When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Do you remove the stock air dam in the the front is you pit on a Stage 1 - 3 splitter
Do you remove the factory part under the front if you put a front splitter on or does it stay ? It seems to me you wouldn't need it after installing a splitter.
Do you remove the factory part under the front if you put a front splitter on or does it stay ? It seems to me you wouldn't need it after installing a splitter.
I kept my front side ones on, gives me a big warning of scraping before the splitter hits. If you are talking about the ones in front of wheels?
If you have a dry sump motor then this center air dam should not be on car. As it states in the PDI form "Do not install a lower center air dam on vehicles with Z52 RPO". Z52 is dry sump motor.
Last edited by george vee; 10-06-2015 at 07:38 PM.
I took all 3 pieces off (base model) when I added my splitter 9 months ago. They aren't needed for highway driving anyway. I just got back from a trip to Arizona, drove in 116 degree desert heat, AC on wide open, pulling hills and switchbacks, and had a Novistretch bra on the front and water temps didn't climb above 216. They just aren't needed. I hated the looks of air dams that have been scraped and hated trying to clean the darn things. You have to look to notice they are missing anyway.
[QUOTE=george vee;1590642258]If you have a dry sump motor then this center air dam should not be on car. As it states in the PDI form "Do not install a lower center air dam on vehicles with Z52 RPO". Z52 is dry sump motor.
Correct Z51 does not have center middle air deflector, only sides front of wheels.
The air dam on most vehicles are there to help the under car aerodynamics (which can be 30% of total drag on most vehicles) which can improve gas mileage and handling at high speeds.
The side ones on the z51 deflect air from the wheels to prevent drag and maybe help it cool the brakes a little.
The center dam would be on the z51 if wind tunnel testing didn't tell them otherwise. Not sure why they didn't keep the same air dam on all models.
That said the underbody of the vette is pretty clean and I view the splitter as providing the same function so I don't think they're really needed. (Other than reminding you to take bumps and inclines slowly)
Older vettes that were "bottom breathers" supposedly benefited from having low air pressure behind the radiator to improve cooling
I kept my front side ones on, gives me a big warning of scraping before the splitter hits.
The OP can do as they wish, many folks have removed the air dam because they don’t like the way they look! However he should do so knowing what they do and not sounding like the fox and the grapes! Those grapes probably weren't sour!
Air Dams reduce the percentage of air that goes under the car that has many components such as suspension, transmission etc that cause turbulence and drag. That reduces air drag. Quoting GM, “The Chevy Volt has an air dam that sits as low as the Corvette to extend the all battery range at highway speeds.” The volt is not a race car or does it travel at Vette speeds!
Spillters are effective at high speeds, the air traveling above the splitter will hit a vertical surface and become turbulent. This turbulent air is moving slow, creating a high pressure area. That increases downforce on the front end.
At high speeds air dams can also have an effect on handling. GM spent a great deal of time and money in wind tunnels and when you’re adding a combo, who knows! However at normal highway speeds doubt the Splitter has much effect where the Air Dam does. The lead GM aerodynamicist John Bednarchik was quoted in an article about the 2014 C7 “ … Bednarchik points out that while shapes for improving fuel efficiency typically begin to have an effect at highway speeds, lift and drag components become critical from 150 mph to maximum velocity.”
The OP's choice but I kept my side air dams mainly for what you mentioned, they provide an indicator the next thing to scrape will be the aluminum skid pads! The noise they create scraping is much worse than the sound of the rubber air dams that are designed to bend. Heard that sound several times with my C6! Fortunately they were just scraped and dented and did not break!
I added CF Side Skirts to stop debris from marking the rocker panels and the CF Splitter to match the Side Skirts and the OEM Visible CF roof. I don't track the car and doubt neither have any downforce benefits nor is any needed at the speeds I travel.
The air dam on most vehicles are there to help the under car aerodynamics (which can be 30% of total drag on most vehicles) which can improve gas mileage and handling at high speeds.
The side ones on the z51 deflect air from the wheels to prevent drag and maybe help it cool the brakes a little.
The center dam would be on the z51 if wind tunnel testing didn't tell them otherwise. Not sure why they didn't keep the same air dam on all models.
That said the underbody of the vette is pretty clean and I view the splitter as providing the same function so I don't think they're really needed. (Other than reminding you to take bumps and inclines slowly)
Older vettes that were "bottom breathers" supposedly benefited from having low air pressure behind the radiator to improve cooling
Been lots of speculation and comments about why is the “full air dam” on the base car and not the Z51. It was reported that the Z51 was supposed to have the center air dam and was removed at the last minute due to road testing. A recent video by Tadge Juechter about the Z06, I believe provides the key clue! It reinforces comments made by the GM chief aerodynamicist John Bednarchick in a January 2014 article but makes his comment clear, Bednarchick just said removing it provided better handling.
Tadge said at 150 mph the extra downforce provided by the center section made the car have a tendency to oversteer. He said it’s better to have slight understeer at high speeds!
We old Corvair and the old Porsche folks know what high speed overstear is all about. Even with the recommended 16 psi in the front tires my modified Corvair had significant overstear. We had a saying that when you went to fast into a turn,"It’s better to go into the tree with the rear than the front!” But it happens very quickly and the normal reactions make it worse. However if too fast with an understeer car you’ll still hit the tree!
The comments about "It was removed to cool the rear brakes," (which may be helped) IMO were marketing speak since they did not want to say the car was safer with it removed! The side dams still push air around the tires and provide some reduced drag while not adding excess downforce.
If making a turn too fast you'll be off the road but with oversteer the rear will hit a tree and with understeer you'll hit it head on!
I removed all of them when installing the splitter. For the average Corvette owner I seriously doubt they will notice any difference in handling or mileage. Maybe less scraping as my splitter allows more clearance than the air dams and with the front cameras I can avoid hitting anything when parking. I have not had any scraping when driving.
The center section of the three piece air dam is not used on the Z51 or the Z06 because it blocks air from getting to the air deflectors that are mounted on the lower control arms. The air deflectors direct air to the front brakes.
The base Stingray does not have the air deflectors on the front lower control arms, thus the center section of the air dam is installed in order to decrease the air flowing under the car, improving the car's aerodynamics an improve fuel economy.
On the Z51 and the Z06, it was necessary to sacrifice some of the aero and fuel economy in order to get the additional cooling air to the front brakes.
The center section of the three piece air dam is not used on the Z51 or the Z06 because it blocks air from getting to the air deflectors that are mounted on the lower control arms. The air deflectors direct air to the front brakes.
The base Stingray does not have the air deflectors on the front lower control arms, thus the center section of the air dam is installed in order to decrease the air flowing under the car, improving the car's aerodynamics an improve fuel economy.
On the Z51 and the Z06, it was necessary to sacrifice some of the aero and fuel economy in order to get the additional cooling air to the front brakes.
See my post #14. Always thought cooling the rear brakes was not the main issue! Tadge defined the real reason, IMO in a recent video. It makes the car safer at 150 mph! He probably doesn't want Ralph Nader doing what he did to the Corvair!!
10-06-2015, 06:30 PM
Do you remove the stock air dam in the the front is you pit on a Stage 1 - 3 splitter
