besides, F1 cars use these (and paint wheels on the covers). And I imagine there braking needs are a bit more than ours.