Side skirts - style or function?
12-08-2016, 08:21 PM
#1
Intermediate
Thread Starter
Side skirts - style or function?
Are the side skirts to improve appearance or do they also keep sand/rocks from kicking up? One month in with the new car and working on my upgrade wish list.
Thanks,
Bob
Thanks,
Bob
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12-09-2016, 12:04 AM
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12-08-2016, 08:23 PM
#2
Team Owner
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CORVETTE TODAY Host
St. Jude Donor'15
They're both. I love the look of mine. But they do help keep your rocker panels clean.
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12-08-2016, 08:42 PM
#4
Team Owner
I would say both.
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12-08-2016, 08:43 PM
#5
Safety Car
Too funny - Corvette - High Performance - Sports Car - and "function" refers to protecting from rock chips vs. aerodynamic advantage / performance issue / etc. It's like an old fart buying driving shoes to go on a group "cruise".
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12-08-2016, 10:01 PM
#6
Le Mans Master
It is funny that it never crosses some peoples mind that the side skirts have an aerodynamic function. However, obviously most people only install them to protect the rocker panels from rock chips.
12-08-2016, 10:01 PM
#7
Le Mans Master
Both... function foremost, then style.
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12-08-2016, 10:25 PM
#9
Melting Slicks
As a Corvette salesman.......would you guess most Corvette owners are (a) people who have a passion for Corvettes or (b) professional race car drivers. I am sure their are some accomplished drivers on this forum but I would bet most owners fall into the more mature stage of their life and don't really care what some one else may think. I don't know what you think constitutes an "old fart"......but probably most of your commissions comes from a more mature buying base.
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12-08-2016, 10:49 PM
#11
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http://www.formula1-dictionary.net/side_skirts.html
Side skirts are used to reduce the amount of high pressure area on the side of the car to go under the car from the sides. If an air splitter is used, air under the car is at a low pressure, which causes the higher-pressure air on the outside and on the sides of the car to come rushing in diminishing ground effect and downforce.
The effectiveness of the skirts depends primarily on how close to the ground the lower edge can be maintained. That edge should be less than a 2 centimeters from the ground, otherwise the skirts' effectiveness diminishes rapidly as the gap increases.
The effectiveness of the skirts depends primarily on how close to the ground the lower edge can be maintained. That edge should be less than a 2 centimeters from the ground, otherwise the skirts' effectiveness diminishes rapidly as the gap increases.
12-08-2016, 11:10 PM
#12
Drifting
Pretty sure most of them are more than 2 centimeters from the ground....
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jagamajajaran (12-08-2016)
12-08-2016, 11:26 PM
#13
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12-08-2016, 11:49 PM
#14
Intermediate
Thread Starter
Complete newbie here...first performance car/vette in 52 years so apologize for the dumb *** question.
12-09-2016, 12:04 AM
#15
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Last edited by jagamajajaran; 12-09-2016 at 12:04 AM.
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12-09-2016, 12:46 AM
#16
Racer
Thanks for chasing that down jagamajajaran. I'm very surprised by the "That edge should be less than a 2 centimeters from the ground, otherwise the skirts' effectiveness diminishes rapidly as the gap increases"
I guess in fact preventing chips & pits on the rocker is the primary function of 99% installed skirts? Whoda thunk it?
I guess in fact preventing chips & pits on the rocker is the primary function of 99% installed skirts? Whoda thunk it?
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12-09-2016, 11:19 AM
#19
E-Ray, 3LZ, ZER, LIFT
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Recall on my '88 and '93 Vettes had damage because of the wheels throwing up rocks. On my '08 C6 bought contoured rather large and matching color splash guards as soon as I got the car. They worked although some thought they were a bit tacky! In my mind form follows function so thought they looked fine.
Bought the GM splash guards when I got my C7. Rears work find because the body panel is not in line with rocks when the splash guards are added, However the fronts were not doing much. Once you look at where GM put that heavy protective plastic (from the center of the door to the rear wheel opening) you can see those small front splash guards are not very effective.
Added Carbon Fiber Side Skirts since they matched my visible CF roof and won a SEMA award early on. They are from LG Motoersports.
They stopped all marking and allowed me to remove the discolored, marked up GM plastic protectant.
After 3 years my rocker panels look new. And Yep, they also look good!
Last edited by JerryU; 12-09-2016 at 11:23 AM.
12-09-2016, 11:29 AM
#20
Drifting
Good info on the Aero properties diminishing as you move away from the ground... 2 cm... WOW...
And this would only matter as you exceed 100mph so they are basically cosmetic but their true effectiveness is in protecting against stone chips.
I wonder if C7 Jake would call the running boards on his truck, side skirts?
And this would only matter as you exceed 100mph so they are basically cosmetic but their true effectiveness is in protecting against stone chips.
I wonder if C7 Jake would call the running boards on his truck, side skirts?