stanklr

Hello

Just saw that in my non-z51 2016 C7, one of the front plastic air dams is missing (Drivers side), for those of you didnt understand what i mean, if you look below the front bumper there will be 3 pieces of plastic dams in non-z51 cars (z51 cars have two only on the sides).

Was just wondering, whats the real function of these Air dams? I did my search some were saying its for downforce and some say its for handling and so on, my friend is saying removing these will cause the car to overheat... not sure if this is correct or not.

Im thinking, if removing these air dams doesnt cause any issues related to overheating or other major issues, i will most likely remove them instead of buying new ones as they sometimes even scrap on speed bumps.

Please let me know the correct and confirmed info.

Thanks

HoustonMidtown

Several people have removed them with no issues

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...important.html

JerryU

The C7 is not a bottom breather like some older Vettes-has nothing to do with cooling!

They do reduce the air going under the car and create downforce. However that doesn't have significant effect until over ~100 mph.

Reducing the air going under the car also reduces drag and helps gas mileage. That has an effect even at highway speeds. GM says the large air dam on the Chevy Volt (don't know if it can hit 100 mph) helps it get more range at highway speeds. Just how much better will be hard to measure, expect it's measured in 10ths at 60 to 70 mph.

The biggest advantage as I see it and why I leave the outer ones on (my 2014 Z51 and my Grand Sport on order don't have center dams-but that is another story) is they provide an early warning when they scrape that the next thing to hit will be the "skid pads" or what GM refers to as radiator supports (they serve both functions.) They are made from thin aluminum tubing and the sound that makes when they scrape pavement is terrible! Make the slight air dam scarping sound like music!

In fact on my 2014 I added FANGS and have the plastic FANG covers ready to install on my Grand Sport when it arrives.

Scraped the aluminum "skid pads" on my C6 several times, fortunately did not dent them sufficiently to be replaced. Hit them on the 2014 after I installed the FANGS and no damage, the heavy plastic just slipped over the concrete. Your car do as you wish.



C6 Scrapped Skid Pad, Skid Pad Part, C7 Protector FANG Installed

JoesC5

The air dam is there to lower the car's coeffience of drag, to improve gas mileage. It has nothing to do with creating "downforce". If you look, GM has been using air dams on their cars for the past 35-40 years, and a 1981 4 cylinder 84 HP Buick Skylark 4 door sedan didn't come with an air dam to create downforce above 100 MPH.

You can see the air dam on this 1984 Buick Skylark......



Or this 2001 Buick Park Avenue....

brooklync5

I removed mine weeks ago and have had the car at plenty of speed since then. There aren't any adverse effects to removing them as far as I can tell. I haven't heard the dreaded scraping sound once since removal.

walleyejack

took mine off, reduced significant lbs and got another 10hp.

Rooster OG

I took mine off over a year ago, no issues. I couldn't stand the scraping.

JerryU

Know some folks remove them because they don't like the "dreaded scraping" or the looks!" Believe me that sound is like music compared to what is a terrible noise when the next lowest think to hit, the aluminum skid pads hit pavement! If you're lucky as I was in my C6 you'll just have to deal with the awful noise!

Some have reported on the forum having to replace them (see center of my post #3 for a pic- not cheap.) I didn't "intend on hitting them! Here is how it happened several times with my C6 and once on my C7. When pulling in a mall parking lot raised driveway. If I drive slow even the air dam does not scrape. However several times, cars coming much faster than they should or perhaps they were texting and if I didn't accelerate in they would have hit me! I accelerated and not only the air dam scarped but I hit those aluminum skid pads on the C6. Fortunately only modestly scraped the plastic FANGs in the C7! The plastic scarped but slid over the pavement and probably pushed up the car slightly.

On my C6 air dams all I ever did to "fix" the rough edge was to use sand paper about once per year to smooth the rough edge. Took 5 minutes. Good curb feelers!

YOUR CAR DO AS YOU WISH!

walleyejack

my car is lowered and have not hit the lower rad support once, i usually watch were i am driving and pay attention. and make sure i have time to pull in to a lot with out being hit.

your car, your choice.

jimmie jam

You must have done something very wrong...I got another 17hp, just sayin .

walleyejack

yes, i left the metal clips in pan. dohhh

JerryU

with your first statement BUT NOT with the 2nd!

This is why the Z51, Z06 and Grand Sport don't have a center air dam! When introduced in 2013 there was speculation and comments about why is the “full air dam” on the base car and not the Z51. The Z51 was supposed to have the center air dam and was removed at the last minute. 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 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 oversteer is all about. Even with the recommended 16 psi in the front tires my modified Corvair had significant oversteer. 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 "The center section was removed to cool the rear brakes," (which it probably does but who needs better cooling of rear brakes) 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.

I had direct experience with a 260Z. That shape, like many, was similar to an airplane wing and at speed the car created lift. That was documented in a number of articles and I recall Road & Track documented reducing the lift with a large air dam and rear spoiler. I added both at at 100 mph the car was more stable. Unfortunately hit a curb stop and broke the fiberglass air dam. While waiting for a new one, for the body shop to paint it and time to install, the car felt much less stable at even 80 mph! Once installed it was back to good handling up to t's max speed.

JerryU

Glad you haven't. Hope it continues! I have been driving for over 55 years and never had an accident with another car! Hard to keep that up today with many folks texting and driving! I watch carefully as well but with some folks today-it's not as easy! FANGS are a small cost, easy install!

walleyejack

right on, congrats on your driving record Jerry, i only been driving 52 with no at fault mishaps.
you absolutely right, too much crap going on out there anymore, one has to driver like a bobble head, and watch for the other person, either putting on makeup, shaving, texting or whatever. here, more people are killed due to texting than impaired driving anymore. very sad.

JerryU

Yep, I've also been lucky and have not even had anyone hit me! Today when approaching a red light I slow down well be for and IF there is a car coming up from behind I slow to a crawl making them pay attention! In SC you can text IF the car is stopped for a light and some start in anticipation! It's also only a $25 fine.

One of my biddest concerns is the partly twisty (fun) back road I take the 16 miles into town. I see folks going over the center divider line. If they get a beep on their phone indicating a message was posted some have a "learned conditioned response" like Pavlov's dogs and are compelled to look!

I keep my phone off when I drive the Vette. Did not even link my phone with Blue Tooth in the 2014 and won't with the Grand Sport scheduled for production this week! No need to be tempted!

JoesC5

The Z51, GS and Z06 don't have the center air dam because it would block off air to the air deflectors mounted on the FRONT lower control arms.

GM decided that it was more important to have air to the front brakes on the Z51/GS/Z06 than a little better gas mileage. I know that Tadge said it was for "down force" but that is a load of crap.

Originally, the Z51 in 2014 had the center air dam and it blocked off the air to the front brake air deflectors. Then GM removed the center air dam and changed the design of the end air dams slightly. The elimination of the center air dam was done after GM discovered they were not getting adequate cooling of the front brakes, and not because the Z51 was getting airborne at 150 MPH.

The Z51 rear spoiler is an option on the base Stingray, yet they don't remove the center section on the base Stingray when it is fitted with the Z51 style rear spoiler. If it was a fact that the addition of the rear spoiler created more rear downforce, then why is the base Stingray not required to remove the center air dam to maintain the car's balance and not get airborne at 150 MPH. The reason they don't' remove the center section of the air dam is because the base Stingray does not have the air deflectors mounted to the front lower control arms, thus the center section is not blocking off any air to them(because they are not there). And the base stingray with the Z51 style rear spoiler is just as stable at high speeds as the Z51 or the base Stingray with it's small rear spoiler.

The C6 Z06 had a completely different design ducting to cool the front brakes and did not require air deflectors to be mounted to the front lower control arms, thus the C6 Z06 was able to retain the full three piece air dam, and the C6 Z06 was a 100% front breather. When GM released the C6 ZR1(and later the C6 Z06/Z07) they added a full width rear spoiler to increase down force on the rear of the car. They then added a larger front splitter to balance out the car front/rear. GM did not remove the center section of the air dam to create more front downforce.

GTFD2

Removing them sounds like a major modification. I hope it won't void the warranty.

JerryU

We can agree to disagree!

Note the Z07 package Z06 has large brake cooling ducts coming from the grill! Still no center air dam.

Lots of info about air dams producing downforce with quantitative data on the Net. IMO that brake cooling issue was marketing speak so Ralph Nader didn't write another book about an oversteering car and some attorney "for injured people" didn't present the words to a jury who just look at who has deep pockets!

walleyejack

$300 here, and pts on drivers license for txt and driving, CANNOT text while stopped at a light or anything the such, must pull over and stop if it is that important, what has the world come to man.

dvilin

No harm in removing it but I would not do so. As mentioned it serves as a great warning when you hear that dreaded scraping sound to slow down or take some other action before you do some real damage to the underside.