[Major_Lee_Slow]

With permission from Trackbird, I am starting this thread to get feedback from you guys on a set of Tire Blankets that I've been developing.

I have completed my final prototype of the large size so I am just about to get ready to kick off production. But before I do so I want to know if people would actually be interested in buying them. The price for the production blankets will be $159.00 for a set of 4. More information, like sizes, insulation test results and pictures can be found in the survey on my website. Please take the time to review this information and then complete the short survey (Note, I am not savvy enough to actually make an online survey, so if you could email me your results at the address at the bottom of the survey I'd really appreciate it).

MLS Motor Racing Tire Blanket Survey

You can also post any and all questions in this thread because I am sure lots of people will have similar questions.


Thank you all for your help!

Eric

This post has been edited by Major_Lee_Slow: Oct 23 2008, 07:08 PM

[sgarnett]

How effective is the rear gusset/flap in fairly high winds? How stiff is the flap? Is there any provision for weighting them at the bottom, like a pocket or slot for some heavy chain? For that matter, what do they weigh?

The two reasons I quit using my homemade blankets were that stowing them was a pain (not really built for folding, which you've addressed) and wind. I had to prop tool bags against them on the downwind side of the car. You've addressed that too, but is it enough?

Can you quantify the wind testing any? 20mph with the car parked across the wind? 25? More?

[Major_Lee_Slow]

How effective is the rear gusset/flap in fairly high winds? How stiff is the flap? Is there any provision for weighting them at the bottom, like a pocket or slot for some heavy chain? For that matter, what do they weigh?

The two reasons I quit using my homemade blankets were that stowing them was a pain (not really built for folding, which you've addressed) and wind. I had to prop tool bags against them on the downwind side of the car. You've addressed that too, but is it enough?

Can you quantify the wind testing any? 20mph with the car parked across the wind? 25? More?

This weekend in Joliet we had wind gusts over 25 mph with a steady 15 mph wind (according to weather.com). I could not even keep an 2.5 foot tall A-frame type display board from blowing over all day.

The blanket, installed on the rear of my Camaro didn't even move. I choose the rear to do this experiment because there is less car/inner fender to block the wind. The car was parked perpendicular to the direction of the wind. The blanket was placed on the opposite side of the wind direction so the wind would want to blow the blanket off the car. The blanket stayed in place and did not even move. Obviously, when the blanket was on the other side of the car the wind just helped to seat the blanket on the tire. The insulation material also helps hold the shape of the cover so the tread section didn't move either when the wind blew on it. The blanket almost has enough rigidity to stand up buy it's self, but not too much that it can't be folded. The back gusset does hook the blanket to the tire. It is a single ply of material with no insulation. It's about as ridged as a back back would be. It functions like a "hook." However it didn't really seem like it was needed. I must say people were really impressed.

The real proof in the test was that I placed the cover over a tire only which was not mounted on a rim and it was sitting perpendicular to the wind and it did not blow off (I had to place it perpendicular or else the tire wanted to roll down hill). Thre was absolutly nothing between the cover and the wind and the wind could blow right threw the tire (no rim) and it didn't move.

Everyone who was using the mylar covers had to prop something against their cover and they had to wedge shoes or sponges between their cover and the fender to keep their covers from blowing away.

I'll have to weigh the cover to get an accurate weight, but if I had to guess (which I hate to do) I'd say they are around 5 lbs each.

However, since winter is now approaching in the windy city, and I've got really no trees in my sub-division, I should have plenty of opportunity to do more wind testing.