Stupid Idea 5336 and counting....
 

FYI: This is not lifetime count, just this year....approximating of course because I can't remember them all.

Stupid idea 5336...

Why couldn't you make a self adjusting side skirt or self closing grill block using air pressure? The faster you go, the closer to the ground it gets or the more it closes. Clearing drive ways, curbs and opening for cooling in town. This way you actually get something for nothing. I was thinking instead of a vacuum motor a pressure motor to do the work.

What do you think? Like I needed to ask...

Working on stupid idea 5337....

justpassntime -

I posted something like this for a self-lowering airdam, but others said it would probably just vibrate instead of staying in place. I am thinking of those flat horizontal air dams that have the little arm/hinges. If it was angled down just a bit, the wind would push it down. I think the arms would have to be calibrated "springs" the lower the dam at 55 MPH or over.

CarloSW2

I don't think it would vibrate at all. Come to think of it the flaps on top of a Nascar work this way to keep them from flipping if they get spun around in an accident.

Vibrate is too violent I prefer harmonic oscillations.

it's not a stupid idea but it's a little outdated in terms of technology i think.
it would be cheaper and more reliable read out the vehicles speed and have a stepped motor actuate whatever dam or skirt you want to move.

not saying something like that wouldn't take a lot of knowledge and still but i think in the end it would work more reliable than a spring operated mechanical version.
if you would really push this idea (in theory it's perfecly possible to build the folowing today) you could include a manual override and storte this info and link this up to a GPS

for example this would allow you to take certaing obstacles at higher speed and the dams would raise and lower at that spot regardless of speed on other places like when coastig to a stop you could force the vehicle to stay lowered to extend your glide.

on the other hand you could just construct the skirts from a flexible material and use springs to balance it in the right position

The Veyron and the Crossfire have spoilers that change with speed. So I would think very possible to do.

A better idea would be brush style dirt guards. You see them on the back of campers to keep the dirt down. You could mount them along the rocker panels and cut the length so it is just about flush with the road surface. They'll pass right over things like speed bumps and debris. Not pretty, but I'd bet they'd be very effective.

Classic Accessories BRUSH-STYLE DIRT GUARDS : JC Whitney: Auto Parts & Accessories

You might be on to something there -- I would give something like that a go if it works.

Just thinking toward Winter, I wonder if the brushes would become a heavy clump of snow and ice???

RH77

That's a distinct possibility. Slush kicked up by the front wheels would get sucked right into it. :(

This might be a "warm weather only" mod. ;)

oh em jee, NOT a stupid idea.

the veyron is SO HOT when it goes into super fast mode. Watching the spoiler retract is so freaking cool.

Along the lines of the RV dirt skirts, I too was thinking about using those as side skirts and perhaps as a front air dam for the last 2" of ground clearance. Now would there be much loss from friction if they drag along the ground?