Flared wheel arches!!

[Kool_Kid]

While going through the new models of Maruti , I noticed a trend i.e. most of them come with around 3-4 inches of fenders ( which are the part ) of the body . It started with Swift , SX4 and now the upgraded WagonR, Please note that I am not talking about Indica , since the fenders are not part of the body.

I have learned my driving on Swift and now I am painfully aware of how these cosmetic curves can be painful for the pocket, and I use to attribute these to my novice driving skills. but recently I have been noticing that most of the swift seen on the road have dented / scraped fenders.

So basically my question here is

Why manufactures are obsessed with these, its not like they provide any more space inside , if the motive was to limit the damage to the main body then it should be like indica . IMHO when our roads are almost reaching saturation specially in city traffic , these things should be done away with.

[kpzen]

I didn't get what u really want to say..?
Can't imagine a car without fender. It would really look so odd..

[Kool_Kid]

What i mean is the muscled wheel Arc's , Curvy things running on top the wheel.

Pls do express your opinion after voting ..

[hyper123]

You must be referring to the flared wheel arches right?
A car without these would look like a loaf of bread - straight cut sides!! The fenders give a muscular look and IMO they do not cause difficulty in driving.

Edit: flared arches on SUVs are to protect the body, but on cars it is purely for styling purposes.

[Kool_Kid]

Originally Posted by hyper123

You must be referring to the flared wheel arches right?
A car without these would look like a loaf of bread - straight cut sides!! The fenders give a muscular look and IMO they do not cause difficulty in driving.

Edit: flared arches on SUVs are to protect the body, but on cars it is purely for styling purposes.

Thanks yes you are right , i was referring to these ..

I can understand if they are to protect like indica , but dont agree with stying purpose .Sadly most of the swift on Delhi road seems dented / scratched at flared wheel arches.

[hyper123]

Originally Posted by Kool_Kid

Thanks yes you are right , i was referring to these ..

I can understand if they are to protect like indica , but dont agree with stying purpose .Sadly most of the swift on Delhi road seems dented / scratched at flared wheel arches.

That is due to driver error, not being able to judge a car's actual width, but its hard to avoid minor scratches and bumps in choc-a-block traffic.

Ok try to imagine a car without the flared arches. It will look skinny, unattractive. A wider tyre (upsize) in such un-flared arches would look totally out of place.
Try photoshopping a swift and see how it looks.

[elfhelm]

well, I was in 2 minds actually cos I like the flared wheel arches (slightly flared, not an extravagant arch) as a styling element. However when I think about the traffic in mumbai & the way auto drivers & 2 wheeler riders creep forward inch by inch, having flatter sides will definitely be an advantage.

Driving something like a Hummer would be more of an advantage though

[blue_pulsar]

IMO, cars like Swift, SX4 would look odd without the flared wheel arches. Its more of a styling element. And I agree with hyper123 that it is due to a driver error or a misjudgement that most flared whell arches are scraped. Its only a matter of getting used to it. However its also true that when any auto or two wheeler rubs with your vehicle from the sides, these are the first parts to get scrapped.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Aren't we forgetting- aerodynamics?

(Please dont shoot back the question- is WagonR aerodynamic? )

[1100D]

Wheel arches are not merely cosmetic. With the cross-sectional view of a car curving towards a narrower roof (than base), the wheel arches provide cover for the exposed portion of the tyre that would have been rendered bare if the arches were not curved outwards at those points.

[itwasntme]

Guys, I think we are missing an important point here. According to safety rules in almost all countries, wheels/tyres must be covered by bodywork to avoid accidents with overwide tyres (and/or) undersized wheelarches.

Agreed that with severly undertyred cars like the Indica, the flares are meaningless. But for bigger/heavier vehicles with 'proper' tyres such as the Endeavour, Safari, Octavia, Laura etc, the flares are a compulsory item without which Indian homologation would be immediately refused!

Technically speaking, vehicles with extra-wide tyres sticking out of the wheelwells are illegal and their owners are committing a crime under the Motor Vehicle Act/Rules. They are legally bound to cover the same within their wheelarches.

Re. the Swift, the cheaper variants are undertyred and only the ZXI comes with the minimum 185s needed to keep things safe. The powerful LDI and VDI especially are accidents waiting to happen on their skinny 165 stock tyres! 195s are the acceptable size and that will immediately fill up the wheelarches quite nicely!

[katalysm76]

Originally Posted by hyper123

You must be referring to the flared wheel arches right?
A car without these would look like a loaf of bread - straight cut sides!! The fenders give a muscular look and IMO they do not cause difficulty in driving.

Edit: flared arches on SUVs are to protect the body, but on cars it is purely for styling purposes.

I do agree to u my friend it does give the fenders do give the car a muscular look...
>>AK

[aalaap]

Does anyone know if these flared wheel arches available as add-ons for the Zen? (not the estilo).

I know Adrena got them for his Swift but he got them the dealer himself. Any aftermarket ops?

[Tejas@perioimpl]

Originally Posted by 1100D

Wheel arches are not merely cosmetic. With the cross-sectional view of a car curving towards a narrower roof (than base), the wheel arches provide cover for the exposed portion of the tyre that would have been rendered bare if the arches were not curved outwards at those points.

Also this helps to lower the centre of gravity of the car... its like a triangle. So more stability and safety.

[praveen_v]

No doubt flared arches make the car look more muscular. If the front end of the car is aggressive, it makes the car look much better.