Quote:
Originally Posted by dmac257
So these angles are based on the bottom of the wheels to prevent ripping parts off the underside of the vehicle?
My state (Connecticut) states minimum ground clearance is 4" and I am plenty high enough for that. Are you saying that the air dam should go down as low as either 4" (state limit) OR the 16degree angle, whichever is higher?
Would spats also follow this 16degree angle forward from the 4" clearance height? Would boat tails following the wheels angle up at 10degrees from 4" also?
As for the belly pan, you say highest allowable ground clearance. Ok, would this be as flat as possible from side to side or would curved higher on edges work better/worse? In conjunction with skirts it looks like you are saying flat accross and build down with the skirts to level of the pan. Is that right? And if I do full belly pan should the air dam in front extend below the pan or stop even with the pan?
And part I dont understand at all:
"The diffuser portion at its rear will be determined by where it begins" Heh, I dont even have a clue on WHAT to ask about this comment ;-)
I am going to go see if I can pick up some Clorplast tomorrow and will begin trying to figure out how to attach the big pieces so they are easily removed.
Don
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Don,if you made cardboard cutouts of these angles and pushed them up snug against the tires,they would reveal the 'safe' zone recommended,of which you go below you risk a ground strike.
If you are very vigilant in your driving you can go lower.Problem around here is road-kill and especially at night.At highway velocity your headlights may not reveal a road hazard until you've almost impacted it,tearing the airdam and all your good work away.
Another trick is to have a second dam further back,even between the wheels.A curb will never get it,but again,a road hazard could.
If you go 'real low' the added frontal area may raise the CdA and start to eat into your gains.
On the bellypan,it might meander around a bit,whatever you can pull off.Completely flat and smooth would be best,with a 'diffuser' at the rear.
The diffuser is the last of the pan and angles up at a very shallow angle,from 2.5,to 4-degrees maximum angle for drag reduction.The angle is determined from point of origin,beginning well before the rear axle or well behind it.The aero-mods sticky should have an explanation and discussion about it.
For whatever you can pull off with the belly,bring the sides down to meet it,except wheel fairings,which could go to 4".
With respect to the elevation of the dam vs bellypan,my opinion is to go lower with the dam if you can.Put a bellypan on the dam itself if you can.Ford's concept car,the Probe-IV used such a dam with good success.
On the boat-tail,a lot of the guys are running steeper angles than 4-degrees simply to protect them,and 10-degrees would be the protection.
GM cheated all this with an aero-valance on their EPCOT car,which lowered on the highway to the more shallow angle.Aircraft cable, pulley,piano -hinge,and locking pull handle could render same effect.( just gotta remember to pull the thing up in city driving ).