Shaped Wheel Skirts VS Wheel Covers
 

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?

In My Opinion,
all questions regarding skirts can be answered by looking at basjoos' example in the aerocivic.
The wheel/tire has to inset far enough in the front to be practical. I thought about doing the beetle in a similar fashion, but the stock tire placement is about flush with the fender. Any articulated cover would have a significant bulge in it, to avoid operating it at higher speeds.
At high speeds an articulating cover would need some serious engineering to remain stable in the slipstream.

I would be interested in results if someone tried A-B-A testing or wheel covers vs skirts. Because of the issue with wheel balance and because i don't want to drill into my wheels either. It my bigger worry is balance pizza pans aren't really designed with use on a cars wheels so I'd rather not chew through wheels bearings because wheels covers messed up the balance of my wheels.

On the Aerocivic, I discarded my wheel covers not too long after I got wheel skirts installed over all four wheels. The air inside the wheel housing is rotating with the wheel so I figured any non-aerodynamicity of the wheel is not going to have much effect in the maelstrom already taking place in the wheel housing. In the Aerocivic, I'm exhausting radiator air out through the front wheel wells, where the rotating wheel acts as a squirrel cage fan to help pull air out of the engine compartment with the adjustable grill block acting as a flow restrictor.

balance will not be a problem. you can mark center on a pizza pan and set it on a needle to see what the static balance is, and add very little to it to get it to sit perfectly.
there are ways to mount a cover to a wheel without drilling or modification too. Clips, springs, etc.

Here are some wheel covers that only weigh 1 oz
 

I just posted on the thread about the aeromodded red VX a set of wheel covers that only weigh 1 oz made from 3 mil vinyl sign material. I don't think they would cause the wheel to get out of balance.


http://i855.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps32bea0ef.jpg

Nice covers. :thumbup:

NoD, I think the skirts are the best if you wheels are set back far enough in the front.
If not, there is a way to address all of your concerns with covers.

Looks really good.

I went with rear wheel skirts i.l.o. wheel covers since I had the materials lying around, and it didn't seem like it would be worth it to put smooth wheel covers on 12" rims.
I'm considering front skirts, too and will upload pics if I can get around to installing them.

Here's a link to my wheel skirt installation. It was pretty simple, and only took about half an hour per wheel

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ete-28974.html

The only problem I have with springs or clips or magnets is that it seems like everyone has problems with them falling off.