Is it true the brake ducts are only functional on the r1 or r2 models? If so is it possible to make the ducts on the base/touring functional also? thanks -Jeff

 

do you mean the side vents on the front fenders? those are annd never were functional... the brake ducts talked about on the r1 package is on the front plastic lip. it has a 1 inch by 3 inch or so slit on both sides right under the dual oil cooler ducts, that vent into the tire, well brakes area. hope that answers your question.

oh it was rumored that the side vents were used in the 99 japanese spec cars as vents for the oil coolers. it was supposed to be a special vent thing that went over the tire well and exited out the side vents. i've yet to confirm this.

 

You can add brake ducts to a touring model.
Here are the required parts;

Front Air Dam Kit: FD03-51-9H0
L Brake Duct: FD03-43-64XE
R Brake Duct: FD03-43-63XF

Total Cost is about $300

 

the side vents are for the oil coolers exit air. It goes over the wheel like you said but our cars already have it (93-95) so i'm sure the new ones do to. Just pull you wheel well liner you'll see it.

 

Along with the ducts listed above. The r1 spoiler lip has the extra brake ducts molded in. So if you have a base or touring, your gonna need the lip too. The vents, aft of the fender, are functional. As listed above, oil cooler discharge.

 

Anybody care to speculate whether the stock ducts would be effective without the front R1 lip? If they open below the small lip on our touring/base models, wouldn't they pick up enough air to be as effective as the ducts with the R1 lip???

I live in the city and have a lower than stock suspension so it really is not feasible for me to have even the R1 lip (nevermind anything made of fiberglass), but I would like to know if the stock R1 ducts would provide any benefit - I know about the CWC brake ducts... but I am hesitant to buy any product which relies on aerodynamics unless it has been thoroughly tested.

Plus - I like the clean look of the base model lip on my Silver FD.

Scott

 

The R1 ducts do stick out 1" or so below the oil cooler lower cover. Not as low as the R1 spoiler, though.

I have a new R1 spoiler and the matching ducts (also new) for sale if someone is interested.

 

I'm having a hard time visualizing that. I guess I never really understood where those ducts come through to mate with the R1 lip. They are connected in some way to the plastic undertray are they?

I've looked in Yamaguchi's RX7 book and the RX7 performance handbook and I don't see any pix that show the ducts. Anybody have a picture of this?

Scott

 

The brake ducts attach to the undertray under the oil coolers. There are 2 grooves in each with attachment slots. Here is a picture: http://www.adornedmerchandise.com/Ma...BrakeDucts.jpg Selling mine for $75 ea.

 

Looks like I'm going to have to print this out and go to the garage for a look. I looked at the linked pix and can't tell the front from the back. Maybe I just figured it would be self evident by looking at them, but it appears that the R1 ducts work by simply dumping air straight into the inner front wheel wells. This is a totally different approach to that taken by:

1) the CWC ducts which attach to the wheel hub and move with the wheel, relying on the channeling of air already in the wheel well; and
2) most racing applications I've seen, where flexible hose is used to route air right to the back of the wheel and is aimed right at the calipers. like this on Jim Downing's prototype 3-rotor racecar
one more

For pure racing applications, Jim's solution on the Kudzu racer is obvious. For the street/occasional track use car, I doubt that is the right way to go. Doing something like this would probably require fabricating a mating surface for the hub (Like the CWC duct) which would hold the flexible hose in place pointed at the disc/caliper as the wheel turns and moves through the range of motion of the suspension. What do you guys think?

Scott

 

The rounded part with the shiny attachment clips\nuts attaches to the front spoiler. They just redirect air to the rotor backplate. No direct connection to the backplate.

The flat side with the angle attaches to front of the inner fender.

 

I thought the back plates for the R1 were different than the base.? Are they?

 

I don't know if the base and R1 backplates are the same, but the ones on my base model do have little scoops at their front for air intake. The R1 duct just dumps air into the wheel well and then the backplates channel it to the disc. No direct hose as you already stated.