Shaped Wheel Skirts VS Wheel Covers

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by NoD~

Something I have been thinking about: What if you shaped proper all the wheel skirts to essentially "replace" the need for smooth wheel covers?

The reason I'm considering this idea: I have aluminum wheels that are very light weight (Rota Slipstreams) but FAR from aerodynamic. Doing smooth wheel covers would likely require drilling/screwing into the aluminum spokes, which isn't something I want to do. Instead, doing all 4 wheels skirts that would extend in the middle low enough to cover the wheel.

One benefit to this that I can easily see, though miniscule, is reduced rotational mass. 4 "pizza pans" and some screws adds up to something. There is also wheel balancing to consider as part of that equation.

Any thoughts on the matter?

Before I graduated college I did a one day aero session with the Dodge pickup.I covered all the wheel openings with cardboard and masking tape and was able to put a couple hundred miles on it to look at the tank mileage.
I ran in to no difficulties.
You might just cobble something up and test it first to see what kind of results you get.If you like the numbers,then you can decide.
As Darin says,CAD (cardboard and duct tape) design.

[NoD~]

I'm familiar with cardboard/duct tape!



I've got a lot of projects on my plate, but when I get time, I suspect some testing to happen. I threw on these short ones in a hurry, but I plan on doing some braces ones that sit much lower, probably with corrugated plastic.

[cowmeat]

I haven't noticed a big gain in MPG from the wheel skirts, but I have definitely gained in funny looks from other drivers.
People either love it or hate it, but pretty much everybody has something to say about my car one way or the other. The wheel skirts are pretty much the ice-breakers, because everybody I know has commented on them.
Once I explain the gas mileage I'm currently getting with my mods, a lot of haters suddenly fall in love with it.

[Vekke]

I will have 1000 ziptie plugs ready at the end of august. Those will be plastic injected and the price for 20 pcs will be in this first batch 25€ or 34us dollars including shipping in letter.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YVQc3GGvOT4

They will fit to 10mm drill size hole and will work with 4.8mm wide zipties more details will follow...

[NeilBlanchard]

I think that with good wheel skirts, the benefits of smooth wheel covers goes way down. The thing that might be better than smooth covers (under skirts) is to have sealed wheels? Anything moving that can accelerate air is going to add some drag. The Edison@ wheels are examples of this:

This is a different issue than air passing by the wheel opening. Once the wheel well is closed off (except where the wheel protrudes, naturally), it becomes essentially a fan/impeller churning the air in there; so having no openings or protrusions on the wheel is the next issue to solve, after wheel skirts are installed.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

I think that with good wheel skirts, the benefits of smooth wheel covers goes way down. The thing that might be better than smooth covers (under skirts) is to have sealed wheels? Anything moving that can accelerate air is going to add some drag. The Edison@ wheels are examples of this:

This is a different issue than air passing by the wheel opening. Once the wheel well is closed off (except where the wheel protrudes, naturally), it becomes essentially a fan/impeller churning the air in there; so having no openings or protrusions on the wheel is the next issue to solve, after wheel skirts are installed.

Here,Bochum University uses 'sealed' wheels under the skirts.With Cd 0.137,their doing something right.

[deejaaa]

Originally Posted by skyking

.......there are ways to mount a cover to a wheel without drilling or modification too. Clips, springs, etc.

even with aluminum rims?

[Vekke]

Many ways to install and one of them is the ziptie plug which I originally designed just for that purpose:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K4HSD6c0_I

That is old video but the product will be same with more functions, better looks and so on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ix8TN4jMAeo

[kafer65]

I just ziptied acrylic disks on all sides of my Mazda CX-5. I cut them out with tin shears so you can see the wheels through them. Just looped them around the spokes and used two holes on the disk. I did the upper grill with a thin clear sheet like Vekke shows in one of his videos. Wife approves My instant mpg reads 3 mpg improvement when I'm climbing medium hills at around 50mph. I'm averaging 39 plus mpg in mixed suburban city and pulse glide engine on. I'm still learning how to drive this versus the tdi to find the best way to deal with hills.