1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Rear Wheel Skirts

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Accessories & Modifications' started by cj1x35, Jun 12, 2014.

  1. cj1x35

    cj1x35 New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 12, 2014
    1
    0
    0
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I have a 2007 Prius and was wondering if theres any website or person that sells wheel skirts for Prius
     
  2. Justdidit

    Justdidit LVNPZEV

    Joined:
    Jun 12, 2012
    1,880
    708
    75
    Location:
    Carrollton, Texas
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Four Touring
  3. 69shovlhed

    69shovlhed Surly tree hugger

    Joined:
    May 13, 2012
    2,170
    744
    0
    Location:
    Delaware
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Premium
    yuck!!!
     
    James1964 likes this.
  4. Daves09prius

    Daves09prius Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2010
    680
    161
    0
    Location:
    Gettysburg, PA
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    One
    I think there should be skirts for the front and the back -- that way the prius would look like it's floating / hovering over the road. That would be cool, but having skirts on the back and not on the front looks unbalanced to me. It would work for fuel economy, and I'm sure someone out there would like it, - just not my style.
     
    #4 Daves09prius, Jun 13, 2014
    Last edited: Jun 17, 2014
  5. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2009
    17,039
    10,013
    90
    Location:
    Western Washington
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    The Aerocivic has front skirts too. If I remember correctly from his postings to CleanMPG.com some years ago, the fronts are problematic because the wheels stick outside the fenders when turning sharply.

    Flush skirts rub and restrict turning angle. Skirts flared far enough to always clear, add parasitic drag on the highway. He hinged the covers, I thought originally allowing some tire rub that is not ideal. But now his page mentions rollers on the insides of the covers, and the tire edges push on the rollers.
     
  6. 69shovlhed

    69shovlhed Surly tree hugger

    Joined:
    May 13, 2012
    2,170
    744
    0
    Location:
    Delaware
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Premium
    sounds a bit Rube Goldberg. never mind the ugly factor.
     
  7. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2009
    17,039
    10,013
    90
    Location:
    Western Washington
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    ... but 95 mpg at highway speed.
     
  8. Justdidit

    Justdidit LVNPZEV

    Joined:
    Jun 12, 2012
    1,880
    708
    75
    Location:
    Carrollton, Texas
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Four Touring
    Guess this look appeals to some folk...

    [​IMG]

    To each their own I guess. The general Prius owner population think its ugly and ridiculous that I'm running 19" wheels on a lowered stiff suspension. But unlike most Prius owners, I prefer the stiffer more sporty ride and still get good gas mileage.

    If you want it, get it. Who cares what anyone else thinks...its your $.
     
    sidecar and Daves09prius like this.
  9. KennyGS

    KennyGS Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 28, 2014
    1,243
    1,044
    1
    Location:
    Keystone State
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Five
    I've always viewed it as appealing. I can't explain why, but I'm here to admit it to the world. :)
     
    James1964 likes this.
  10. Bill the Engineer

    Bill the Engineer Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2013
    1,044
    2,272
    467
    Location:
    At the beach in Delaware...
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Skirts are very retro. Many American cars from the late 1950's and early 1960's had them.

    Bill the Engineer
     
    James1964 likes this.
  11. 69shovlhed

    69shovlhed Surly tree hugger

    Joined:
    May 13, 2012
    2,170
    744
    0
    Location:
    Delaware
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Premium
    and they looked bad then too.
     
  12. 69shovlhed

    69shovlhed Surly tree hugger

    Joined:
    May 13, 2012
    2,170
    744
    0
    Location:
    Delaware
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Premium
    I'd bet the general prius owner population actually thinks the 19" wheels look good, but they (me anyway) don't want to spring for expensive wheels and tires. now if you were to put some bama 22" chrome bling wheels with spinners on it, that would look ridiculous.
     
    Justdidit likes this.
  13. tf4624

    tf4624 Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 4, 2009
    525
    51
    0
    Location:
    USA
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Yuk? I had that whole body kit on my old car. Looking for a new one
     
  14. 69shovlhed

    69shovlhed Surly tree hugger

    Joined:
    May 13, 2012
    2,170
    744
    0
    Location:
    Delaware
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Premium
    ok. while it does make it look different, its not an improvement. and I like to see the wheels. if I had the $ I'd definitely get some forged 5 spokes.
     
    Daves09prius likes this.
  15. sidecar

    sidecar Member

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2010
    342
    44
    0
    Location:
    Australia
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    II
    I think they could look a lot better than they do
    not a lot 'retro' about this..
    [​IMG]
     
    Daves09prius and KennyGS like this.
  16. Bill the Engineer

    Bill the Engineer Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2013
    1,044
    2,272
    467
    Location:
    At the beach in Delaware...
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Ooooo! I'll take one of theos please!

    Bill the Engineer
     
  17. KennyGS

    KennyGS Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 28, 2014
    1,243
    1,044
    1
    Location:
    Keystone State
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Five
  18. bestmapman

    bestmapman 04, 07 ,08, 09, 10, 16, 21 Prime

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2007
    1,289
    242
    3
    Location:
    Kentucky near Cincinnati, OH
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Limited
  19. sidecar

    sidecar Member

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2010
    342
    44
    0
    Location:
    Australia
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    II
    going back a few years, there was a period of racing saloon car development that saw the need to accommodate wider track layouts within the body of the car. But about the period when it became more obvious that rear transaxles (unit transmission and differential) were to be more popular, the rule makers began to speak in a language that said car widths had to be contained, potentially making such extreme body modifications less necessary.

    [​IMG]

    That notwithstanding, designers began to blend car styles to make room for what seemed a logical way forward. And fishtailed into car bodies the necessary humps and lumps to make their cars fir better with advanced racing profiles of the day. The rally experience was going in a similar direction.

    [​IMG]

    But manufacturers recognised that they had to squash this, and they were very aware that both race cars and showroom cars had to look more alike, 'win a race on Sunday, sell a car on Monday'.

    With the rule makers more likely following what the car makers wanted, as opposed to actual racing car development. The outcome meant that while the car looked more like an ordinary showroom example, it required the entire inside of the car to be gutted, and extensive engineering be performed to accommodate narrower track front and rear layouts. The gap between smaller racing garages and full factory commitments became a lot larger and many just left the scene, leaving the factory teams to endure.

    If the motives had been somewhat different, that is to say the rear axle widths and extreme wheels were not to change, this same type of development could be utilised in providing enough room to enclose an entire wheel eliminating the arch aperture.

    I believe that the real manufacturers are about to make a historic leap, and leave the poseurs gasping in their tracks. This from Volkswagen harks back to the Mercedes C111 project car, and is said to be stalking more than 200MPG efficiency, and squeezing every known micron of technology.

    [​IMG]
     
    #19 sidecar, Jun 23, 2014
    Last edited: Jun 23, 2014
    Daves09prius likes this.
  20. NortTexSalv04Prius

    NortTexSalv04Prius Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 14, 2009
    915
    114
    0
    Location:
    Texas
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Ah yes the VW diesel/hybrid nice ride and watch fully charged youtube ......Unless I live in Europe (I do not) and have unlimited monetary assets (not there) beyond my grasp but do like the vehicle