[D'Artagnan]

What is the use of wheel cladding with respect to performance or aerodynamics?

As far as I can understand I think they're used to reduce the road noise from the tyres is there any other purpose?. Why do some cars come with full cladding inside the bumper and some are only partially filled?.

Cars abroad have a a small rectangular piece which might be an inch or two in length and this is fixed to the front if the wheel cladding (inside) I would like to know what is their usage too?

[arunphilip]

Originally Posted by D'Artagnan

What is the use of wheel cladding with respect to performance or aerodynamics?

As far as I can understand I think they're used to reduce the road noise from the tyres is there any other purpose?. Why do some cars come with full cladding inside the bumper and some are only partially filled?.

The wheel well cladding is used to minimize road noise, especially during highway cruising (in Indian cities, you'll never hear the tires over the din of everything else).

There are various variations:

• No cladding at all, metal is exposed
• Partial cladding, usually towards the passenger compartment
• Full plastic cladding
• Plastic cladding covered by a felt-like material

For instance, my EcoSport has a full plastic cladding in the front wheel wells, and the plastic+felt in the rear wheel wells. This approach is taken because the rear tyres sit directly under the passenger compartment, and need more sound insulation. The front tyres usually sit ahead of the firewall, which provides an added amount of sound insulation.

Partial & no claddings are usually done for cost reasons.

Originally Posted by D'Artagnan

Cars abroad have a a small rectangular piece which might be an inch or two in length and this is fixed to the front if the wheel cladding (inside) I would like to know what is their usage too?

It might help if you could share a picture of this. Typically, things placed ahead of the wheel cladding are used to shape airflow beneath the car. While this is often seen in high performance cars (e.g. a diffuser), normal road cars have also started using these to reduce drag and subtly improve mileage.

[D'Artagnan]

Originally Posted by arunphilip

The wheel well cladding is used to minimize road noise, especially during highway cruising (in Indian cities, you'll never hear the tires over the din of everything else).

There are various variations:
[*]No cladding at all, metal is exposed[*]Partial cladding, usually towards the passenger compartment[*]Full plastic cladding[*]Plastic cladding covered by a felt-like material


For instance, my EcoSport has a full plastic cladding in the front wheel wells, and the plastic+felt in the rear wheel wells. This approach is taken because the rear tyres sit directly under the passenger compartment, and need more sound insulation. The front tyres usually sit ahead of the firewall, which provides an added amount of sound insulation.

Partial & no claddings are usually done for cost reasons.

It might help if you could share a picture of this. Typically, things placed ahead of the wheel cladding are used to shape airflow beneath the car. While this is often seen in high performance cars (e.g. a diffuser), normal road cars have also started using these to reduce drag and subtly improve mileage.

So other than road noise there isn't any other purpose for the inner wheel cladding both front and back. And the purpose of providing partial cladding is purely due to cost measures and has got nothing to do with aerodynamics, except of course it might also aid in keeping the car a bit slush free

I'm trying to source an image for the tiny rectangular bit added just below the wheel cladding but am unable to find it on google. I saw this in an episode of top gear when the stig was driving the ford fiesta rs around the hammer head. That bit just below the wheel cladding stood out when he cut sharp. Now I'm not sure if its below the cladding or placed before it. Could you please explain as to how would this improve the aerodynamics, does it have something to do with air flow?

[arunphilip]

Originally Posted by D'Artagnan

I'm trying to source an image for the tiny rectangular bit added just below the wheel cladding but am unable to find it on google. I saw this in an episode of top gear when the stig was driving the ford fiesta rs around the hammer head. That bit just below the wheel cladding stood out when he cut sharp. Now I'm not sure if its below the cladding or placed before it. Could you please explain as to how would this improve the aerodynamics, does it have something to do with air flow?

Was it something like this?

Note: image copyright belongs to its respective owner on autospeed.com

If so, it supports my statement about this being used to modify airflow under the car.

This page from the AutoSpeed site is a comprehensive view on how these type of deflectors are used to shape the airflow.

[rav11stars]

I've noticed this in my Punto Evo as well. The wheel well is sort of naked exposing the body to dirt. On the other hand I've noticed that the Maruti and Hyundai cars come with the wheel well cladding.
Any idea if we can get such cladding for the Punto as well?