Improving wheel aerodynamics with pizza pans?

[dgatwood]

I've been thinking about trying to improve the aerodynamics of my Model X wheels, and I'm looking for a way to do it that won't involve damaging the factory wheels, if I can.

It occurred to me that a 21" pizza pan should be almost exactly the right size to fit across a 20" wheel (about 1/8" from rubber on either side).

For mounting, I was thinking was that I could put a thin metal bar just behind the spokes close to the rim (where it would be several inches away from the calipers), and then use threaded rods from those bars to a pizza pan on the outside. I could put some rubber washers or similar around the threaded rods to keep them away from the spokes and keep them in place more precisely.

And I guess I'd want to cut a small hole for airing up the tires. Maybe I could put mount a rotating piece of aluminum in front of it or behind it so that it would be sealed except when opened.

Thoughts? Is this completely nuts?

 

[Kentegra]

do it for the team!!!!

 

[BluestarE3]

See here for someone who's already done it: self made aero wheels

 

[ps004ynos]

Not sure if this is a "real" picture or a photoshop job but it showed up on a chinese website. I can't read chinese and google translate just provided gibberish but it looks like a model X with some aero covers similar to the chinese market model 3 (Tesla starts Model 3 orders in China, unveils new wheel design)