Stage 2 Aero and Gas Mileage
08-23-2018, 10:43 PM
#1
Drifting
Thread Starter
Stage 2 Aero and Gas Mileage
Going on a road trip this weekend and wondering if I'll notice a change in mileage if I take off the Stage 2 Wickers off the rear spoiler?
Thanks in advance!!
Thanks in advance!!
08-23-2018, 10:56 PM
#2
E-Ray, 3LZ, ZER, LIFT
Member Since: Sep 2007
Location: NE South Carolina
Posts: 29,503
Received 9,626 Likes
on
6,630 Posts
Do much better driving like you have raw egg between foot and gas pedal! That will get you a few mpg! Old trick but works.
Note if at all hilly cruise control is not the answer! Best fixed throttle, let it slow slightly up slight hill and speed up going down. Check with mpg readout.
Last edited by JerryU; 08-23-2018 at 10:59 PM.
08-23-2018, 11:04 PM
#3
Race Director
stage III to stage I is huge (front and rear) not sure just winglets will affect mpg as stated.
08-23-2018, 11:17 PM
#5
Miller Time Wisconsin 🍺
Member Since: Oct 2012
Location: The only thing we have to beer is beer itself 🍺
Posts: 9,603
Received 1,440 Likes
on
940 Posts
2022 C7 of the Year Finalist - Modified
C7 of the Year - Modified Finalist 2021
Finalist 2020 C7 of the Year -- Modified
2018 C7 of Year Winner
2017 C7 of Year Finalist
St. Jude Donor '13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-'19-'20-'21-'22
No no no no, don't take 'em off, don't take leave 'em on, leave 'em on
-- David Lee Roth
-- David Lee Roth
08-24-2018, 02:43 AM
#8
E-Ray, 3LZ, ZER, LIFT
Member Since: Sep 2007
Location: NE South Carolina
Posts: 29,503
Received 9,626 Likes
on
6,630 Posts
Doubt the Stage 2 winglets on the splitter hurt my actually help as they do improve the fuel economy on jet planes by reducing tip vortex! In fact the Stage 3 spoiler winglets I replaced the Stage 2 with may even reduce the drag from the air around front tires? I added them to help integrate the look of the Spats!I think the real drag is that Stage 3 air dam between the higher spoiler wickers. Adds downforce but also drag.
These are the drag coefficient numbers Tadge published in a post:
Z51 having rear spoiler no splitter or side skirts = 0.35
Z06 with Stage 2 splitter winglets and wickers on spoiler= 0.40
Z06 with Stage 3 splitter winglets and Stage 3 wickers with center air dam between the higher wickers= 0.50. (That is the big jump in drag and downforce.)
Last edited by JerryU; 08-24-2018 at 02:54 AM.
08-24-2018, 03:15 AM
#9
Melting Slicks
Doubt the Stage 2 winglets on the splitter hurt my actually help as they do improve the fuel economy on jet planes! In fact the Stage 3 spoiler winglets I replaced the Stage 2 with may even reduce the drag from the air around front tires? I added them to help integrate the look of the Spats!I think the real drag is that Stage 3 air dam between the higher spoiler wickers. Adds downforce but also drag.
08-24-2018, 03:47 AM
#10
Team Owner
Member Since: Oct 2004
Location: altered state
Posts: 81,242
Received 3,043 Likes
on
2,602 Posts
St. Jude Donor '05
Not worth the hassle, if there was a difference how much could it cost, a few dollars? Let er rip.
08-24-2018, 08:34 AM
#12
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Jun 2005
Location: Rock Hill SC (Charlotte NC Area)
Posts: 2,363
Received 683 Likes
on
444 Posts
2022 C8 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2022 C7 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
They also don't remove that quickly, unless you installed your Stage 2 wickers yourself w/o the two-face adhesive.
08-24-2018, 09:39 AM
#14
Le Mans Master
I've got a 2014 Z51 M7 with stage 2 splitter, skirts and spoiler. I just got done with a round trip from Kansas City to Detroit and back. According to the car's computer, I was averaging between 30 and 32. My best was 32.7 over a 50 mile interval. I was running 70-75 mph for the most part.
I had only taken the car on one other short road trip prior to this. That was before I put the aero stuff on. I was seeing similar numbers.
If there's a difference, it's not likely you'll notice.
I had only taken the car on one other short road trip prior to this. That was before I put the aero stuff on. I was seeing similar numbers.
If there's a difference, it's not likely you'll notice.
08-24-2018, 09:40 AM
#15
Drifting
Z06 here and I drive almost all highway. Went to stage 2 aero from stage 3 and getting 2mpg improvement.
I don't think the MPG improvement will be as high going from 2 to 1.
I don't think the MPG improvement will be as high going from 2 to 1.
Last edited by cyi1; 08-24-2018 at 09:41 AM.
08-24-2018, 09:46 AM
#16
I lost approx two mpg going from stage 1 to stage 2. Then again going stage 3. Driving at 80 mph I’m down to around 21/22 mpg hwy at 80 mph. Stage two I was 23/24 mpg. Stage one was 25/26 mpg.
Edit: My driving habits are aggressive. I’ve never used cruise control and I am always on the gas. My 400 mile average is around 14 mpg.
Edit: My driving habits are aggressive. I’ve never used cruise control and I am always on the gas. My 400 mile average is around 14 mpg.
Last edited by rb185afm; 08-24-2018 at 10:52 AM.
08-24-2018, 09:53 AM
#17
Burning Brakes
I went on a drive a few weeks ago and averaged around 26 on the highway. My best ever was 28 and that was stage 2. Now I have Stage 3. 1 or 2 MPG is not worth taking anything off. Now if it was 10mpg then it's worth it.
08-24-2018, 09:59 AM
#18
E-Ray, 3LZ, ZER, LIFT
Member Since: Sep 2007
Location: NE South Carolina
Posts: 29,503
Received 9,626 Likes
on
6,630 Posts
Every stage of aero is going to increase drag as it adds down force. There's no free lunch. However, at highway speeds I suspect you're not going to see huge effects that you'll be able to measure independent of other factors such as how much you're getting into the throttle. I'm sure that somewhere inside C7 engineering is a very detailed chart of this, but I doubt it has been released. However the "Ask Tadge" feature did address this question.
Last edited by JerryU; 08-24-2018 at 10:00 AM.
08-24-2018, 10:15 AM
#19
Le Mans Master
Dunno how much it matters, but I left the little outboard flaps under the car in place when I installed my splitter. I also installed the OEM undertray for the splitter. So it's pretty smooth under there, and I've got the flaps to direct air around the tires.
08-24-2018, 10:27 AM
#20
E-Ray, 3LZ, ZER, LIFT
Member Since: Sep 2007
Location: NE South Carolina
Posts: 29,503
Received 9,626 Likes
on
6,630 Posts
^^^
Yep I left mine on as well when I installed my splitter protector for the third function of an air dam (those flaps as you referred to them) performs on a C7, it’s an early warning the next lowest thing that will hit are the “skid pads!” GM calles them radiator supports but they hange down much further than for that function so also act as skid pads.
Hit those several times in my C6. That aluminum on pavement sound makes the flexible air dam sound appear like music! Scraped and detected by C6 skid pads so installed a C7 vendor product, called FANGS on my 2014 C7! Easy install. Scraped them a few times but no damage and minor noise. Installed them on my Grand Sport as well. They are made from heavy durable plastic that helps the skid pads ride over the pavement etc.
As you also note, the side air dams, help deflect air around the tires reducing drag but not increasing downforce which is why the center air dam is missing from the z51 and Z06 / Grand Sport that have the Stage 2 or 3 aero package.
But that is another long story so if interested this is a PDF on C7 aero:
http://netwelding.com/Air_Dam.pdf
Yep I left mine on as well when I installed my splitter protector for the third function of an air dam (those flaps as you referred to them) performs on a C7, it’s an early warning the next lowest thing that will hit are the “skid pads!” GM calles them radiator supports but they hange down much further than for that function so also act as skid pads.
Hit those several times in my C6. That aluminum on pavement sound makes the flexible air dam sound appear like music! Scraped and detected by C6 skid pads so installed a C7 vendor product, called FANGS on my 2014 C7! Easy install. Scraped them a few times but no damage and minor noise. Installed them on my Grand Sport as well. They are made from heavy durable plastic that helps the skid pads ride over the pavement etc.
As you also note, the side air dams, help deflect air around the tires reducing drag but not increasing downforce which is why the center air dam is missing from the z51 and Z06 / Grand Sport that have the Stage 2 or 3 aero package.
But that is another long story so if interested this is a PDF on C7 aero:
http://netwelding.com/Air_Dam.pdf
Last edited by JerryU; 08-24-2018 at 11:03 AM.
The following users liked this post:
JMII (08-24-2018)