helix type rims

[waerf]

hi, i have a stupid question coz if it were smart someone would have done it already.
would it help a car's grip at high speed straights, to use a helix type wheel, as if the wheels were fans, moving the air from underneath the vehicle to the outside, thus reducing the pressure of the car's underside and sucking it to the ground?

 

[mloew]

This post does not really belong in this forum. Try reposting in:

Aerodynamic engineering Forum (forum1)
or
Auto tire/wheel engineering Forum (forum68)
Best regards,

Matthew Ian Loew

 

Good question - you'd be surprised at the number of things that haven't been thought of yet ! years ago (1955??) GM (Fisher Body) tried out a big bag of aero devices to try and slow a car down (retractible flaps, etc. such as they use at NASCAR today.) No real benefit at normal driving speeds - around 60 mpg those days, but apparently effective at 200 mph. Maybe some one at the wheel site can give you a better answer re. wheels generating negative pressure. Does anyone do what you are suggesting to cool brakes ? Maybe they aren't telling?