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Has the General deleted the center section of the front spoiler on Z51 units? My '14 has the 3 piece spoiler, but I am seeing many cars without the center section (too many to think they all ripped them off).
Why is that and/or what is the function of the remaining two end pieces?
The right question to start with is why is the “full air dam” on the base car. It reduces drag and can, at higher speeds increase front end downforce. GM states the Chevy Volt has an air dam that sits as low as the Corvette to extend the all battery range at highway speeds. Yep it works to reduce drag at highway speeds. Then why was it removed from the Z51? It was initially intended to have one, like my Z51 C6 but it was said, "After final testing it was removed." Lots of speculation as to why but a recent video by Tadge about the Z06 as why it has no center section is very revealing. It reinforces comments made the the GM aerodynamicist John Bednarchick in a January 2014 article but makes his comment clear, John just said 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 it probably does but was that the main reason) IMO were marketing speak since they did not want to say the car was safer with it removed! The side air dams still push air around the tires and provide some reduced drag while not adding excess downforce.
Why is that and/or what is the function of the remaining two end pieces?
Another key reason I like the side air dams is they provide and early warning for the next item to hit which is much worse! It's what GM calls a radiator support and some call a skid pad. Hit my C6 several times. They are the next lower thing that hangs down in the front! Installed what are called FANGS to protect them.
My C6 Scrapped Skid Pad, Skid Pad Part, my C7 FANG Installed. That Sound, Which is Aluminum hitting Pavement is Much Worse Than Plastic on Pavement!
Your're welcome.
Been following issue even before I received my C7 in October 2013. Lots of discussion and comments even from Chevy folks about why it was removed from the Z51. Prior to Tadge's statement I accepted the "aerodynamics are complex (which they are) and after the initial testing it was found "performance" was better with the center air dam removed.
I had added a rear spoiler and a large air dam to my 260Z, which improved the high speed stability as many were reporting it would. Then I hit a curb with the fiberglass air dam and had to remove it. While a waited for a new one to be delivered and painted the car was light even at 70 to 80 mph and got to a point of concern at higher speeds. You had to balance the added downforce of the rear spoiler with the air dam or it was worse than stock! With the air dam back on it was fine. Tadge just help define that they wanted less front downforce and that was achieved by removing the center section!
All cars are different and the C7 has an excellent shape to start, achieved with a lot of time in a wind tunnel.
I wondered about this too. Does adding the Z06 front splitter to the base stingray adversely affect handling, since it wasn't designed for it, and there's no oversize Z06 rear spoiler to balance it out?
I installed the splitter anyway, because in my opinion, it is a much more pleasing look, as the 2 front fangs by themselves just seem to look unfinished.
Can anyone confirm if the Z06 has the outside air damns like the Z51 ?
If you are referring to the little air dams in front of the front tires, yes they do. My 2015 Z06 was delivered to me with the center air dam not installed but in the back trunk and was told that the only time I would need it was on the track. Also it came without the standard front splitter.
Now I have opened a claim number with GM Owner Assistance for the missing front splitter. Supposedly they are shipping one out to my local dealer for them to install !! Its funny GM said that the front splitter was not on the build sheet but the air dam was !! Go Figure !!
Hold the phone. I have the basic Stingray and I didn't get the front piece either. For a while I thought I lost it on one of those parking lot cement bumpers. Now it's great to learn that it was probably never on and I really must not need it. Probably a good idea to leave it off as my previous vette spoilers were battered and beaten on a regular basis.
Last edited by lottavettes; Jun 4, 2015 at 08:10 PM.
I just want to clarify so I have a better understanding of the front splitter. I have a 2015 z51 m7. I just ordered a z06 stage 1 front splitter. Did Tadge say the C7 performs better without the splitter? I am thinking of removing the two front rubber :things: in front of the front wheels. I don't track the car. Can someone chime in please. Thanks.
Can anyone confirm if the Z06 has the outside air damns like the Z51 ?
Originally Posted by Oskee
If you are referring to the little air dams in front of the front tires, yes they do. My 2015 Z06 was delivered to me with the center air dam not installed but in the back trunk and was told that the only time I would need it was on the track. Also it came without the standard front splitter.
I'm confused. If the Z06 comes with the center air dam in the trunk, why doesn't the Z51--or does it, and I didn't get one?
On a Z51, does anybody know at what speeds the Z06 OEM splitter and side skirts become aerodynamically effective?
Can anyone confirm if the Z06 has the outside air damns like the Z51 ?
Yes, the Z06 has the side air dams.
I think the front splitter also helps push more airflow up and through the grille. For those that have to run a front plate, it may help cooling.
I'm confused. If the Z06 comes with the center air dam in the trunk, why doesn't the Z51--or does it, and I didn't get one?
On a Z51, does anybody know at what speeds the Z06 OEM splitter and side skirts become aerodynamically effective?
I was told that the center air dam along with the rear spoiler and the front splitter all work together for downforce on the vehicle running on the track. Supposedly it is not needed on the street and it will eventually be destroyed because it sits so low !!
I was told that the center air dam along with the rear spoiler and the front splitter all work together for downforce on the vehicle running on the track. Supposedly it is not needed on the street and it will eventually be destroyed because it sits so low !!
That is all wrong! My C6 Z51 had a full air dam like the current base car. It was never destroyed and sat lower than the C7! In addition I had my "Skid Pad" hit twice, it is aluminum and if hit too hard it could be damaged, Mine was just scraped. Terrible sound! The air dam provides a warning that the next thing to hit is the "skid pad." See my post #7. It is also inexpensive if needed to be replaced, unlike the "Skid Pad."
The Chevy Volt has an air dam that is as low as the Corvette and GM says it extends the distance it can travel on batteries at highway speeds. Air dams are effective at reducing drag at highway speeds. Air dams also reduce front end lift but that is more an issue at high speeds (above highway speds.)
It was reported that the Z51 was to have a center air dam along with the two on the sides like the base car. In final testing it was removed.
GM's top aerodynamicist John Bednarchik was quoted as saying in an October 2, 2013 article about the 2014 C7: "Doing so required not only developing an aero-optimized grille and air dam,but also a removable center section for the Z51 performance option, to provide better stability at high rates of speed.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."
I wondered what he meant by "better stability." Then Tadge n a recent video said in essence, "We removed the center air dam to reduce front downforce so at high speeds the car understeers rather than oversteers. I provided a pic of understeer and oversteer if that is helpful.
Therefore I concluded that is the main reason the air dam was removed. For normal driving it would reduce drag but at high speeds it created more than the desired amount of downforce causing the possibility of the rear end getting loose first in a high speed turn. (Remember the Corvair, rear engine Porsches of that era, and the controversy started by Ralph Nader?) You can conclude what you wish but my Z51 did not come with a center air dam as most (if not all accept my mistake by a dealer.) I did not get mine in the hatch. My car was built in September 2013 so things could be different in regard to what is provided in the hatch but to my understanding all Z51's don't use a center air dam.
I'm just interpreting what I am reading and hearing.
If making a turn too fast you'll be off the road but with oversteer the rear of the car will hit a tree and with understeer you'll hit it head on!
At legal speeds the air dams, front splitters and rear spoilers do essentially nothing. Until you're way north of 100 mph they have no affect on handling.
Front spoiler
