Removing Fog Lights = Ghetto Brake ducts? 2003

[Aebous]

Well I think the title says it fairly clearly. Can I expect any sort of a benefit (on track) from removing the fog lights and rigging some ducting (cut up boxes?) into the tire well? Or just leaving the Foglights out with no ducting.

Or will the air just bounce around too much and not really do anything?

I'm thinking about it as a friend noticed that the fog light is positioned nicely to duct into the wheel well, so we pulled one out and I'm just debating on trying it or not out on willow springs.



Since I'm asking questions about brake ducting....
Does the Aero style bumper p/n: 51 11 0 149 400 have brake ducts built in? I want brake ducting on whatever bumper I get for the car so if that one doesn't have it what are my other options?

 

[duckson]

The M has no fog lights and a "hole" through the bumper into the wheel wells.

 

[cj10jeeper]

The M bumper has ducts that cross between the bumper cover and through the wheel arch liner.

Item 18 here:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=BT92&mospid=49344&btnr=51_5960&hg=51&fg=15

Without ducting and just allowing air into the void behind the bumper cover there will be no benefit. In fact I have my doubts the M system is anygood anyway, as the duct exit is 50% blocked up and it faces at the tyre, so probably gets very little air to the brake disc.

I'm sure if you put the time in any bumper shape could be adapted where the spots are to push some air to the brakes, but a lot of effort to do it.

 

[Dreamer]

I have the aero bumper and can confirm there are no brake ducts.

 

[Mr Whippy]

996 Turbo 911 and Evo VII are two that I know with effective brake cooling via ducting systems, so worth a look at those for 'road car' but effective ducting systems... most I know run up the lower control arm and into the back vent inlets of the disc, and often feed from a venturi under the car (ie, high pressure under-car air goes up the slide and gets rammed into the back of the disc)

Take a look at the above systems anyway. Not many effective ones really feed from bumper vents (bar racing road cars with their smaller wheel lock etc)

Dave

 

[Pasi]

I've been wondering the same issue and like you said plan A is to just do it like in M. Plan B would be to use ducting and something like this from Turner to get the air where it's suppose to go:


But haven't decided yet. If I go with the M-style way, then I will atleast put some ducting between the foglight and the wheelwell, so that the air is not just going behind the bumper. ISA-racing had some nice parts also.

 

[Aebous]

Yeah so far we temporarily rigged some thin cardboard to act as ducting on one side. It looks feasible. Ya'lls opinions on will it work/help?
At any rate the cardboard stays in at speed (115 mph).

Awesome links Pasi, I'll be keeping an eye on that site.

 

[Mr Whippy]

They look like the right kinda thing!

It just means flexi-hose in the wheel arch that will probably get rubbed at tighter lock applications... ie, for the road they are less handy, but for race use, fine

Tried to find pics of the Porsche ones, but they are little venturi's that run from the base of the air dam, and then get picked up again off the lower control arms at the front (kinda)... clearly effective if they put all that plastic there in the first place!