Front rubber splitter breaking
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,308
Likes: 104
From: Orange County California
Front rubber splitter breaking
My front, center rubber spoiler has broken again. I repaired it by epoxying the broken tabs back on with additional hard rubber as backing material. Worked for a few months, then broke off again. The smaller side spoilers on both sides have been fine. Any suggestions?
Thanks.
Thanks.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,439
Likes: 590
From: Tellico Plains Tennessee
I'm thinking you're talking about the flexible rubber air dams that hang down in front of the front tires and across, 3 pieces. You've got a base Stingray, right? These are mostly for fuel savings, all economy cars have them. The Z51, Z06, and GS don't have the center one, just the two in front of the tires. Feel free to remove the center piece if you don't wish to repair or replace it. I removed all 3 on my base coupe a few months after I bought the car and after 3 1/2 years there's been no problems and no noticeable change in the car's performance. I think the lines are cleaner without those things and its something I don't have to get on my knees and clean. I get on my knees enough for this car as it is. 
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 3,119
Likes: 799
From: East Lansing, MI
My front, center rubber spoiler has broken again. I repaired it by epoxying the broken tabs back on with additional hard rubber as backing material. Worked for a few months, then broke off again. The smaller side spoilers on both sides have been fine. Any suggestions?
Thanks.
Thanks.
Replace or remove the center section, your choice.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,308
Likes: 104
From: Orange County California
Last edited by IAIA; Jun 18, 2018 at 08:43 PM.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,308
Likes: 104
From: Orange County California
I'm thinking you're talking about the flexible rubber air dams that hang down in front of the front tires and across, 3 pieces. You've got a base Stingray, right? These are mostly for fuel savings, all economy cars have them. The Z51, Z06, and GS don't have the center one, just the two in front of the tires. Feel free to remove the center piece if you don't wish to repair or replace it. I removed all 3 on my base coupe a few months after I bought the car and after 3 1/2 years there's been no problems and no noticeable change in the car's performance. I think the lines are cleaner without those things and its something I don't have to get on my knees and clean. I get on my knees enough for this car as it is.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,847
Likes: 795
From: Longview Texas
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 7,397
Likes: 124
From: Frisco TX
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Team Owner
Joined: Apr 2013
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From: Chirper Island
As said they are a wear item, and are basically sacrificial. You won't get too many long time/high milage C6 or C7 drivers that actually recommend removing them.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 7,382
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From: Lake Havasu City Arizona
The air dam is there to reduce drag. The center piece is not on the Z51 for better brake cooling. This is what Harlan stated when asked about the air dams. He went on to say that there would be no measurable effect with speeds under 80 MPH. The faster you go, the more effect. Not all C7 models have all three pieces and I am not sure specifically which models do or don't, but I find it interesting that the Grand Sport has all three pieces. And the Z51 still doesn't.
Stage 1 Z06 C7s have the center piece. Stage 2 and stage 3 aero packages don't have the center piece. I have my son's Z06 in the garage and it has no center piece, obviously because he bought the car with a stage 3 aero package.
My understanding is, and I don't know this for fact, that any dry sump C7 Corvette shall not have a center air dam.
Stage 1 Z06 C7s have the center piece. Stage 2 and stage 3 aero packages don't have the center piece. I have my son's Z06 in the garage and it has no center piece, obviously because he bought the car with a stage 3 aero package.
My understanding is, and I don't know this for fact, that any dry sump C7 Corvette shall not have a center air dam.
Last edited by joemessman; Jun 19, 2018 at 03:24 AM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,439
Likes: 590
From: Tellico Plains Tennessee
In an ASK TADGE post, Tadge said the center air dam was removed for the Z51 and Z06 to reduce down force on the front of the car at high speed. That was before the GS came along but it doesn't have the center dam either. The preference Tadge and his team have for balance is the front should be light enough to loose traction first and have the car plow straight ahead, engine first for safety, rather than the rear end step out and the car enter frisbee mode spinning into a crash with who knows who exposed to side impact. They wanted to reduce oversteer, the car has enough downforce without the air dam. Thus the decision to remove the center air dam. The first '14 Z51s were delivered with the center air dam before this decision was made. So, since track oriented Corvettes don't have the center air dam then removing one on a base C7 isn't going to cause a problem. If it did then it would be a problem on all other C7s.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 7,397
Likes: 124
From: Frisco TX
The air dam is there to reduce drag. The center piece is not on the Z51 for better brake cooling. This is what Harlan stated when asked about the air dams. He went on to say that there would be no measurable effect with speeds under 80 MPH. The faster you go, the more effect. Not all C7 models have all three pieces and I am not sure specifically which models do or don't, but I find it interesting that the Grand Sport has all three pieces. And the Z51 still doesn't.
Stage 1 Z06 C7s have the center piece. Stage 2 and stage 3 aero packages don't have the center piece. I have my son's Z06 in the garage and it has no center piece, obviously because he bought the car with a stage 3 aero package.
My understanding is, and I don't know this for fact, that any dry sump C7 Corvette shall not have a center air dam.
Stage 1 Z06 C7s have the center piece. Stage 2 and stage 3 aero packages don't have the center piece. I have my son's Z06 in the garage and it has no center piece, obviously because he bought the car with a stage 3 aero package.
My understanding is, and I don't know this for fact, that any dry sump C7 Corvette shall not have a center air dam.
Obviously the dealer stuck it on there thinking it was "missing".
Advanced
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 78
Likes: 15
From: Roseville Ca.
My front, center rubber spoiler has broken again. I repaired it by epoxying the broken tabs back on with additional hard rubber as backing material. Worked for a few months, then broke off again. The smaller side spoilers on both sides have been fine. Any suggestions?
Thanks.
Thanks.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 19,965
Likes: 6,770
From: Bonneville Salt Flats
Highly vulnerable parts are apt to get damaged. You've probably just found out that repairs instead of replacing such doesn't often work well. The only answer as for as I'm concerned is to: suck it up and replace such parts as needed, drive on a giant pool-table, or get rid of such vulnerable stuff. All the best next time.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,308
Likes: 104
From: Orange County California
Actually, it's not true that all GS models don't have the center air dam. Some do, at least according to Gerald Uttrachi who has posted a series of very informational PDFs, including this one on the function and model associations of air dams on the C7:
http://netwelding.com/Air_Dam.pdf
I'll probably replace/repair my center air dam because, while I usually don't exceed 90 mph, sometimes I do. And it was there when I bought the January 2017 build.
http://netwelding.com/Air_Dam.pdf
I'll probably replace/repair my center air dam because, while I usually don't exceed 90 mph, sometimes I do. And it was there when I bought the January 2017 build.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,439
Likes: 590
From: Tellico Plains Tennessee
Thanks for the link to Gerald's post. It reaffirms what I posted in #12. Tadge and his team have designed a car with more than enough downforce without the air dam. They've removed it from the fastest of the Corvette line to make it safer at high speeds. The dam is on the base model for CAFE fuel mileage requirements. Keep it if you wish, it isn't making things safer at any speed, that's not it's design.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,308
Likes: 104
From: Orange County California
Thanks for the link to Gerald's post. It reaffirms what I posted in #12. Tadge and his team have designed a car with more than enough downforce without the air dam. They've removed it from the fastest of the Corvette line to make it safer at high speeds. The dam is on the base model for CAFE fuel mileage requirements. Keep it if you wish, it isn't making things safer at any speed, that's not it's design.
BTW, this is a useful link on the aero packages and how they're configured by splitter, end caps, rockers, etc. Scroll down past the pictures for the various details.
https://gm.oemdtc.com/8579/16-na-330...rolet-corvette
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 3,104
Likes: 626
From: Baton Rouge LA
Every GS I've seen has one, which may not be readily apparent since it is narrower and provides large gaps between it and the side air dams. I assume these gaps facilitate added cooling for brakes.
Last edited by iclick; Jun 20, 2018 at 11:18 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 7,397
Likes: 124
From: Frisco TX
Every GS I've seen has one, which may not be readily apparent since it is several inches rearward of the piece used on base Stingrays, which assembles together in a continuous line. That gap between it and the side air dams on the GS appears to facilitate cooling of the brakes.
The only model that has the center is the base Stingray.