Toyota Yaris Forums - Ultimate Yaris Enthusiast Site
 

 


 
Go Back   Toyota Yaris Forums - Ultimate Yaris Enthusiast Site > Second Generation Toyota Yaris Main Rooms > Fuel Economy Forum
  The Tire Rack

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 11-05-2010, 12:35 AM   #1
Idahotom
 
Drives: 2008 5 sp. LB
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Idahoi
Posts: 268
Low drag mirrors

Am I the only one to fold the side mirrors back? I'm talking middle of Wyoming, and into a 30 mph headwind. I was always in the right hand lane, (interstate) traffic was very light, like none. My neck still can turn, and I have a rear view mirror. As I neared a town, I'd flip them back out. Safe enough, probably not legal. I havn't done it since, just that long stretch with the headwind and it was getting real boring. Can't say I could see a difference on the scangauge, and I only did it for a couple hundred miles.
Idahotom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-07-2010, 07:22 PM   #2
MUSKOKA800
 
MUSKOKA800's Avatar
 
Drives: '08 Yaris Sedan, Aero Package
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Burlington, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,720
I'd rather have full visibility than be obsessed over the drag, if any, they add.
I'd think the envelope that the front of the car creates going through the air at highway speeds extends out past the side mirrors. If it didn't, wouldn't the manufacturers see this in the wind tunnel and tune the mirror size/shape accordingly???
__________________
TRD Upgrades: 18" Wheels wrapped in 215/35/18 PZero's, Sportivo Shocks/Struts, Lowering Springs, Swaybar, Axle-Back Exhaust, Oil Cap, Rad Cap, Signage.

Aftermarket Goodies: Piggies SS, K&N Drop-In, Blitz S/C, DC Header, NST Pulley)

Toyota Options/Accessories: Sport Pedal Covers, Sport Shift Knob, Ipod Interface, Summer Mats, Winter Mats, Cruise Control, Auto-Dim Mirror, Echo steelies with winter boots.
MUSKOKA800 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-07-2010, 08:20 PM   #3
Klink10
 
Klink10's Avatar
 
Drives: 2007 Yaris Liftback
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: 910
Posts: 1,229
Tune the size accordingly? You would think but then they can't even come up with a quality waterpump.
Klink10 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-07-2010, 08:56 PM   #4
why?
Only Happy When it Rains
 
why?'s Avatar
 
Drives: Yaris LB
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: harnett county NC
Posts: 4,097
actually mirrors are tuned for visibility first, and drag is accepted in that area.

You can buy racing style mirrors if you'd like, they are much smaller. Garm has a set mounted on his yaris.

and so a few waterpumps aren't perfect. That stinks, but there are always a few stupid problems with cars. Thank God the Yaris is one of the best in this category.
__________________
Colin Chapman disciple
why? is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-08-2010, 09:02 AM   #5
Idahotom
 
Drives: 2008 5 sp. LB
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Idahoi
Posts: 268
After hearing about guys who remove the windshield wipers for less drag, folding back the mirrors seemed pretty minor. A one time deal for me, though I do like how they hold their adjustment through the folding process. Maybe the next time I'm driving through Wyoming I'll do it again!

During that leg of the drive, I saw a state trooper had pulled over a Prius, and I had to wonder for what, too fast, too slow??? Drafting semi's maybe?
Idahotom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-08-2010, 11:09 AM   #6
why?
Only Happy When it Rains
 
why?'s Avatar
 
Drives: Yaris LB
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: harnett county NC
Posts: 4,097
prius drivers are usually snobs who forget the rules apply to them as well.
__________________
Colin Chapman disciple
why? is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-08-2010, 11:56 AM   #7
derickveliz2
 
derickveliz2's Avatar
 
Drives: Yaris Sedan "S"
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Central, MA
Posts: 2,722
I would like ti see some smaller rear view mirrors that not only have less drag but generate less "wind noise"
derickveliz2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-23-2010, 07:48 AM   #8
Midnight Drifter
Going Retro
 
Drives: '09 Tacoma | '90 Tercel
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Monroe, NJ
Posts: 148
Quote:
Originally Posted by why? View Post
prius drivers are usually snobs who forget the rules apply to them as well.
Oh, please. When I was coming home from Georgia, one of the fastest cars I drafted before the VA border was a Prius with the Virginia plate SAVN GRN. She averaged 95 mph and had a Greenpeace sticker on the back of her car.

...yeah, that's totally what you're supposed to do in a Prius. Floor it the whole way home to save gas.
Midnight Drifter is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-07-2011, 10:46 AM   #9
Toyota_Yaris
 
Drives: 2007 Black Yaris
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Texas
Posts: 9
Quote:
Originally Posted by Klink10 View Post
Tune the size accordingly? You would think but then they can't even come up with a quality waterpump.
hahahahaha x's 2

62k miles on mine and I just went through my first waterpump
Toyota_Yaris is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-07-2011, 11:32 AM   #10
cali yaris
ULTIMATE
 
cali yaris's Avatar
 
Drives: 07 Yaris Turbo
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Canoga Park, CA
Posts: 14,859
Send a message via AIM to cali yaris
Prius bashing =
__________________
Micro Image forums, online store and shop are now closed. It was a great eight year run, but it was time to focus on other things. I'm still selling parts on eBay under micro*image seller ID and customers can still make requests for anything specific.
cali yaris is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-07-2011, 10:26 PM   #11
cfeng
 
Drives: Yaris 2010 Liftback
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 64
i dont see how adjusting the mirrors will make a difference at normal driving speeds. sometimes drag is even beneficial. for example, the antennae, which seemingly produces unnecessary drag, helps to trip a turbulent boundary layer for higher efficiency and lower overall drag.
cfeng is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-2011, 11:08 AM   #12
Idahotom
 
Drives: 2008 5 sp. LB
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Idahoi
Posts: 268
Quote:
Originally Posted by cfeng View Post
i dont see how adjusting the mirrors will make a difference at normal driving speeds. sometimes drag is even beneficial. for example, the antennae, which seemingly produces unnecessary drag, helps to trip a turbulent boundary layer for higher efficiency and lower overall drag.
What...you wind tunnel testing the Yaris with smoke streams or something?
The antenna is drag, though not much. As are the mirrors, less so when folded but who wants to drive around with no mirrors, besides me, one time!
Idahotom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-2011, 12:14 PM   #13
cfeng
 
Drives: Yaris 2010 Liftback
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 64
i use a water tunnel in my lab. i've been thinking about this. with a properly designed rear wing on the hatchback, it may be possible to increase fuel economy.



the top picture is similar to a stock yaris, air swirls in vortex patterns, which means that not only does the yaris need to propel itself forward, but spend considerable energy into moving air. with the correct rear wing, there could be less separation in flow at end and less movement in the air, similar to the bottom picture. i found this picture online, the second picture is misleading because it represents an ideal case with virtually no separation in flow.

the antennae will disturb how the eddies are shed, reducing wasteful swirling of air (reduce a little). similarly, if a wing is designed to reduce the size and number of eddies from forming by increasing turbulence at the rear of the car, the car will have less drag and overall better efficiency.
cfeng is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-2011, 03:13 PM   #14
derickveliz2
 
derickveliz2's Avatar
 
Drives: Yaris Sedan "S"
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Central, MA
Posts: 2,722
What about the Sedan?

D.
__________________
. My system may not blow your ears, but it will sweeten your senses.
CLA 250, 4MATIC
derickveliz2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-2011, 04:10 PM   #15
cfeng
 
Drives: Yaris 2010 Liftback
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 64
can't say for sure. it would seem that a sedan will have separation in the back as well, however it may not be as defined. since the wing might help reduce the effects of separation, i'm not sure how much benefit you have if the separation is already less than the hatchback. however, i dont have much experience on aerodynamics of cars, i work on fish.
cfeng is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-2011, 04:36 PM   #16
daf62757
Nothing beats a Toyota!
 
daf62757's Avatar
 
Drives: 2013 Yaris 5 dr liftback
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Posts: 564
Really? Fold the mirror in to save on drag?

If you a rocket scientist for NASA, I would understand.
__________________
Big Dave
Indianapolis, IN

Synthetic Oil....its in my car.....for at least 10,000 miles!

daf62757 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-2011, 11:37 PM   #17
TLyttle
 
TLyttle's Avatar
 
Drives: 07 Yaris sedan
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Keremeos BC
Posts: 986
What does rocket science and NASA have to do with drag? Aerodynamics can be a hobby as well as a science: more than once I have been involved in tufting a car in order to find a source of gas-eating turbulence, it ain't that hard, and the results are worth the time and effort.

Re the sedan: just the mud patterns on a sedan give you a hint, ie, there is far less mud on the back of a sedan after driving in crappy weather. This means that the air stays stuck, and the turbulence and rotors are smaller, ie, less drag. I consistently get better fuel mileage than my buddy's hatch, and we both drive about the same.

Folding in the mirrors may or may not make a difference, depending on the shape presented by the folded mirror, and the turbulence generated. Somehow, I don't think the difference would be easily measured. Now, skinning the underside should change things a lot, but not always for the better...
TLyttle is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-09-2011, 03:44 PM   #18
slow.yaris
Banned
 
Drives: 07 yaris sedan
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: california
Posts: 54
Quote:
Originally Posted by TLyttle View Post
Aerodynamics can be a hobby as well as a science:

I don't think the difference would be easily measured.
Sentence number 2 is why sentence number 1 is false.

I think what he is trying to say is, unless you have access to a wind tunnel, the difference is near impossible to measure, kind of defeating the whole point of trying to become more aerodynamic. Its just like VG's - sure the theory is there and you can experiment, but unless you have wind tunnel data to back up that they are decreasing drag by stopping flow separation, you could be hurting your drag as much as you are helping.
slow.yaris is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
FS: not a car... 2004 600rr low miles (SoCal) AdeJong 03 Cars for Sale by private party 8 09-25-2009 11:13 AM
Clazzio Seat Covers at LOW LOW Prices!! Sparks Toyota-TRD Sponsors Classifieds Area 11 08-06-2009 04:02 PM
im looking for rota or drag rims dealer in toronto!!! marcus Cosmetic Modifications (Exterior/Interior) 15 05-27-2009 11:44 AM
CLAZZIO SEAT COVERS at LOW LOW Prices!! Sparks Toyota-TRD Sparks Toyota 1 04-02-2009 10:47 AM
Auto Shop Local Bay Area Genuine Toyota Parts Low Low Price with Warrenty YarisSedan California 1 10-31-2008 08:32 PM


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 12:32 PM.




YarisWorld
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.