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View Full Version : Wheel fans - a picture?



Ron Earp
10-01-2004, 07:38 AM
Anyone got a picture of a wheel fan? Interested to see what one of these jokers look like.

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Ron
http://www.gt40s.com
Lotus Turbo Esprit
BMW E36 M3
RF GT40 Replica
Jensen-Healey: IT prep progressing!

bodyshop
10-01-2004, 08:44 AM
http://customautotrim.com/wheelcov/page_15-01.html

This page includes a picture of wheel fans, cleverly marketed under another name. You may recognize them, because they have become the latest craze in the NBA-SUV world. Evidently, Basketball players and their fans(no pun intended) are more interested in true vehicle performance than I imagined. These wheel fans cool the vehicles brakes even when the vehicle is stationary.

They can be installed on most any vehicle. They seem to do exceptionally well on late model SUV's with Metallic pearl paint, and mid to late 80's Full size Chevy, Buick and Pontiac cars. I'm not sure if they are available for your Jensen Healey.

http://Forum.ImprovedTouring.com/it/smile.gif

Fred

ddewhurst
10-01-2004, 08:50 AM
Fred, (bodyshop) you been smellen the fumes for way to long.

Have Fun http://Forum.ImprovedTouring.com/it/wink.gif
David

Geo
10-01-2004, 09:17 AM
For a real picture of wheel fans, look at old photos of a Porsche 935 or 936 at LeMans. They look like a cone shaped "hub cap" with little fins on the edges. They supposedly help pull air through the wheels to promote brake cooling.


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George Roffe
Houston, TX
84 944 ITS car under construction
92 ITS Sentra SE-R occasionally borrowed
http://www.nissport.com

924Guy
10-01-2004, 09:40 AM
Last two pics on the bottom of this page should give a decent look, as installed on the car:
http://www.924.org/models/CarreraGTS_GTR.htm

I've been contemplating making some, for my replica of the white car... just don't know if I'd be allowed to run on-track with them, or if they'd be considered hubcaps...

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Vaughan Scott
Detroit Region #280052
'79 924 #77 ITA/GTS1
www.vaughanscott.com

bodyshop
10-01-2004, 01:05 PM
Originally posted by ddewhurst:
Fred, (bodyshop) you been smellen the fumes for way to long.

Have Fun http://Forum.ImprovedTouring.com/it/wink.gif
David

David,
The fumes are the reason I enjoy painting so much. Not to mention, PPG urethane catalyst doesn't show up in random drug screens and the fumes are easier to share with your friends. http://Forum.ImprovedTouring.com/it/smile.gif

still having fun...and hope you are too...

Fred

Knestis
10-01-2004, 01:34 PM
Took a while to find a clear picture since most industrial applications put radial fans in boxes...

http://www.electronics-cooling.com/assets/images/2001_May_techbrief_f2.jpg

They suck axially from the center (so from inside the wheel, if there is a blanking plate on the outside), and blow radially - outward from the vanes.

It would NOT be hard for a sheetmetal shop to build a pair but you'd have to make decisions about what kind of vane angle you want, etc. It would be simple to start with true radial vanes - pointing striaght out from the axle...

K

Greg Gauper
10-01-2004, 03:49 PM
I know where you can get a slightly used wheel fan for free.....but it's slightly damaged http://Forum.ImprovedTouring.com/it/smile.gif

One of the GT3's at the Runoffs last week had contact with another car and lost a fan on track at turn 13 on Saturday (I worked corners on Friday & Saturday and drove on Sunday). The fan was a genuine BBS part(the BBS logo was molded into one of the blades on the back). If anybody goes to the WOR games they can probably still find it on the worker side of the fence near the corner box.

We think it came off the third place car (a VW no less!) but couldn't confirm it since we couldn't see the other side of the car.
It was the 'flat'style wheel fan and not the cone shaped fans pictured on the Porsche.

Edit: This is the car

http://24.242.138.234/2004RunOffsC/2004SCC...4_GT_3_Qual1002 (http://24.242.138.234/2004RunOffsC/2004SCCAROTueQGT3/SCCA_RO_04_GT_3_Qual1002)

[This message has been edited by Greg Gauper (edited October 01, 2004).]

Knestis
10-01-2004, 09:40 PM
That's Dave Rugh's car. You can send that busted part back to Portland... http://Forum.ImprovedTouring.com/it/smile.gif

A related story: The shell that we used to build this rally car...

http://it2.evaluand.com/images/oldintrax.jpg

...was one of the first MkII GTIs that came into the US. (I want to think that the VIN was like xxxxxx00023 or something like that.) They were used as press cars, and some of them ran the VW Bilstein Cup and other places, but ours spent time as an ice racer in the NE.

Dave Rugh ended up with it at his shop outside of Portland, and used it to build up a buck for his first MkII GT3 bodywork. When we picked it up after he had a garage sale, it still had urethane foam glued to the fenders and sills, where he had created profiles for the flares.

That car is still rallying in the NW - Todd Hartmann is the driver - and it is on its third logbook. Almost unheard of in that business but Todd is as safe on the stages as he is meticulous in his preparation. I did 40+ events with him and was never more than half a car length off the road. I retired six years ago and he's been running strong since...

K

[This message has been edited by Knestis (edited October 01, 2004).]

dyoungre
10-04-2004, 03:59 PM
Not sure where to get a picture of one, but one of the favorite wheel fans in the 70's was a magnesium centrifugal cooling fan off of a corvair. I believe that fan may be what is shown in 'How to make your car handle'...

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Dave Youngren
NER ITA RX7 #61

apr67
10-04-2004, 09:14 PM
http://www.greenwoodcorvettes.com/StreetGTO.html

Someone used to make them out of molded plastic of some sort. The sold out of the back of Sportscar Magazine.

ARRC Comm
10-10-2004, 07:02 PM
I have some BBS wheel fans for my GT3 car, will bring one to the ARRC if you want to see what they look like. Fletcher

Prince Makaha
10-17-2004, 02:19 PM
Aren't they considered hubcaps?