Yeah, I thought of that (al rail kludge) but would be worried about the rail breaking loose and fubaring the wheel. This weeking I am going to see if I can salvage what I have by inserting a long stiff backbone into the panniers.

btw, I just changed my wheels from many round spokes to fewer flat (Mavic Aksium) spokes. I wonder if this affected the air flow and had something to do with it all of a sudden.

Cheers
Gene