Phil Ethier (phile@pwcs.stpaul.gov) writes:
> I have a Lotus Europa which uses the Spitfire/GT6 front disk brakes. Like on
> most cars, they have a sheet-metal guard which covers the inside of the disk.
> I've got the assembly apart now, and am trying to figure out if I should put
> these back on. [...] If I leave them off, I see these advantages:
> Better airflow and cooling.
I'm not sure how true this is. I notice that most cars are equipped with these
although the likelihood of them acting as a shield against flying debris seems
a bit remote; ergo, what are they doing there? I think they act somewhat as
air scoops to drag cooling air in. (Most shields seem to be opened towards the
front, often with an obvious flared opening to grab air.) I believe that with-
out the shields to gather air, the disc, more or less in the same plane as the
tire, is spinning in a low-pressure area with perhaps a lot of turbulence but
not much real air flow-through. Just a thought.
Andrew C. Green
Datalogics, Inc. Internet: acg@hermes.dlogics.com
441 W. Huron UUCP: ..!uunet!dlogics!acg
Chicago, IL 60610 FAX: (312) 266-4473
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