Lowering and trimming front spoiler...
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 807
Likes: 1
From: Miami Lakes FL
Lowering and trimming front spoiler...
Thinking about lowering my 2010 GS all the way on the stock bolts...Was wondering if trimming about an inch all the way across the front spoiler to avoid so much scraping would be a good or bad idea? Thoughts?
Safety Car
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 4,827
Likes: 351
From: Albuquerque NM
If the GS is a front breather, like the Z06, with the bottom before the radiator blocked off, YES!
Just unbolt the left and right sections, and cut off most of the center one. This will greatly reduce if not stop the scraping, and will aid your aerodynamics.
Just unbolt the left and right sections, and cut off most of the center one. This will greatly reduce if not stop the scraping, and will aid your aerodynamics.
Former Vendor
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 16,897
Likes: 412
From: Lewisville TX
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13
Make sure to keep the lower radiator block off piece IN PLACE.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 807
Likes: 1
From: Miami Lakes FL
So I can completely remove the two side pieces and just shave down the center one? No overheating issues or anything?
Safety Car
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 4,827
Likes: 351
From: Albuquerque NM
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,055
Likes: 9,817
From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
Just let it scrape. They are meant to be worn down. It will even itself out very quickly why bother cutting it yourself when it will buff itself down? By the way the spoiler helps build a high pressure area under the bumper to feed air into the brake ducts while also reducing air flow under the car thus reducing drag.
I will put it another way. GM didn't put those parts on there if they did not serve a purpose. They are not in the habit of just throwing parts on a car that don't serve a purpose. Car makers like GM look everywhere they can to reduce parts costs by pennies so saving a few bucks by not installing the spoiler would be easy pickings for a cost engineer.
Bill
I will put it another way. GM didn't put those parts on there if they did not serve a purpose. They are not in the habit of just throwing parts on a car that don't serve a purpose. Car makers like GM look everywhere they can to reduce parts costs by pennies so saving a few bucks by not installing the spoiler would be easy pickings for a cost engineer.
Bill
Last edited by Bill Dearborn; Feb 17, 2011 at 11:30 PM.
Drifting
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,709
Likes: 18
From: Montgomery Il.
Just let it scrape. They are meant to be worn down. It will even itself out very quickly why bother cutting it yourself when it will buff itself down? By the way the spoiler helps build a high pressure area under the bumper to feed air into the brake ducts while also reducing air flow under the car thus reducing drag.
I will put it another way. GM didn't put those parts on there if they did not serve a purpose. They are not in the habit of just throwing parts on a car that don't serve a purpose. Car makers like GM look everywhere they can to reduce parts costs by pennies so saving a few bucks by not installing the spoiler would be easy pickings for a cost engineer.
Bill
I will put it another way. GM didn't put those parts on there if they did not serve a purpose. They are not in the habit of just throwing parts on a car that don't serve a purpose. Car makers like GM look everywhere they can to reduce parts costs by pennies so saving a few bucks by not installing the spoiler would be easy pickings for a cost engineer.
Bill
btw my 2008 is lowered as far as the stock bolts will go which is appox. 1/2" f/f. it won't hurt a thing if it scrapes sometimes in fact after a while it doesn't scape anymore.
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Safety Car
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 4,827
Likes: 351
From: Albuquerque NM
The airdam creates a high pressure area under the nose of the car to force air into the radiator of a bottom breather (base car). Bad for aero (look at Katech's aero data), good for cooling. Not needed for a front breather. For a base car either leave it intact or try cutting it back to half height, but watch your temp gauge. They are cheap to replace, if you need to.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 10,399
Likes: 26
From: Austin Texas
Bottom or front breather doesn't make much difference. Air will take the path of least resistance whether it's coming from the front or the bottom. The radiator core resists air flow so the air finds a way around (under the radiator) the resistance.
The air dam also has a big part in high speed handling, it keeps air out from underneath the body so the front end doesn't lift.
If you remove or cut the air dam you reduce air flow thru the radiator and increase front end lift at speed.
The air dam also has a big part in high speed handling, it keeps air out from underneath the body so the front end doesn't lift.
If you remove or cut the air dam you reduce air flow thru the radiator and increase front end lift at speed.
Former Vendor
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 16,897
Likes: 412
From: Lewisville TX
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13
Former Vendor
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 16,897
Likes: 412
From: Lewisville TX
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13
Just let it scrape. They are meant to be worn down. It will even itself out very quickly why bother cutting it yourself when it will buff itself down? By the way the spoiler helps build a high pressure area under the bumper to feed air into the brake ducts while also reducing air flow under the car thus reducing drag.
I will put it another way. GM didn't put those parts on there if they did not serve a purpose. They are not in the habit of just throwing parts on a car that don't serve a purpose. Car makers like GM look everywhere they can to reduce parts costs by pennies so saving a few bucks by not installing the spoiler would be easy pickings for a cost engineer.
Bill
I will put it another way. GM didn't put those parts on there if they did not serve a purpose. They are not in the habit of just throwing parts on a car that don't serve a purpose. Car makers like GM look everywhere they can to reduce parts costs by pennies so saving a few bucks by not installing the spoiler would be easy pickings for a cost engineer.
Bill
GM put it on there to cut down drag and increase MPG, but it does increase front lift as well at speed. You said it right there....depends on what you want. Lift and MPG, or stablity and downforce
The other thing it does it helps to force air into the brake ducts. The ZR1 has most of this removed and they put a little 'scoop' so to speak on the control arms to help force the air into the brake duct from the opening on the front splitter.
Either way you can remove it, and it should help reduce front lift but it will increase drag.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 4,827
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From: Albuquerque NM
The air dam is too far back under the nose to keep air from going underneath the car. All it does is back the air up into a high pressure area under the nose. If you remove it you will decrease front end lift at speed.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 4,974
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From: Pinellas Park Fl
St. Jude Donor '08-'09 & '12, '14
GM also says it's there to reduce pressure behind the radiator to make the cooling fan more effective. I would think that would be more important in city driving than any high speed benefits rarely seen by most cars.
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,023
Likes: 266
From: San Jose California
We took 3/4" off of the center piece of my wife's base C6 vert (it was low and the scraping was driving her nuts) and we totally removed the end pieces. Zero change in the temp readings even on the hottest days (100+.) And since she isn't regularly road racing the thing, cracking 150 mph, or doing mutiple full-stop actions, the aero and brake cooling issues are pretty moot.
Bill, her car was scraping that center piece *hard* for three years (25k miles) and that piece had barely worn at all when I went under there to trim it' I was amazed.. I mean, essentially NO wear (!) I dunno what it's made from but it's much tougher material than folks think.
Z//
