savageskaterkid Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 The new Z06 has directional wheels stock, with I believe 18"s in the front and 19"s in the back-There are meant to cool off the brakes. It is pretty funny when a Z06 guy wants a tire rotation. "So do you want us to switch the wheels side to side, causing the brakes to overheat?" "Or would you rather us switch them front to back where your tires may rub?" About that time is when they say nevermind. Seeing as how the cheapest you can get tires for that car is like 500 for the front and 600 for the back, IIRC(per tire) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNeedForZ Posted May 30, 2007 Author Share Posted May 30, 2007 Hall of fame driver Jim Hall.http://www.motorsportshalloffame.com/halloffame/1997/Jim_Hall_main.htm "His Chaparral 2J "Vacuum Cleaner", the first ground effects race car, allowed him to sail at incredible speeds through the corners, due to an auxiliary motor that created a vacuum under the car to increase traction." That car is one of the very interesting speciments in GT4. When I raced against computer opponents, I can beat other cars but never the Chaparral 2J. Can't beat it no matter what I do/upgrade and I didn't know why. Used the "can't beat 'em, join 'em" startegy, bought the same car and upgraded it until I beat the computer controlled Chaparral 2J. The car has only 3 gears and looks really boxy and "sealed up", not to mention low ground clearances. From the rear, the car has a strange round opening. At that point I suspected maybe this car has something that generates vacuum.....now that you told me, I guess I know why the car can go so fast around the corners. Look here for some photos of the Chaparral 2J : http://www.mulsannescorner.com/chaparral2j.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators BRAAP Posted May 30, 2007 Administrators Share Posted May 30, 2007 I just remembered that Nissan implemented such a feature on its production Z car in 1990, the Z-32. I found my original 1990 300-ZX brochure and found that section, picture below. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proxlamus© Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 wow thats crazy!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zlalomz Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 SCCA Corvettes used to use fans from the tops of Corvair air-cooled engines on their wheels. My first car was a Corvair so I would point this out with pride to my friends when we went to races at Laguna Seca. They would then tell me that the fan was the only race-worthy part from my Corvair. The fans on the 65-69 'vairs are made of magnesium. From the Greenwood Corvette website, “On the front wheels, Greenwood ran a very early version of the air extractor fans -- he used cut-down Corvair fans bolted onto the wheel to help move air across the brake area.” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 The fans on the 65-69 'vairs are made of magnesium. They ignite when you shoot them three times in quick succession with steel-cored Chinese Surplus 7.62X39 Ammo from an SKS as well. So do older AS41 Alloy VW cases. I have THREE of those fans (Corvair) laying around doing nothing...if my Watanabe's didn't look so bitchen, I'd be tempted to make a go of installing them when I found a fourth... That's a cool bit 'o trivia there. Gotta Love a Vette depending on a Vair to handle... LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daeron Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 neat! I have asked EVERYONE that I know about this more times than I can count, for the last five or eight years.. and never gotten an answer. Well, now I know. Apparently, it is CERTAINLY relevant for brake cooling, and potentially relevant for aerodynamics as well, just as I suspected! and so I say for the second time in 24 hours.. thank you, HybridZ, for the continuing education! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 And you get pyrotechnic commentary as well! Those three were destined for the next 'desert shootout' with the boy...we don't shot up all the V-Dub cases before he turned 13... All we got now laying around are those Mag Fans... Now they have a new lease on life, to the detriment of the Boy...But we will substitute other pyrotechnics (maybe 3" mortars) on the next outing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zlalomz Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 Well TonyD, if you need a fourth fan or more fans for target practice you can get them at Clarks Corvair Parts. Around $26 used and $98 NOS. They also buy used parts if you need more ammo money. Do you notice how the back sides of the fans look like 4th? gen Corvette wheels? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeatRaveR Posted December 18, 2007 Share Posted December 18, 2007 I'm glad this subject came up. Awhile back, I'd posted about my interest in fanblade wheels, but all the pics I've seen (most of which are already posted here) are vintage, and therefore nearly impossible to find. The only aftermarket fanblade-style wheels I've seen are the new Enkei WDM's: http://enkei.com/Performance%20specs/WDM.html Unfortunately, they don't make them in Z offsets... I wonder if Enkei does custom offsets, or group buys. Does anyone else know of any other aftermarket fanblade wheels? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primadonna z Posted December 18, 2007 Share Posted December 18, 2007 For any one interested, here are pictures of the BBS cooling fan inserts. the bolt directly to the inside of the wheel. For anyone that was at the Nationals this year, and saw my trailer, I have a couple of these screwed to the wall for decoration. Here's an early (25 years ago) picture of the Primadonna with the cooling fans installed. I don't find them to be flattering to the appearance of the car. Besides that, I catch enough Sh*% about rice as it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badjuju Posted December 18, 2007 Share Posted December 18, 2007 And you get pyrotechnic commentary as well! Those three were destined for the next 'desert shootout' with the boy...we don't shot up all the V-Dub cases before he turned 13... All we got now laying around are those Mag Fans... Now they have a new lease on life, to the detriment of the Boy...But we will substitute other pyrotechnics (maybe 3" mortars) on the next outing... My buddy's shop teacher in highschool told him that a vw case will burn for three days under water... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ladouceur Posted December 21, 2007 Share Posted December 21, 2007 The new Lamborghini Reventon was also designed with this in mind. (Top Gear fans should know this) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikedoubleg Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 the Ferrari F50 has fans in the hood.. designed to suck the car down to the ground and provide downforce.. which is awsome Hi, This is my first post and i do not have much hands down experience with car, i'm one of those bookworm that reads about automobile all the time so don't flame me if i'm wrong. I don't think those fan provide any downforce at all. they just in that position because the radiator is mounted in v setup. to provide any significant downforce, the fan must be connected to the crank or have huge electric motor to provide any kind of air sucking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Juday Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 On the Corvair fans: I don't remember the Corvair offered with a reverse rotation engine option. So what do you do on the other side? Do you suck air in from one side and blow it out the other? Or are the vanes straight like the ones on the BBS inserts that Primadonna has? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BayAreaZT Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Ferrari used wheel covers on their F1 cars last year and now I think all the teams are using them. The front wheel covers extract the hot air and direct it under the car which is supposed to help accelerate the airflow under the car thus creating more downforce and better stability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 yes, those cobra rims are designed that way to help pull air past the brakes. its the way for designed them.. Just like the SHO wheels on mine They have been tested by sho owners and they work... Not very well but its more than nothing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TeamNissan Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 Hi, This is my first post and i do not have much hands down experience with car, i'm one of those bookworm that reads about automobile all the time so don't flame me if i'm wrong. I don't think those fan provide any downforce at all. they just in that position because the radiator is mounted in v setup. to provide any significant downforce, the fan must be connected to the crank or have huge electric motor to provide any kind of air sucking. I don't think Proxlamus meant it the way you do. In any event..... F50 - The ultimate Ferrari An Autocar Book "Up front, downforce is also produced by the radiator ducting. Air enters at high dynamic pressure and exits through two ducts in the front of the bonnet, where the accelerated airflow means dynamic pressures are low. So air is sucked through the radiator as well as blown, resulting in a fast upward flow of heated air which contributes to the downforce." The fans DO aid in front downforce. Not by brute force buy by aiding airflow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjfawke Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 There is a big difference between downforce generation and reducing lift. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bschiltz Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 I was walking through the parking lot at school and noticed a grand am's wheels Looks like directional fan blades to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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