Suggested Aerodynamic Mods for a Cobalt

[Nevyn]

Originally Posted by stevey_frac

I don't know. Perhaps because it's more intuitive that lower fuel consumption is matched with a lower number? In the scientific world, efficiency is always measured as consumable per unit work.

While I agree, I'll also pose part of my personal quandary with L/100Km: RESOLUTION. It's only ever out to 1 decimal place, which isn't very much.

2.0 L/100Km = 117.6 MPG
2.1 L/100Km = 112.0 MPG

One decimal place is 5.6 MPG difference? On a 12-gallon tank, that's a difference of 67.2 MILES of travel. Sure, it's only 5/8 of a gallon, but sometimes 60 miles is the difference between STOP NOW or "I'll make it home."

[rjacob]

Okay, that makes sense. Thanks.

[some_other_dave]

Talk about thread-jacking...

Anyway, a very simple thing to try is to pump up your tires to a higher pressure. Many of us have decided that the "MAX PRESSURE" rating on the tire sidewall is a fine pressure to use in our tires.

-soD

[stevey_frac]

Originally Posted by some_other_dave

Talk about thread-jacking...

Anyway, a very simple thing to try is to pump up your tires to a higher pressure. Many of us have decided that the "MAX PRESSURE" rating on the tire sidewall is a fine pressure to use in our tires.

-soD

I'm already running my tires at 40 psi, and i'm going to jack that up to 44 PSI on my way home tonight.

We'll see how she goes. I'm also going to try and find some sort of dark grey/black plastic that i can form a front skirt out of. I'd like to throw that on this weekend.

[stevey_frac]

Originally Posted by Nevyn

While I agree, I'll also pose part of my personal quandary with L/100Km: RESOLUTION. It's only ever out to 1 decimal place, which isn't very much.

2.0 L/100Km = 117.6 MPG
2.1 L/100Km = 112.0 MPG

One decimal place is 5.6 MPG difference? On a 12-gallon tank, that's a difference of 67.2 MILES of travel. Sure, it's only 5/8 of a gallon, but sometimes 60 miles is the difference between STOP NOW or "I'll make it home."

You could make the same argument about MPG in the lower end, instead of the high end. 5 MPG vs 6 MPG. There are never ANY decimal places, and the difference is HUGE!!! staggering. about 18%!!

[rjacob]

Originally Posted by stevey_frac

We'll see how she goes. I'm also going to try and find some sort of dark grey/black plastic that i can form a front skirt out of. I'd like to throw that on this weekend.

Sorry about the whole thread jack!

I just bought some aluminum flashing. It's 10 inches wide, but I would trim it to 5 inches, probably on my table saw. I also have some plastic lawn edging. One of those should work to make an air dam. I am thinking I would attach it with pop rivets.

[stevey_frac]

I'm wondering about doing an underbody tray. I'm kind of concerned that limited airflow will cause the transmission and exhaust to heat up more then it is designed to. As far as i know, my manual transmission has no cooling whatsoever other then passive air flow. And with the exhuast i'm concerned that trapping a lot of heat under the car could cause a fire.

Thoughts?

[stevey_frac]

Originally Posted by rjacob

Sorry about the whole thread jack!

I just bought some aluminum flashing. It's 10 inches wide, but I would trim it to 5 inches, probably on my table saw. I also have some plastic lawn edging. One of those should work to make an air dam. I am thinking I would attach it with pop rivets.

Will the aluminum flashing be flexible enough to fit around the front of the air dam? I want to follow the curvature of the bumper. I have to take pictures of the lip underneath that i'm talking about...

[rjacob]

The flashing comes in a roll, so it is already curved. I will need to straighten it out. If you are talk curving it on a couple axis at the place, that might be tough.

[stevey_frac]

Originally Posted by rjacob

The flashing comes in a roll, so it is already curved. I will need to straighten it out. If you are talk curving it on a couple axis at the place, that might be tough.

Apparently flashing isn't what i think it is. That sounds as though it might work. 10" is pretty large though. I don't have that kind of room. I'd prefer to stay plastic though, so that it has a bit of bend in it, if i hit mud or heavy snow.

-Steve

Also: Signature test? Yay it worked!