Quote:
Originally Posted by aerohead
The SAE has recommendations for approach,breakover,and ramp clearances so none of a cars naughty bits are torn off,scraping on a driveway ramp,railroad crossing,etc..
For the front of a car,a 16-degree approach angle is recommended,as measured from where you can just see daylight between the front tire tread and road surface and any part of the car ahead of that point.
If the airdam extends too much your drag will go back up as you add frontal area.
If you're willing to modify your driving technique you can suffer through with a lower dam,but you'll have to approach some road hazards obliquely so as not to encounter a ground strike.
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That crossed my mind when I saw a RAM truck modified for the Salt Lake flats a couple years ago. It had a ground dragging air dam, and I thought that would add too much frontal area... I kept that in mind when I made my front wheel fairings. I tried to keep them inline with the tires, slightly wider.
If your revised air dam is lower in the front, but doesn't go below the height of other items under the vehicle, I think that will work well. Perhaps if it were shaped a bit like a wedge, with the center the most forward and the rest trailing back to the front wheels it might benefit you even more.