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aerodynamic wheel hub caps

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Accessories & Modifications' started by Flying White Dutchman, Apr 2, 2008.

  1. Flying White Dutchman

    Flying White Dutchman Senior Member

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    here some picture's off my aerodynamic wheel covers.

    work in progress

    a friend is making them
     

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  2. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    It kinda looks OK, but I'm skeptical that it will offer any aero advantage...esp. when it gets wet and stretches out and begins to catch more air than it's deflecting. I think just the spinning rim alone will be enough to create air catching folds in the material that will reduce your aerodynamics.
     
  3. Flying White Dutchman

    Flying White Dutchman Senior Member

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    its work in progress
    this is part 1 to make polyster
    i am not going to ride with some white cloth around my hub caps:p
    when its final i got 100% plastic closed caps.
     
  4. Bob64

    Bob64 Sapphire of the Blue Sky

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  5. happy5069

    happy5069 New Member

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    I had something like this, from a comercial supplier, for my bicycle which worked well. I had them up to 50 mph (downhill) with no problems. On a car, however, I might be concerned about brake cooling. But I think in this case of trying to NEVER use the brake it would not be a problem unless you were coming down in the high mountains!
     
  6. NoMoShocks

    NoMoShocks Electrical Engineer

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    Nice,
    I wish I knew an easy way to make some like these.

    [​IMG]
     
  7. Flying White Dutchman

    Flying White Dutchman Senior Member

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    yes i have seen those
    i hope mine wil loook the same or better:)
    maybe end of this week....


    because the prius brakes on the elec motor and i can use "B"for going downhill
    then for me its not that a big problem



    the back wheel skirts/covers ( whatever you want to call them ) is a bit of a problem because the lower part of the wheel sticks out of the car
    zo you see on your drawing that its bit sticking out to. i think that Will effect aerodynamics worst then without them!
     
  8. iLLa Prius

    iLLa Prius New Member

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    fiberglass is pretty easy to work with to do whatever you want. i myself would be worried about the brakes and motor not being able to be air cooled properly which can cause premature ware or failure.
     
  9. BubbaMcGeeHee

    BubbaMcGeeHee New Member

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    I would have to agree.. My main concern would be Cooling of the Brakes and perhaps the Electric Motor.... Does anybody here have a best guess as to how much of a MPG gain their would be with Solid Caps? I doubt the gain (if any) would be worth the potential of warping the rotors although as noted we tend to use brakes a minimal amount.

    P.S. I'm new to this Forum so you can take what I have to say with a grain of salt... If I accidentally offend anyone I'll just hide behind my couch. :behindsofa:
     
  10. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

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    But you have a bladder in your fuel tank so we must take notice of everything you say, I on the other hand have no bladder in my fuel tank so please ignore everything I say. Someone once pointed this out to me.

    Not that anyone cares what I think (refer above) but the brakes on the Prius still won't get hot with full wheel covers, remember those big American land boats like Dodge Parisienes and Plymouth Belvedere that had steel disc wheels and no air flow over the brakes from outside, they did OK. There is still air flow around the back of the wheel.
     
  11. daeltos

    daeltos Junior Member

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    Maybe someone could make something similar to what Ferrari has on their F1 car where there is an opening for air to go in and out?

    This was first used by Ferrari last year and is now being copied by other cars for this year.
     

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  12. BubbaMcGeeHee

    BubbaMcGeeHee New Member

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    I gotta give you that.... :deadhorse:

    Come to think of it.... I don't use my brakes anyway...
     
  13. darelldd

    darelldd Prius is our Gas Guzzler

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    A solid plastic snap-on wheel disk would be the bee's knees.
     
  14. morpheusx

    morpheusx Professor Chaos

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    Patsparks is quickly becoming my favorite poster on here, because he is so freaking funny the way he calls out all of us for being american idiots. (uneducated Aussie) LOL :croc:
     
  15. ryanj023

    ryanj023 You Mad?

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    i wouldn't do it based of aesthetics alone. but do you. in terms of improved aerodynamics, i do not know. maybe it will help, i wouldn't know. i doubt it would be much difference if it did anything at all.

    if you end up rolling with that, post the pics. i'd be interested to see them on the car.
     
  16. Flying White Dutchman

    Flying White Dutchman Senior Member

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    :confused: bee's knees?
     
  17. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

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    Why thank you.
    However you are not all American idiots, some of the members are from Europe. :rofl:



    No seriously, I am overwhelmed with the intellect of most of the people on PC. If they are an average cross section of Americans I have under estimated the general population, however, I doubt it. Prius drivers are the smartest people on the planet, regardless of where they live.

    Unfortunately the impression most people get of Americans is garnered from episodes of Gerry Springer and Oprah.

    One more thing about those giant heavy cars of yesteryear, they didn't have regenerative braking or vented discs.

    I need to apologise to the OP as he most likely had no idea where I was coming from. If you think I'm a nut case you are probably right.

    Yes, bee's knees, means the same as the duck's guts.
     
  18. jukeboy

    jukeboy New Member

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    I think it was used in the 50s, 60s or something... Archie comics come to mind
     
  19. darelldd

    darelldd Prius is our Gas Guzzler

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    It's a good thing.
    "the bee's knees"

    What can I say? I'm a groovy retro goob.
     
  20. darelldd

    darelldd Prius is our Gas Guzzler

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    You need to meet some EV drivers! :D