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I'm preparing the mark 1 version of my front wheel skirts today. I've been looking at the various designs presented here and it seems like the root cause of their failure is ripping off at "high" speed. It seems like to me that they are ripping off because when the wheel gets turned there is basically a huge scoop being made and their mountings can't take the stress.

I'm thinking about making a flexible mount with a smaller hard panel in the middle where the wheel does not interfere with it, while the areas where the is interference will be made of a stretch type fabric backed with strips of teflon to prevent chaffing, all held together in multiple places by heavy duty elastic strips.... so basically the front wheel wells will always be enclosed. I'll make a new thread and make updates as I proceed with the design of it.

The biggest concern I have is keeping the skirt attached. It should also be easily removable. I'm thinking either heavy duty snaps or even a zipper mount. I just need to play around with it more. Pictures hopefully this afternoon of the rough mock up.

I've run my wheel skirt design up to 100mph without problems.

Oo... This is pretty much exactly what I was thinking...

http://www.gassavers.org/showthread.php?t=2173

Hmmm, after playing around with newspaper and cardboard templates I'm thinking the rubber flex joints might not be the way to go. The wheel wells are so small on the insight and the wheel sits almost flush with the exterior that I'm sure it will rub almost continuosly. I'm looking at basjoos' front wheel skirts and that looks like it might work better. Although I am concerned about something that weighs that much more ripping off and messing up the side of my car.

I need to come up with some way to reinforce the place where I'll mount the hinge joint if I go that route. Upside is that using his idea I can make it out of aluminum and then paint it so it looks almost stock ;)

back to the drawing board.

I've been looking at basjoos' front skirt idea, too.

Are those skirts held in place with extension or torsions springs? How are they hinged?

With my smaller-than-OEM tires (225-75 instead of 235-85) I am stuck with huge wheel openings. The rear is easy enough, but the front...

Two other options I've looked at:

Use sheet material to reduce the openings down to a near fit and use Mooneyes to cleanup the wheels. Mooneyes are a staple at Bonneville. Not as good as basjoos skirts but a simple and clsoe approximation.

Use bulged fixed front skirts. For mine, I'd have to bulge out the bottom of the skirts about 7" on either side. They'd look funky and add a little frontal area but would clean up air flow.

From what I read its a metal plate that has rollers on the inside of the plate where the tires will contact. The hinge is a piano hinge at the top of the skirt. Looking at the picture its attached where the flat part is.

The bottom corners have springs attached to them with the other side of the springs is attached to the inside wheel wells to keep them shut when the wheels are pointed straight.

Sweet and simple. Just the way I like it :)

Its basically a framework of 1X1/4" aluminum bar covered by an aluminum sheet. the movable part is connected with a piano hinge to an aluminum plate that is screwed into the frame of the car at the top of the wheel well. There is a spring at each lower corner attached by eyebolts to the movable frame and to the frame of the car inside the wheel well. The 3/4" dia X 4-7/8"conveyer rollers are McMaster-Carr part #2278T11, $8.31 each. The only maintenance I do is to inspect the springs and oil the roller bearings and piano hinge every few months. It will work fine with a spring missing, as I found out once when I when to inspect the covers and found a missing spring (spring probably fatigued and broke). I've had to replace one roller (started spinning too rough and noisily) in the year and a half and 45,000 miles that they have been on the car. Snow and ice accumulation hasn't been a problem when driving in snow since I exhaust my hot radiator air out through the front wheel wells.

While thinking about this very thing last night and being concerned with the possiblity of it ripping off I decided that instead of making it out of aluminum I'll just go ahead and make it out of fiberglass. I'll pick up some styrofoam block and use a cutter to form it to shape. Once the mold is made it shouldnt be too hard to make many copies if one should happen to come off.... plus making copies for other people would be a plus.

Blake--

By all means, continue your project, but I must object a little bit in a friendly manner to the idea of "making many copies in case [the wheel skirts] should happen to come off." While fiberglass might not damage your car, I can't say I'd be pleased to be behind you if stuff starts flying off.

I can tell you're thinking hard about it, but just be careful is all. I'd rather see you think it through completely and test on empty roads first. --RN

Oh certainly so... I wouldn't dream of making more than one set if I wasn't absolutely positive it would not come off. Remember I work in a profession that has to deal with car wrecks on a daily basis ;)

Only after several months of use by me would I even consider making more copies for other people... and only then after they sign a waiver of liability.