SuperTruck: AeroCap

[Xist]

Do you think those are the same as these: Snap-On 15 Inch Wheel Moon Cap - Speedway Motors, America's Oldest Speed Shop ? I found these, too: CCI IWCRD-15 15 Inch Clip On Stainless Steel Racing Disk Hubcaps - Pack of 4 : Amazon.com : Automotive and Set of 4 Stainless Steel 15 Inch Full Moon Racing Discs with Metal Clip Retention System - Part Number: IWCRD/15 : Amazon.com : Automotive .

Of course, the less-expensive ones do not match. Twenty dollars is a great price!

[bennelson]

They look just like the ones in the first link posted. I believe they are aluminum, not stainless.

[dereck]

i to have planed on making a strip built topper i made a plywood test one but it didnt survive the spring rains. i would make it open more like a tonno cover then with a rear door like a normal topper its hard to load large things thru small openings. here's my ply wood topper no photo on the truck unfortunately.

[bennelson]

I wouldn't do a door on the back of mine, it's more joints and complicates things.

I've experimented with magnets, which worked well. I'd be looking at doing a side-hinged magnetic setup, so that the whole cap is hinged on the drivers-side and opens on the passenger side.

That ALSO lets me get stuff all the way to the front of the bed without crawling through the back, something I don't like on my existing aluminum capper right now.

[bennelson]

Who needs CAD for pre-visualization, when you've got ratchet straps!?

Not only is it quicker and real-world, but it also has the added excitement of unexpectedly smacking me in the face. You can't say that about CAD, now can you?!

In all seriousness though, one fir plank, with a little tension applied, bent into a really nice looking shape, similar to an image posted earlier in this thread!



I stopped at my Dad's to use the table-saw, bringing over one of the barn-boards to test. We chopped it down to a more manageable length, and then ran it through the table-saw. The wood is 3/4inch thick, so we cut a rip a bit wider than an inch, then turned it sideways and ran it through to get TWO pieces wider than an inch, and about 3/8inch thick each. That looks like a reasonable size for wood strips for building with.

[bennelson]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfxCp5-lmYA

[radioranger]

somebody here might have thoughts on front or rear placement of the hub caps, I'm guessing the front would be best.

[Xist]

I only know of two cars on here with front skirts, but you can easily do the rear, so I vote for the front.

[bennelson]

Originally Posted by Xist

you can easily do the rear, so I vote for the front.

Yep, same thought. Full moons on the front and wheel skirts on the back.
For now, I put both on the left side. That's where people see them as they pass me...

[freebeard]

Originally Posted by bennelson

I've experimented with magnets, which worked well. I'd be looking at doing a side-hinged magnetic setup, so that the whole cap is hinged on the drivers-side and opens on the passenger side.

40s Buicks and 50s International trucks had hoods that had a lever handle/hinge assembly on both sides. They opened from either side, or you could open both latches and lift it right off.

Buy in the wrecking yard, pocket the latches and sell the sheet metal as scrap. Your cap would weigh and be subject to aerodynamic forces similar to the hood, but you could always add D-rings on pins like a race car hood.

I'm collecting pieces for a boat-tail. I'm short some tubing but the skin material I have is 1/4x3 1/2" Redwood bender board. With a lower part count, I would taper the pieces to get a vacuum-bagged compound curve. The first iteration for testing will be like a model airplane fuselage skinned with pallet-wrap plastic film.

I always wanted to cut the roof off a VW Beetle and cover the rear seat, storage, and original air intake vents with a wooden, barrel-shaped tonneau cover. Single rumble seat. Parallel cream-colored pinstripes so it looks like a Chris-Craft boat. Low V-shaped windshield.