Rubber skirt missing?
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Joined: Jun 2014
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Rubber skirt missing?
2015 z51 I have two small rubber skirts on the front corners, but none across the middle. I have seen some with the skirt in the middle. Is this inherent to the Z51 or was my never installed?
E-Ray, 3LZ, ZER, LIFT
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 34,945
Likes: 12,359
From: NE South Carolina
It was removed, kind of at the last minute, from the Z51. A number of threads on the issue. Some knowledgable folks indicating why. Appears the proper balance of downforce with the rear Z51 spoiler and the fuctional side intakes for the coolers and air exit in rear all need to be balanced and removal of the center air dam made the best force balance.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 59
Likes: 0
It was removed, kind of at the last minute, from the Z51. A number of threads on the issue. Some knowledgable folks indicating why. Appears the proper balance of downforce with the rear Z51 spoiler and the fuctional side intakes for the coolers and air exit in rear all need to be balanced and removal of the center air dam made the best force balance.
E-Ray, 3LZ, ZER, LIFT
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 34,945
Likes: 12,359
From: NE South Carolina
Perhaps someone might like this info I saved from a post in September. Of all I have read it provides a very good explanation for the lack of a center air dam on the Z51:
“from talon90 9/2/2014
No. The 2015 Z51 does not have a center air dam.
The Z51 vs. the non-Z51 have significantly different aero signatures. This is primarily to due to the functional air intakes on top of the rear quarter panels. Each of those ducts is moving 8 cubic meters per minute of air through the duct work and out the rear fascia. As a result, this is all air that is not moving across the rear wing and as a result, requires a rear CHMSL/Spoiler that has a larger area and thus additional drag.
Air in to the front fascia and under the car is used to cool both the front and rear brakes. The outer areas of the front grille provide focused airflow to the front brakes and air under the car present air to the duct inlets for the rear brakes.
All of the lines and shapes to the car body are used to change the air flow and present low pressure air pockets. From the front fender flare to the indentation at the door out to the rear quarter flare.
Air down the sides of the car creates a pressure differential at the side coves and extracts heat out from the engine compartment via the vents on the side. That low pressure air aides front down force. The hood vent takes one third of the air presented to the grille and ducts it out over the roof of the car, again creating front down force.
All of the air that is presented to the front of the car must find it's way to the rear of the car as the car travels forward at speed. The way that this air is interrupted changes the pressure (and speed) of those air molecules and affects lift, drag, cooling and down force.
It is all a balancing act and changes to one of those aerodynamic forces will affect some or all of the others. Reducing air flow or air pressure in one area may result in reduced cooling air present in another area. Since the Z51 is the more track oriented model, more airflow must be presented to the brake inlets. You'll notice a difference for example in the front grille openings between the Z51 and non-Z51 as more air must be presented to cool the larger front brakes.
Yes, the removal of the Z51 front air dam was a late decision based on cooling and handling balance determined by testing. That doesn't mean it wasn't a wise decision. Making other hard changes in these areas are expensive and would require significant changes to panels, inlets (sizes and shapes) and significant time modelling and then testing these changes for long term effects."
“from talon90 9/2/2014
No. The 2015 Z51 does not have a center air dam.
The Z51 vs. the non-Z51 have significantly different aero signatures. This is primarily to due to the functional air intakes on top of the rear quarter panels. Each of those ducts is moving 8 cubic meters per minute of air through the duct work and out the rear fascia. As a result, this is all air that is not moving across the rear wing and as a result, requires a rear CHMSL/Spoiler that has a larger area and thus additional drag.
Air in to the front fascia and under the car is used to cool both the front and rear brakes. The outer areas of the front grille provide focused airflow to the front brakes and air under the car present air to the duct inlets for the rear brakes.
All of the lines and shapes to the car body are used to change the air flow and present low pressure air pockets. From the front fender flare to the indentation at the door out to the rear quarter flare.
Air down the sides of the car creates a pressure differential at the side coves and extracts heat out from the engine compartment via the vents on the side. That low pressure air aides front down force. The hood vent takes one third of the air presented to the grille and ducts it out over the roof of the car, again creating front down force.
All of the air that is presented to the front of the car must find it's way to the rear of the car as the car travels forward at speed. The way that this air is interrupted changes the pressure (and speed) of those air molecules and affects lift, drag, cooling and down force.
It is all a balancing act and changes to one of those aerodynamic forces will affect some or all of the others. Reducing air flow or air pressure in one area may result in reduced cooling air present in another area. Since the Z51 is the more track oriented model, more airflow must be presented to the brake inlets. You'll notice a difference for example in the front grille openings between the Z51 and non-Z51 as more air must be presented to cool the larger front brakes.
Yes, the removal of the Z51 front air dam was a late decision based on cooling and handling balance determined by testing. That doesn't mean it wasn't a wise decision. Making other hard changes in these areas are expensive and would require significant changes to panels, inlets (sizes and shapes) and significant time modelling and then testing these changes for long term effects."
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From: Ft Lauderdale
Tech Contributor
All the info that jerry posted is all perfectly correct but I think for many of us it's gotta be put in perspective. Chev engineers make the best car they can so in the tunnel, it gets the best marks for handling and efficiency.
All of that means little to me as I use the car as a daily driver and never plan to track the car or go to daytona where this stuff matters. So I'm sure I'm completely out of spec by ripping the entire front air dam off the car and mounting the wing spoiler....I sleep just fine.....no change in mileage or engine temp whatsoever.
All of that means little to me as I use the car as a daily driver and never plan to track the car or go to daytona where this stuff matters. So I'm sure I'm completely out of spec by ripping the entire front air dam off the car and mounting the wing spoiler....I sleep just fine.....no change in mileage or engine temp whatsoever.
Last edited by Glen e; Nov 19, 2014 at 11:11 AM.