"Wheel Pants", aka streamlining outboard wheels/suspension

[Sven7]

Originally Posted by HydroJim

The side drag coefficient can't be any worse than existing cars?

From an angle, the air separates on the leeward side of the fender, body and other fender. On a normal car it would flow over the hood and only separate on the leeward fender. With outboard units you get more patches of turbulence taking up that normally occupied space between body parts.

At least that's my logic

[freebeard]

That said, NeilBlanchard has a good summary of the issues. But once you decide to go open wheel, it's only a question of *how*. In this case a Radir spindle mount 12-spoke is a beautiful wheel, it's a shame to cover them up. What spindle does it use? $799? Nevermind.

plasticuser -- My understanding it that it's the front half of the pontoon that applies unwanted side forces to the spindle if it doesn't closely follow the tire contour.

I agree the shape should be asymmetrical. In the case of my VLV design they would be a 1/4 sphere in the inside and almost flat on the outside.


aerohead -- "40 3/4 inches long and 7 1/2 inches wide" suggests a 5.4333 fineness ratio.

HydroJim -- Here's what I think: Open Source

The contact patch of a 12" tire will be short front to back. I think you gain pi times as much patch area if you increase the diameter instead of the width. I suggest a 3x15" wheel with a 125/15 off the Citroen 2CV.

Sven7 -- Wouldn't you get the most turbulence at a zero yaw angle? With a 'wake filling' effect otherwise?

[HydroJim]

2CV wheels and tires seem to be a good idea. thin, small, and lightweight.

Any idea what kind of front spindle/upright they could be attached to?

Maybe that's the first piece we can work on designing?

[Sven7]

How about making a solid beam front axle whose section is an airfoil? Could be crude, but 4x4's still use beam front axles.

[HydroJim]

With my design, which is rear wheel drive, I need the room between the wheels and having an axle there won't work very well. Even if it was an axle, I don't know where to source parts with the citroen 3 stud bolt pattern

[freebeard]

2CV wheels and tires seem to be a good idea. thin, small, and lightweight.

Any idea what kind of front spindle/upright they could be attached to?

May I suggest Citroen 2CV?


Plan taper? Been done:


I know. I know. Price and availability. Blackjack use 2CV for their Avion, for the Zero they use a VW Type I transaxle between Golf/Rabbit half-shafts and spindles. Here with a Motoguzzi V twin.


A 50s VW Beetle had 4" rims and Centerlines are available at 3"

[HydroJim]

I'm going to take this to a different thread since we got off the topic of "wheel pants"

[Sven7]

To me it still seems relevant. It's a thread about streamlining outboard front wheels/suspension and we're still on that topic.

On a tangent, the Citroen TPV prototype is one of my favorite car styling exercises. Like a mini-Voisin!

Ok, here is a 2CV suspension schematic. It uses leading/trailing swingarms both connected to shock absorbing cylinders under the floorboards. Quite ingenious, really. Wouldn't it be difficult to implement in a home-built car?

[dean_park]

I'd love to see a good set of wheel pants used on a standard type of vehicle with fenders. It's hard to make a good front wheel skirt that accommodates the wheels turning, but if you could fit wheel pants inside the fender well that'd keep the body profile when travelling in a straight line and turn with the wheel, I'd guess it'd be better than smooth wheel covers.

[Sven7]

Originally Posted by dean_park

I'd love to see a good set of wheel pants used on a standard type of vehicle with fenders. It's hard to make a good front wheel skirt that accommodates the wheels turning, but if you could fit wheel pants inside the fender well that'd keep the body profile when travelling in a straight line and turn with the wheel, I'd guess it'd be better than smooth wheel covers.

Think about those hubcaps that appear not to move ("floaters?"). Then extend the hubcap around the edge of the tire and curve it past the first few inches of tread. Weight it on the bottom to keep it from spinning. Voila!

Now, go forth and create! The force is with you!