How does this wing look??
Senior Member
Joined: 06-23-06
Posts: 1,967
Likes: 0
From: Tipp City, Ohio
Really? Uhmmm.....I've heard this before.
Somehow, a FWD car defies the laws of physics.
Anyway, it's a silly peice of B.S. thats been going around for awhile.
Cleaning-up the air at the rear end of a vehicle is obviously benneficial to ANY car. The wind doesn't know what type of drivetrain you have...........it simply wants to converge once it is seperated. Spoilers/wings provide help with this issue if they're engineered to do so. Cobalt SC wings are aerodynamically engineered to do this. They force the break-up of the "boundry layer" to occur behind the car as opposed to the intersection between trunk and rear window/facia. This increases efficientcy at speed, considerably.
If the "shape" and "dihedral" of the device is also taken into account, downforce can be generated. Downforce on the ass end of a vehicle is once again, beneficial regardless of drivetrain layout. Any car, will want to swing it's rear out during lateral manouvers due to inertia relative to the center of gravity etc. Even small amounts of downforce at speed create a more planted feel ,especially in FWD cars because their physics produce a light rear end under certain conditions.
Somehow, a FWD car defies the laws of physics.
Anyway, it's a silly peice of B.S. thats been going around for awhile.
Cleaning-up the air at the rear end of a vehicle is obviously benneficial to ANY car. The wind doesn't know what type of drivetrain you have...........it simply wants to converge once it is seperated. Spoilers/wings provide help with this issue if they're engineered to do so. Cobalt SC wings are aerodynamically engineered to do this. They force the break-up of the "boundry layer" to occur behind the car as opposed to the intersection between trunk and rear window/facia. This increases efficientcy at speed, considerably.
If the "shape" and "dihedral" of the device is also taken into account, downforce can be generated. Downforce on the ass end of a vehicle is once again, beneficial regardless of drivetrain layout. Any car, will want to swing it's rear out during lateral manouvers due to inertia relative to the center of gravity etc. Even small amounts of downforce at speed create a more planted feel ,especially in FWD cars because their physics produce a light rear end under certain conditions.
+1 rep for a damn good explaination though. I'm not saying your wrong, your very right, but the spoiler would have to be tested out quite a bit before it truly could benefit a FWD vehicle.
Senior Member
Joined: 06-28-06
Posts: 12,577
Likes: 2
From: Canada
the whole "wing on a fwd is stupid" thing is an ignorant statement.
a wing on ANY car, is useless unless the airflow over said wing is enough for it to start acting on the car. usually at least 70mph+
So tell me again, unless your car has 1000hp+ what does RWD/FWD/AWD has to do with anything when your vehicle is already travelling at 70mph?
rear vehicle downforce, in a regular streetable car, has nothing to do with rear wheel traction. I mean, seriously, unless your vehicle is capable of breaking the tires loose at 70mph....whats the point of a wing on a RWD car then either? keep in mind at 70mph its not gonna do ****....thats like the bare minimum before it will do ANYTHING. to truely get force from an aerofoil your gonna need some serious airflow. like 120mph+
it has far more to do with keeping the ass end of the car from dancing under heavy braking from a high speed.
a wing on ANY car, is useless unless the airflow over said wing is enough for it to start acting on the car. usually at least 70mph+
So tell me again, unless your car has 1000hp+ what does RWD/FWD/AWD has to do with anything when your vehicle is already travelling at 70mph?
rear vehicle downforce, in a regular streetable car, has nothing to do with rear wheel traction. I mean, seriously, unless your vehicle is capable of breaking the tires loose at 70mph....whats the point of a wing on a RWD car then either? keep in mind at 70mph its not gonna do ****....thats like the bare minimum before it will do ANYTHING. to truely get force from an aerofoil your gonna need some serious airflow. like 120mph+
it has far more to do with keeping the ass end of the car from dancing under heavy braking from a high speed.
Member
Joined: 11-05-06
Posts: 259
Likes: 0
From: Vancouver B.C.
True, but with a wing that is adjustable like the one that is pictured in the original post, a slight maladjustment and the car is screwed up aerodynamically. When the car is driving at a high rate of the speed and the wing is tilted forward a little too much it will push down on the rear end and take weight off of the drive wheels causing the car to become unstable. Unless you race on a long track where there are long gradual curves, a wing like this is just for show on a FWD car. In a rear drive car the wing adds weight to the rear wheels via downforce and actually does plant the drive wheels a little better.
+1 rep for a damn good explaination though. I'm not saying your wrong, your very right, but the spoiler would have to be tested out quite a bit before it truly could benefit a FWD vehicle.
+1 rep for a damn good explaination though. I'm not saying your wrong, your very right, but the spoiler would have to be tested out quite a bit before it truly could benefit a FWD vehicle.
Downforce is relative. Angle of attack (dihedral) imposed upon an airfoil is a different story all together. The airfoil SHAPE determines the downforce produced. Small changes in angle relative to flow (hundredths of a degree) will "tune" the foil but ultimately produce minimal change concerning downforce in LBS'S.........it's for balance.
Hence F1 crews typicaly tune the front airfoil ,where as the rear is static..........despite being RWD.
Remember, a cars wing is an inverted aircraft wing. It produces forces because of differential pressures on the planeform...........Not angles (dihedral) relative to airflow.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Cptnslo
Complete Cars
9
Sep 24, 2015 09:32 AM
chevytech329
Appearance
27
May 20, 2015 11:47 PM
DomesticDemonSS
Pictures & Videos
17
Feb 27, 2011 11:00 PM