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Lowering
Topic Started: Jan 15 2010, 10:20 PM (1,638 Views)
Spock
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Live Long and Prosper.

Just out of curiosity, how much MPG increase could you get from lowering the car?
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starscream5000
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Got 70 MPG?

Not sure, but I'd be curious to know myself.
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john.
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Me too, I've noticed my car sits slightly higher in the front and have thought of lowering the front only.
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Woodie
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I doubt you'd see enough difference to measure. The car is the same size no matter how high it rides. The only difference would be how much tire is exposed to the airflow, a rather small amount compared to the size of the metal body, especially with the teeny weeny tires on a Metro.
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Bad Bent
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Facetious Educated Donkey

Perhaps chad8329 and obaja can help. They are the only members I know of off hand that have lowered their cars, maybe they have gas figures?

I can say that 'getting lower' helps in bicycling. I went from road racing to using aero-bars to recumbents and finally a race tricycle. The recumbent with the fairing and tear drop shape was fastest for me but I did not feel as much wind laying on my back on the tricycle. B-)

I should think that a belly pan would be a nice addition. :whistle My air dam is likely contributing to my keeping the summer mpg above 50. :)
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john.
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Air dam sounds like another good idea I'm going to try
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Metro Fanatic
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I think the gain would be in reducing wheel area to the slip stream. Tough to measure but every bit helps. I'll keep seeing if I can find someone who's measured the diff.
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metroschultz
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Please just call me; "Schultz"

Wait for Cobb to check in. We lowered his for that reason a few months ago. He says it has helped.
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Woodie
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Bad Bent
Jan 16 2010, 10:47 AM

I can say that 'getting lower' helps in bicycling. I went from road racing to using aero-bars to recumbents and finally a race tricycle. The recumbent with the fairing and tear drop shape was fastest for me but I did not feel as much wind laying on my back on the tricycle. B-)

I should think that a belly pan would be a nice addition. :whistle My air dam is likely contributing to my keeping the summer mpg above 50. :)
Your bicycling examples were changing the aerodynamic shape exposed to the air stream, along the same lines as the air dam or belly pan idea. Simply raising or lowering the exact same aerodynamic shape isn't going to make any difference.
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Metro Fanatic
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Lowering the same exact aero shape would potentially make a small difference. In my case, I have R12/145s. (12 inch tires with a 14.5cm width). Lowering the car 1 inch (2.54cm) would take this tire frontal surface area out of the direct air stream. Quick math, 2.54cm x 14.5cm = 36.8cm (square)...double this (2 tires) gets you 73.6 square centimeters. Removing 73.6 sq cm will have an effect on FE. Rough order of magnitude math puts this at about a third of the area of the passenger mirrors many delete to gain FE.

The real question....is it worth it to you? Taking off a mirror involves 2 minutes of work and 3 screws....lowering a car for about 1/3 of the mirror delete mod FE Gain can cost significantly more in time and money.

Still waiting to see if someone who's done this can elaborate.
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Coche Blanco
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You are making less air go under the "dirty" car when you lower it. It's not just the frontal area.
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Metro Fanatic
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Okay, bonus! So potential gain is perhaps even greater. I'll add this lowering to the 'list' of wonderful neverending mod projects! Thanks Coche.
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starscream5000
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Got 70 MPG?

Coche Blanco
Jan 16 2010, 07:43 PM
You are making less air go under the "dirty" car when you lower it. It's not just the frontal area.
Finally! Someone gets it! :thumb
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Bad Bent
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Facetious Educated Donkey

I found this page to be informative on aerodynamics... www.gmecca.com/aerodynamics
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Woodie
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Most of the air going under the car is not interacting with the car in any way. The inch actually in contact with the bottom of the car is causing drag, no question, but the additional seven inches is just sitting there. Not going to matter if that is five inches or five feet, it's not involved.
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