Suggested Aerodynamic Mods for a Cobalt

[stevey_frac]

Originally Posted by aerohead

41.73 mpg is nothing to sneeze at! I've got to go(stores closing) but I'll look at Cobalts.

It's not as impressive when you know i drive almost exclusively highway. :P

Wheel skirts would look really cool IF they came out looking professional. But i'm worried that they'd looked hacked together. If I knew someone who knew how to work fibreglass properly, i'd look into it more seriously.

-Steve

[cfg83]

stevey_frac -

Originally Posted by stevey_frac

I just tried to take a picture of my bumper to show you what i mean, however, without context, the picture just just a bunch of crap. Truthfully, I'm kinda disappointed. I don't see any easy way forward to make significant gains. The underbelly of the cobalt could use improvement yes, but it's already pretty good. The wheel wells don't contribute to massive amounts of drag, moonies are expensive ($150 for real moonies), and I think that any attempt I make at wheel skirts are gonna come off hokey. At the moment the only thing i have planned is a switch to synthetic oil, at a slightly thinner viscosity. I might get the moonies if I get some extra work.

You have steelies, so you could get some "mostly moonie" wheelcovers here :

Universal 15 inch Hubcaps

Here's an example :

Universal 15 inch Hubcap - $53


You can just tape the back with black tape to cover the gap. But, I may be misleading you because of this caveat :

These hubcaps will fit your vehicle if:

Your vehicle currently has hubcaps. Your hubcaps are not secured by lug nuts. Your tire size is 15"

My first instinct is that you only need lug-nuts without top-threads for securing the OEM hubcap, but maybe this actually means the steely is not friendly for "snap-in" wheelcovers.

CarloSW2

[Istas]

Try using pizza pans on top of your current hubcaps. I've seen someone on here has them (is it MetroMPG? I'll let you search the website, heh) but here's a quick link I found. They look pretty 'professional' enough to me, smooth and clean.

2004 Prius Custom Hubcaps

I want to try it but my rims don't have hubcaps. (and they're fairly smooth already too) I'm thinking I may just try gluing plastic cut-outs into the holes (like... again, I cannot remember who. I've read so many posts here recently that my head's swimming a bit)

[stevey_frac]

I believe Metro MPG did the cutout fill in thingy.

I've looked at the pizza tray thing. I'm ... kinda skeptical. :P Plus i think moonies are more aero dynamic. Though i could be wrong.

[Istas]

They look like they're smoother, so they probably are a bit more aerodynamic, but they also cost ten times as much as the pizza pan option too. I think the main benefit from both is to get rid of those spokes/holes in the rim hitting the wind.

Still, can't fault you for wanting something that looks good too. Just reminding you of the ultra-cheap solution.

[stevey_frac]

Ok, so i'm moving forward with an airdam. Just going to bolt it onto the existing lip that's there. I think i can go down a few inches without causing problems, and without increasing frontal area. Then we'll see how we do. I'd still love to do skirts if i can convince myself i can do a good enough job.

[stevey_frac]

I'm also gonna put in little ... whatever they're called... thingies infront of the tires. Just screw them into the plastic wheel well. Paint it black. Hard to tell it's not stock.

-Steve

[NeilBlanchard]

Hi Steve,

Is "deflector" the word you are searching for?

[stevey_frac]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

Hi Steve,

Is "deflector" the word you are searching for?

Yes. That.

[Daox]

Deflectors add to frontal area which isn't a good thing. They may decrease Cd, but and you may not make up the increase in frontal with the slight decrease in Cd.